Kids Chronicles: The Old Oak Prophecy
Kids Chronicles: The Old Oak Prophecy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 18 Location Tiles
- 19 Character Tokens with stands
- 40 Item Cards
- Inventory Board
- Rulebook
The game requires the free Kids Chronicles app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play (currently requires Android 5 or later; iOS 11.0 or later; system requirements may change in the future). You only need to install the app on one phone or tablet. The game cannot be played without the app. Once you have downloaded the app, no internet connection is required to play. The app can be set to English.
Goal of the Game
The Old Oak Prophecy is a cooperative game in which you act together to achieve a common goal. The story develops from scenario to scenario. Talk to the magical characters and collect magical items so that, at the end of the adventure, you can make the right choice or correctly answer the questions asked of you.
For every scenario you complete successfully, except the tutorial, you will receive a magic amulet. Once you have collected all four, you will be strong enough to stand against the evil threatening the Forest.
Setup
- Leave the space in the center of the table empty.
- Place the Inventory Board so that there is some free space to its left.
- Place the Location Tiles face up on the table so that all players can reach them.
- Place the Item Cards face up on the table. During the game you can freely look through these cards, so lay them out however is most convenient for the players.
- Place all the Character Tokens next to the Location Tiles and Item Cards. During the game, you will need to insert into the stands whichever tokens are taking part in the scenario.
How to Play
Once you have finished setup, launch the app, tap the "The Old Oak Prophecy" tab in the main menu, and choose the scenario you want to play.
To understand the essence of the game and get a sense of the Guardians of the Forest's mission, first play the "Magic Tutorial" scenario. It explains all the rules of the game: you can start playing and refer back to the rules you are holding whenever questions come up.
Important: all scenarios are connected to one another. To unlock the final scenario, "The Prophecy," you must complete the "Magic Tutorial" tutorial scenario and the first 4 scenarios.
Introduction
Every scenario begins with an introduction, which states:
- Which location you start the game in (the location is always the same).
- What task you need to complete, and its backstory.
After reading the introduction, tap the button to begin the game.
3D Scenes
When you enter a location for the first time, the 3D scene inspection begins automatically.
Turn a full 360° to look around the whole location. You can also do this by swiping left, right, up, or down on the screen.
Choose one player. They have 40 seconds to look at the location and describe to the other players what they see. The other players must choose, from those available, the item cards and character tokens that match what is being described, and lay the cards face up on the table, insert the tokens into their stands, and place them on the correct Location Tile.
Make sure these cards and character tokens are visible to all players, including those who have not inspected the location in the app.
When time runs out, you may either stop inspecting the location or invite another player to inspect it by pressing the "Look again" button.
Usually you will encounter no more than two characters in each location, and you will be able to find no more than two items and three signposts.
Place the character tokens you saw in that location onto the Location Tile you were inspecting.
Example: while inspecting the "Old Oak" location, you see a Beaver and describe it to the other players. They find the Beaver token, insert it into its stand, and place it on the "Old Oak" Location Tile.
Take the matching item cards and place them in the slots on the Inventory Board. These items are now in your inventory.
Example: while inspecting the location, you notice two items — a blueprint and a clock. The other players find these cards and place them in any free slots on the board.
Item cards can be placed in any unoccupied slot. Amulet cards are placed next to the board.
Signposts always show a location symbol and a color. The color matches the color of the compass arrow shown on the Inventory Board.
When you see a signpost in a 3D scene, find the Location Tile with the matching symbol and place it next to the location you are currently in, so that the tiles fully touch along one side (not just at the corners!). The color of the signpost tells you which side of your location to place it on.
Example: while inspecting the 3D scene at the "Old Oak" location, you notice a red signpost with the "Statue" location symbol. The other players find the "Statue" Location Tile and place it according to the compass indication — to the north (above) the location you are currently in.
Talking with Characters
When you meet characters, you need to talk to them!
