Cheese Thief Review

Ah, to be the mouse that got the cheese. But what’s the best way to snaffle it? Wait until everyone is asleep and sneak into to get it of course. In this bluffing and deception game, each player is dealt a card of either a sleepyhead or the titular cheese thief – they then take a cup and their dice, and roll them inside the cup – hiding the results underneath. Players peek and their dice and then everyone closes their eyes. 

Then the moderator calls out hours one through six, and the mice around the table open their eyes on the turn they rolled. Here, at different player counts, things get a bit interesting with the introduction of ‘followers’ (those who spot the thief and the thief spots them, changing allegiances), and peeking at people’s dice under their cups to help rule them out when it comes to the trial. Once their game hour is up, players close their eyes again. Naturally the camembert criminal takes their turn to steal the cheese.

Then daylight breaks. Everyone opens their eyes, and the discussion begins around who the actual brie burglar is. This either ends quickly with people agreeing who it is immediately, or becomes an amusingly drawn-out discussion where the sneakiest around the table will manage to convince others that it was someone else entirely. Players are supposed to vote for the feta felon, but our games gave off more of a witch hunt vibe.

It’s a surprisingly entertaining game of bluffing and silliness that didn’t outstay its welcome. There’s something a little bit magic about any game where you convince people to close their eyes all at once, and there’s no shortage of that here. If you’re still waiting for Blood On The Clocktower to land, this is a tiny mammalian version that might keep you going. 

Christopher John Eggett

PLAY IT? YES

Designer: Dongxu Li

Publisher: Jolly Thinkers

Time: 10 minutes

Players: 4-8

Ages: 8+

Price: £26

This article originally appeared in issue 56 of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

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