Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Once Upon A Time is a game in which the players create a story together, using cards that show typical elements from fairy tales. One player is the Storyteller and creates a story using the ingredients on their cards.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Interrupts
React during another action to alter, prevent, or respond to its resolution.
Storytelling
Create or extend a narrative in response to prompts or game events.
Voting
Players collectively approve, reject, or select an outcome through votes.
Read the full game description
Once Upon A Time is a game in which the players create a story together, using cards that show typical elements from fairy tales. One player is the Storyteller and creates a story using the ingredients on their cards. They try to guide the plot towards their own ending. The other players try to use cards to interrupt the Storyteller and become the new Storyteller. The winner is the first player to play out all their cards and end with their Happy Ever After card. The second edition, published in 1995, features an expanded card set. The third edition, published in 2012, features multiple changes, including new artwork by Omar Rayyan, a new card set, and a simplified rulesheet. Box says: Contains 110 story cards, 55 ending cards and a rulebook(my box has 114 role cards) See Also Dark Cults The Secret Adventures of The Old Hellfire Club