Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves presents itself as a classic overhead dungeon crawler that balances exploration, puzzle-solving, and tactical turn-based combat. You lead a party of up to five adventurers through a series of winding caverns, each rife with hidden traps and secret doorways. Movement is grid-based, and each turn grants you a finite number of action points for moving, attacking, or triggering environmental switches. This system rewards careful planning and punishes hasty decisions—every step could set off an arrow trap or awaken a slumbering scorpion.

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One of the most appealing aspects is the diverse roster of 17 potential party members. You can mix and match humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings to form a balanced team. Each race brings unique abilities—elves spot invisible runes more easily, dwarves resist poison in underground caverns, and halflings boast uncanny stealth. This variety encourages experimentation: will you field two stalwart dwarven warriors up front, or rely on nimble halflings flanking the foes?

Combat unfolds in a deliberate, turn-based fashion. Whether you’re facing a band of thieves or a hungry tiger, positioning matters. Ranged characters can pepper enemies with crossbow bolts from behind sturdy shields, while melee fighters hook blades around corners. The game’s air of tension peaks as you navigate trap-laden corridors—triggering a pressure plate might unleash a volley of darts, or open a pit that sends you tumbling into a lower level.

Between battles, you sift through piles of gold ducats to buy upgraded weapons and armor at hidden bazaar stalls deep within the dungeon. Runes embedded in walls offer cryptic hints—some reveal nearby treasure, others caution you about deadly ambushes. This blend of risk and reward drives you ever deeper, making each discovery feel hard-won and memorable.

Graphics

Visually, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves modestly captures the spirit of Arabian Nights through its detailed tile-based environments. The overhead perspective provides a clear view of each chamber’s layout, enabling strategic movement yet still allowing atmospheric touches: flickering torchlight casts dancing shadows, and engraved pillars bear ornate patterns. While the palette leans toward earthy browns and muted golds, occasional bursts of turquoise and crimson in rugs or banners enliven the scenes.

Character sprites are small but distinct—halflings have rounder frames, and elves sport pointed ears that stand out even in cramped corridors. Enemy designs range from heavily cloaked thieves brandishing scimitars to realistic beasts such as tigers and scorpions, their movements surprisingly fluid for a game of this era. Animation frames smoothly convey strikes, dodges, and critical hits, which helps keep each encounter visually engaging.

The user interface presents inventory screens and status panels in a straightforward, retro style. Menus load quickly and display clear icons for weapons, armor, and runes. A mini-map in the corner fills in as you explore, highlighting doors you’ve unlocked and spaces you’ve mapped. Though minimalist by modern standards, the UI is intuitive and unobtrusive, leaving the focus squarely on dungeon exploration.

Spell effects and trap triggers receive extra polish: a fire rune erupts in flickering orange, illuminating nearby walls, while poison clouds swirl in sickly green before dissipating. These visual cues not only look appealing—they also provide valuable feedback, so you can adapt your strategy on the fly.

Story

At its heart, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves weaves a simple but effective narrative: the Sultan’s daughter, Princess Buddir-al-Buddoor, has been kidnapped by a rogue band of thieves. Your quest is as straightforward as it is compelling—descend into the underworld lair of the Forty Thieves, rescue the princess, and restore order. The stakes feel genuine thanks to occasional cutscenes depicting the Sultan’s despair and fragmented journal entries from the princess herself, left behind in ransom notes.

Character interactions add depth to the journey. When you recruit new party members, you overhear snippets of their backstories—an elven scout on the run from a rival clan, a dwarf eager to reclaim ancestral treasures, or a halfling determined to prove her worth. Though dialogue is concise, it injects personality into each expedition and gives you reasons to care about more than just the next hoard of gold.

Pacing of the story is skillfully integrated into dungeon progress. You’ll uncover runic inscriptions that hint at hidden passages or reveal the thieves’ broader schemes. Side areas often contain lore-rich relics—ancient manuscripts, jewel-encrusted scimitars with inscriptions—that layer on worldbuilding without halting the crawl. The sense of discovery remains constant as you piece together both the princess’s fate and the thieves’ ultimate plan.

By the time you penetrate the deepest vaults, the narrative tension peaks. You’ll cross blades with the thieves’ commander in a multi-stage duel, weaving together everything you’ve learned about trap evasion, party synergy, and precious rune magic. It’s a satisfying capstone that feels earned, thanks to hours of careful exploration and incremental reveals.

Overall Experience

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves offers a robust, old-school RPG experience that will resonate with fans of classic dungeon crawlers. Its deliberate turn-based combat, layered trap mechanics, and rune-driven hints create a rewarding loop of tension and triumph. While the graphics and interface may feel dated to some, the core gameplay remains as engaging today as it was at release, delivering a satisfying blend of strategy and adventure.

Whether you tackle the lair solo or enlist a friend in co-op mode, the game scales nicely. Solo players can micromanage each character’s actions, while co-op sessions spark lively discussions on positioning and inventory management. The challenge curve is well calibrated—early levels ease you into trap detection and basic skirmishes, while later floors demand precise coordination and resource conservation.

Replay value comes from experimenting with different party compositions and hunting down every hidden niche. Trying a team of spell-focused elves, or a stalwart dwarf-led squad, changes the way you approach each level. Plus, optional side chambers often hide unique weapons or lore items that encourage thorough exploration.

In sum, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves stands as a compelling slice of retro RPG design. It may lack modern bells and whistles, but its deep mechanics, atmospheric presentation, and classic story elements make it a must-play for adventurers seeking a challenging dungeon crawl steeped in Arabian Nights flavor.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10