Novel-Based

In the Alexandre Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the protagonist, Edmond Dantès, is imprisoned in the Chateau d'If for fourteen years, during which time he learns about a fortune hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. Eventually he escapes, boards a smuggling ship, then makes his way to the island, where he manages to recover the fortune.

But did he find all of value on the island? That's not what designers Arnaud Urbon and Charles Chevallier propose in Le Secret de Monte Cristo, coming from Filosofia in French, with eggertspiele and Z-Man Games releasing versions in German and English.

The players are smugglers who learned of the treasure from Dantès while traveling together, and now each of them has decided to search the island for any treasure that might remain. Each round players receive cards that show what type of treasure (gems) might be found in the castle, with the active player that round placing three smugglers in the castle and all other players placing one.

Once new treaure has been distributed in the castle rooms, players then take actions based on the order of the marbles showing in the game's "action slide" – this being a tilted rack with four slots in it, with a different action associated with each slot. The player whose marble is at the bottom of slot one takes that action, then places the marble at the top of any other slot; then the player at the bottom of slot two takes that action; and so forth.

Players can seize treasure from rooms if they outnumber the other smugglers present and they have the right sacks on hand for storing the treasure.

In an age when poetry and the arts reigned supreme, the nights of Kyoto were filled with romance. Gentlemen of the Imperial court, ordinary clerks and functionaries by day, went out at night to meet their secret lovers in furtive trysts. Writing by the light of the moon, each tried to craft the finest and most moving poetry in the form of the Tanka, a short verse composed of only five lines. The best poems evoked the scene, the season, and represented the depth of the courtier's knowledge of the fashionable themes at court. By far, the most successful such lover was a fictional one named Hikaru Genji, the Shining Prince. Genji was, for the ladies of the court, the symbol of the perfect lover. For the men of the court, he was the perfect example to emulate.
In GENJI, players take the roles of courtiers out to woo fair princesses. Players score points for writing the finest poetry, or winning the most hearts. But beware: other courtiers will be waiting in the wings to steal those hearts away! Take your brush in hand, and set out on the night streets of Kyoto. The romance of the height of the Heian Period awaits you in GENJI.

Home Page: http://www.zmangames.com/cardgames/genji.htm

From BoardgameNews.com:

"Players in Genji try to learn from the historical figure of Genji and woo the ladies of the Imperial Court with their poetry. Twelve ladies, each bearing a symbol of one of the four seasons as well as one of three fashions – melancholy, nature, romance – are laid out in a circle, with a fashion card chosen at random to show players what type of poetry is in style.

"In each of the four seasons, each player will travel from his “home” – a lady chosen at the start of the game that bears his marker – around the circle in either direction. A player moves 1-3 spaces each turn, then either studies new material (discards poetry cards and draws new ones) or woos the lady he is currently visiting. If he has no rivals who have previously presented her with poems, he can present her with a poem on one or two cards. “Each poem card has the top or the bottom of a classic Tanka poem (5 lines, 5,7,5,7,7 syllables each, respectively),” says Kirk. “A poem can be considered either a top, a bottom, or a match of the two cards.”

"If another player has already presented a poem, then he can either complete the poem (assuming only a single card was played) or challenge it (by playing a poem card that increases the beauty of the poem, thus revealing the other player for the poser he is). In the latter case, you discard your contribution and the matching half, then add the remaining half poem to your hand to be used later.
...
"The round ends once a player returns home and makes a final study or woo action. Players then score points if they have the most poems on the board for that season, have presented the most beautiful poem of the season, or pitched woo at the home of another player. Yes, being a scoundrel can pay off."

This game is set on the 3-dimensional bridge where the epic struggle between Balrog and Gandalf takes place.

Each player has their own set of cards. Each card has 4 markers on each side, indicating the card's strength. There are also some cards with a special action.

There are four rounds per game, with the winner of each duel moving up the bridge.

Whoever ends up highest after the fourth and final round is the winner.

Lord of the Rings - The Duel is part of the Kosmos two-player series.

One player tries to erect a cathedral, while the other is in charge of building a fortress, an element that also seems to be part of the book; the one who succeeds first in erecting his building has won the game.

Each of the two buildings consists of three sections/cards; each of those sections require a different combination of materials. Action cards enable players to get to construction materials; other action cards upgrade these materials, such as iron into bells, sand into cement or wool into cloth.

(From the Nuremberg preview at Gamepack.nl.)

Prince John is coming to Nottingham! Players, in the role of merchants, see this as an opportunity to make quick profits by selling goods in the bustling city during the Prince's visit. However, players must first get their goods through the city gate, which is under the watch of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Should you play it safe with legal goods and make a profit, or risk it all by sneaking in illicit goods? Be mindful, though, as the Sheriff always has his eyes out for liars and tricksters and if he catches one, he very well may confiscate those goods for himself!

In Sheriff of Nottingham, players will not only be able to experience Nottingham as a merchant of the city, but each turn one player will step into the shoes of the Sheriff himself. Players declare goods they wish to bring into the city, goods that are secretly stored in their burlap sack. The Sheriff must then determine who gets into the city with their goods, who gets inspected, and who may have their goods confiscated!

Do you have what it takes to be seen as an honest merchant? Will you make a deal with the Sheriff to let you in? Or will you persuade the Sheriff to target another player while you quietly slip by the gate? Declare your goods, negotiate deals, and be on the lookout for the Sheriff of Nottingham!

Sheriff of Nottingham is the first game in the Dice Tower Essentials Line from Arcane Wonders.