Al Rashid

About this board game

Al Rashid is a strategy game for 2–5 players, with a playing time of about 100 minutes. Set in the prosperous Abbasid world of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, it casts players as heads of powerful families competing to influence the ruler’s court.

Across five turns, players manage workers through alternating placement and resolution phases. Each family commands three worker types—the Sage, Merchant, and Pasha—whose different influence values shape control of map regions, corporations, and government or imperial offices.

Workers placed in geographical areas can secure valuable resources, while corporations represent major powers at court: Intrigue, War, Science, Commerce, and Politics. Players may also use resources to acquire more workers or obtain offices that provide permanent advantages, one-shot effects, or abilities usable every turn.

• Place workers to compete for influence and determine who resolves actions.
• Gather Wood, Pottery, Metal, Spice, and Silk from the map.
• Trade resources to strengthen your family and claim offices.
• Hire mercenaries to combat raiders appearing on random map locations.
• Earn prestige points through purchases and finish with the highest total.

Only the top three players in an area, determined by influence and placement order, resolve its action. Greater influence brings stronger effects, while dominating players can receive more resources, cheaper workers, or improved corporate benefits. Because Al Rashid has no currency, careful resource management is essential: paying too much during a trade earns no change.

With mostly deterministic play and only a slight hint of randomness, every placement matters. Players accumulate prestige points by buying offices and workers, then compare their totals after the fifth turn to determine the winning family.