Once Upon a Time (here after referred to as Once...) is a storytelling card game from Atlas Games and the word "storytelling" is key here. While each player has an objective that determines "success", the real point of Once... is to tell a story, or more specifically, a fairy tale. It's silly, whimsical and - at times - downright nonsensical. It is also brilliant.
Atlas Games explains the concept of their game on the back of the box far better than I ever could:
"One player is the Storyteller, and begins telling a story using the fairytale elements on her Story cards, guiding the plot toward her Ending Card. The other players use their own cards to interrupt her and become the new Storyteller. The winner is the first player to use all her Story Cards and play her Ending Card."
An example of an Ending card is, "So she knew that her visitor had been a monster all along". They are the sort of phrase common to the fairy tales you will be emulating and the objective is to for each player to have shaped the story to a point where their respective Ending card forms a logical end point. Some of the Ending cards contain the famous "they all lived happily ever after" and there are some duplicate cards, meaning pushing the story towards your own Ending may only benefit another player.
There are several categories of Story Card and nearly all will make an appearance in a story. There are Characters, Things, and Places, Aspects, and Events with each containing elements common to fairy tales. Characters include Parent or Wolf; Wells, and Clothes are Things, while City, and Cave are common places. Aspects include personality traits or status such as Sad or This Can Talk. Finally, Event cards include This Breaks, Time Passes and so on - essentially things that happen in a story. Individually, a card wont be much help so the key is for each player to pay attention to how the story is progressing and think how their cards could be used.
Ending and Story cards are only two types, Interrupt cards being the third and perhaps most important. Becoming the Storyteller is central to a winning strategy, as much as that term can be used here. A Storyteller is the person who narrates the story, preferably towards their own Ending card. Interrupt cards allow another player to take control and move the story being toward.
For example, the Storyteller may have explained that A King (Character) is Lost (Event) in a Garden (Place) where he finds a Cauldron (Thing) that can Talk (Aspect)...
only for another player to lay down a Aspect Interrupt Card (as the type must be the same) to describe that the Cauldron is Crazy (Aspect Interrupt Card) as it is under a Spell (Thing)...
Only for another player to play the Treasure Interrupt Card and change the story again.
The role of Storyteller changes hands whenever that player is interrupted or decides to end their turn (and in doing so draws a new card). The inclusion of Interrupt Cards prevents any one player from being Storyteller for too long although if every player starts with a bad hand of cards, it is not impossible for one player to win quickly - although their Ending Card must still make logical sense (or, at least, as much as fairy tales ever do).
Once... works very, very well and while there are some rules that may require the odd re-read to ensure everyone understands, the basic mechanics are elegant and it's unlikely any arguments will break out (but expect laugher and bafflement as the story takes on a life of its own).
Atlas Games make much of the game's suitability for children and so they should. Once's... subject matter and fluid gameplay prevents there from being a "right" and "wrong" way to play - essential to prevent frustration spoiling gameplay - although some little ones may need some help to understand when they need to relinquish control. The game's numerous expansion packs (Enchanting Tales; Knightly Tales; and Seafaring Tales as well as a book on using the game to fuel fiction-writing) provide additional cards to allow the creation of some truly unique stories.
A final, special mention must be made of the game's art, which is simply wonderful. Omar Rayyan has done a sterling job of evoking the style of the fairy tales of our childhood and each card is adorned with gorgeous borders, scrolls and motifs - to say nothing of the stunning art on the reverse.
If fairy tales aren't your thing,the core mechanics are remarkably adaptable. Simply switch Kings and Trolls for Aliens and Spaceships, or Gangsters and Jazz Clubs and you could very easily create stories in your favourite genres.
But I honesty believe you'll have too much fun playing this game to even try.
"CHRIS SMITH ENJOYS NOIR, HORROR AND SCI-FI FILMS AND IS THECULTDEN'S LEADING AUTHORITY ON TABLETOP GAMING. YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TURN WITH HIM OVER ON TWITTER USING @BLOODONTHEDICE."
"Images from Atlas Games"
