Sheriff Of Nottingham provides a serviceable bluffing experience that sadly fails to excite beyond its initial shallow thrill, which is a real shame because a game about border smuggling has instant classic written all over it. It’s a perfectly functional design insofar as none of its flaws are catastrophic or complete deal-breakers, but most of what the game actually is fails to take advantage of its exciting premise in any meaningful way. Its overall structure and cadence are routine and uninspired and claiming victory amounts to little more than boring set collection. For these reasons, Sheriff Of Nottingham operates in a strange middle-ground between tension and vacuity, struggling to be anything more than uniquely mediocre. Its momentary action can feel quite impactful at times and yet the total package feels dull. Maybe those seeking only a few solid “Gotcha!” moments will find this a fulfilling way to spend an hour or so, but asking for anything more memorable or flavorful than that will likely be answered by disappointment. In Sheriff Of Nottingham, players take turns acting as the titular officer while the others embody merchants attempting to bring goods of all kinds through the city gates to sell at their stands. In the center of the table is a massive face-down draw deck of “Goods Cards” and two face-up discard piles. Goods cards come in two forms: legal and contraband. Legal goods may be declared truthfully at the gates, but the only way to make any money off that sweet, sweet contraband is to…