It can happen that a character mentions another character or item whose location is unknown. If the app displays an image of the character/item being mentioned, find the matching character token or item card and place it to the left of the Inventory Board.
You may ask other characters about such characters and items, but you cannot talk to those characters or hand anyone those items.
Not-yet-found characters and items are kept here.
Example: while talking with the Turtle, you show her the clock, and she notices the Rabbit's portrait on the clock. You don't yet know which location the Rabbit is in. You find the Rabbit token and place it to the left of the Inventory Board.
The current location's name is displayed at the top of the screen.
How to Talk to a Character
When the scan window appears, point your device at the QR code on the character token. Then tap anywhere on the screen to begin scanning.
Keep in mind that you can switch to "auto-scan" mode in the app's menu.
The scanned character will now happily answer your questions about characters and items. You can end the conversation by pressing the "Farewell" button.
How to Ask a Character About an Item or Another Character
During a conversation, scan item cards and character tokens, and the character you're talking to will tell you about them (even if you ask a character about themself).
Remember: you can only scan cards and character tokens that have already been mentioned in the scenario — those that are in locations, in your inventory, or next to it. You cannot scan cards and tokens that have not been mentioned in the scenario.
How to Give an Item to a Character
If a character needs an item, scanning that item while talking with that character will automatically give them the item. Don't worry — this is always the correct choice, and it will move the story forward. After scanning the card, remove it from the Inventory Board and place it with the other item cards on the table.
Important! You cannot ask characters about locations. Scanning a Location Tile during a conversation will end the conversation, and you will travel to the scanned location.
How to Travel to a New Location
To move to another location, scan its QR code. However, remember: you can only travel to locations that you have already discovered and whose tiles have been placed next to the tiles of other locations. If you have heard about a location but have not placed its tile, you cannot travel there.
Example: you are at the "Old Oak" location. During the scenario, you discover the "Statue" location to the north of "Old Oak," and a little later you place the "River" location to the east of "Statue." You have heard something about the "Vegetable Garden" location, but you don't yet know exactly where it is. This means you can go to the Statue or to the River, but not to the Vegetable Garden.
Locations and Travel
There are 18 unique Location Tiles in the game, which will form the map of the scenario.
Each Location Tile has a QR code in the bottom-right corner, and a location symbol in the top-left corner.
Players begin each scenario in one specific location. As the story progresses, players will learn about new locations and where they are situated. The number of locations may differ between scenarios.
The World of "The Old Oak Prophecy" Is Alive and Ever-Changing!
If you return to a place you have already visited, you may find that everything there has changed. In that case, a 3D scene inspection will start automatically.
If the inspection does not start, it means nothing has changed since your last visit. But you can still inspect that location again by pressing the "Look again" button.
In rare cases, scanning may fail to work because of:
- Lighting in the room (avoid harsh shadows);
- Protective sleeves on the cards (they create glare and reflections);
- Problems with the phone's camera (dirt on the lens, etc.).
Make sure the QR code is within the frame, and hold the phone steady so the camera can focus. If the camera cannot focus, try waving your hand in front of it to reset the focus.
Using Items
In some locations, an additional button may appear, offering you an action to perform. To perform it, you must press that button and scan the card of the item you want to use. If the item is the right one, new information will appear in the app. If you chose the wrong item, nothing will happen — but don't worry, you can try again.
Example: you are at the "Vegetable Garden" location. A "Plant" button appears on the screen. You press it and scan the seed card. It works! Text describing what happens next appears in the app.
Remember: you can only use items that are placed on the Inventory Board.
Journal
If you have missed some information, or forgotten which cards or tokens you have already scanned, you can check your journal! At any time you can press the journal button and review how the story has developed so far and which cards and tokens you have already scanned.
Ending the Game
Once you have completed a scenario, you may move on to the next one. The game ends after you complete the sixth scenario, "The Prophecy."
If you complete the game successfully, congratulations! You can now play through the whole story again from the beginning, or replay individual scenarios you particularly enjoyed.