About

Nakarat is the name of a versatile, rotating board designed for multiple, unique and completely original, dexterity-based flicking games. Inspired by multiple games created throughout the ages and across different cultures, Nakarat’s uniqueness is found both in its curious familiarity and thrilling, thought-provoking challenges. My name is Sharif Mansour, I am Egyptian/American, currently living in the small Red Sea town of El Gouna. As a maker of outdoor games and an avid gamer, playing, making and designing games has become my passion. I couldn't be happier to bring my own series of games to share with you at Essenspiel 2023! More about Nakarat and its Family of Games The Nakarat (meaning flicking) playing board, spins like roulette, and has 18 magnetic, removable pegs at key locations across the board which is designed to allow for 2 -6 players depending on the game being played. Along with the Nakarat game board, I have brought the first 3 games I have developed 'Baltaga', 'Khabasa' and 'Kam-fi-Kam'. Each game uses the same-size wood discs, (referred to as stones) whose designs vary according to game and purpose. The base game 'Baltaga' was the first to be developed, and of the three games. Baltaga (playfully meaning 'thuggery' or 'bullying') can best be described as a combination of darts meets billiards... but with flicking. It's the easiest access and most 'fun-for-all' game of the three, proving to be fun for kids as young as 7 to elders as old as 80! Khabasa, meaning 'cunning' or 'slyness' was the second game to be developed, and the most complex of the three. Khabasa takes the core mechanics of Baltaga and adds layers of strategy that will appeal to the more serious gamers. It can be described as a combination of darts, Dominion, and chess...but again, with flicking! Kam-fi-Kam is a set collecting game that takes inspiration from card games like conquain and rummy but with stones. In Kam-fi-Kam, players use unique shooting stones to knock off and collect the 42 symbols stones into sets. All Nakarat games are played over a series of 'rounds' that make up a 'game'. A round lasts until all players have played all of their stones. Scoring takes place on game trackers and the stones are stored in pouches provided to the players. The Nakarat board can easily be assembled and disassembled quickly with only a philips screwdriver. The Vision for Nakarat The plan is for the Nakarat game board to be the exclusive home of 6 - 8 disc flicking games. There are already two additional games that are in early design and development stages, and 2 - 3 other games in the concept stages. Parallel to the table top Nakarat game board, is an upcoming giant outdoor version of the board (which actually was where the original idea for Baltaga, and eventually the Nakarat concept, came from). Giant Nakarat will swap the wood stones for cornhole bags, and the idea is again, for multiple games to be played on the giant board. I am looking forward to sharing “The Nakarat Experience” with you!