GAME OF THE MONTH

SHA-EE  THE GAME OF DESTINY  was made by Ideal in 1963.  It seems to have been an attempt by Ideal to create an "adult" game, perhaps to compete with the adult-themed "American Heritage" battle games series published by Milton Bradley, which were popular at the time.  SHA-EE's game box is excellent, with it's eerie photograph of the boy king, and faux "mummy linen" cover.   Great care seems to been have taken in the planning and design of this elaborate game.   Unfortunately, judging by how rare this game is, it must have sold very poorly.

You may have noticed by now that I like Egyptian or "Mummy" games, and this one is no exception.  As with most of Ideal's games, plastic pieces abound.  There are 44 Kings and Guards, symbol die in a special container, a big Urn, and a bazillion playing tiles.  

The game is very complicated...The understated goal is to build a "continuous and unbroken path to gain the vacated throne of Osiris", and with this game, the "quintessential elements of the positional, race, dominoe, war and dice games are here welded for the first time".  Basically, you're positioning tiles in a particular path that lead you through, and around, various "squares" that are essential, or detrimental, to your reaching the Throne of Osiris.  Interestingly, like VOICE OF THE MUMMY, reaching the Throne doesn't automatically make you the winner; it just ends the game.   The player with the most points wins.  You navigate Vantage squares, Hazard squares, Grey squares, Ordeal squares, Bonus tile squares, Black Symbol squares, and ultimately the Sceptre and Flail square (which separates the general playing area from the Throne).  Along the way, you place "Guards" at these point value Squares to ensure your King a direct path to the Throne.  

The Special Die is used when a player wants to occupy an Ordeal or Black Symbol square;   At this point, you roll the die in an effort to turn up the symbol of the Square you have reached, or your die point.   You must keep doing this until you are successful, or until you have lost 4 turns this way. On the 5th turn, you proceed.  Players may "Challenge" another player's Guard figure for occupancy of a square, and again, the special die is used....

Real care was taken in the construction of the game implements...  The figures are crisp, the tiles almost feel like ivory.  The Urn is beautiful, and the Symbol Die cube is made angular and unusual.   I'm sure they could have used a crummy die cup or plastic cylinder like Hasbro or Transogram would have, but they didn't.  It was a class act all the way...Too bad it didn't catch on.