Lost Treasure

Lost Treasure Rulebook

Table of Contents

Technical Information

About the Electronic Dive Control Center - PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY.

Proper Care. The Electronic Dive Control Center is made of many delicate parts. Therefore:
- Never take your Dive Control Center apart.
- Don't drop or jolt your Dive Control Center.
- Take care not to get your Dive Control Center wet.
- Don't use a pen or pencil to press the buttons on your Dive Control Center: use your fingers only.
Battery. Your Electronic Dive Control Center is completely portable when powered by a 9-volt battery. We recommend that you use only an ALKALINE BATTERY; it will last longer than a regular carbon battery.
Battery Installation. a) The battery cover is the printed area on the bottom of the Electronic Dive Control Center. b) To remove the cover, place your thumb onto the ribbed space marked PRESS. While pressing down, slide the cover about 1/2" in the direction of the arrow. Then lift the top of the cover toward you. c) Install the battery (+ and -) exactly as shown below (diagram). If you don't, you may damage the unit permanently. Also be sure to place the battery so that it covers all the wires. And make sure that each battery clip is securely fastened.
Battery Removal. To avoid battery leakage and consequent damage to the game:
- Always remove the battery when storing the game for long periods of time.
- Immediately remove any battery that you suspect is defective.
Battery Replacement. All batteries must eventually be replaced. Therefore, if you ever find that your Electronic Dive Control Center is not working properly, you probably need a new battery. With a weak battery, for example, there may be no sound or light when you turn the unit on. Or, as you're playing, a weak battery may cause a continuous buzzing sound. If any problems occur with a new battery, check to make sure that you've installed it correctly.

Equipment

Game board; Electronic Dive Control Center; 4 boats; 16 treasure chests; 4 gold buoys; 4 silver buoys; 2 dice; a stack of money.

Object

You and your opponents are deep-sea divers in search of sunken treasure. The treasure is scattered throughout the ocean floor.

Your challenge is to locate and dive for it by using the Electronic Dive Control Center. If you successfully bring treasure to the surface, you must sail to port to cash it in. Then you'll go out for more. The first diver to earn $1,000,000 wins the game.

The Board

Take a few minutes to look at the board and the Electronic Dive Control Center before you begin to play.

As you can see, the board is an ocean chart of island chains. The entire chart is divided by a large, red grid into 64 numbered sections. Each numbered section is a possible treasure location. Within each treasure location is a small, black grid with 9 squares. Each square is a separate diving area.

Example: This is treasure location number 12. It has 9 diving areas - any of which might contain treasure (even if the diving area contains land or a port). (The example diagram shows a location with squares marked "Recovery Point" and "Divers' Landing".)

Located on the chart are 8 ports. Each port has a name and is indicated by a port symbol. One of the ports will be your starting space. Later in the game, you may go to a port to cash in treasure or to get money from the Bank.

The Electronic Dive Control Center

The Electronic Dive Control Center is a remarkable device that helps you pinpoint a treasure location on the map, simulates your dive, controls your air supply, displays a treasure's value, and hides new treasure as each one is found. It's very easy to operate, as you'll see when you get behind the controls.

NOTE: Whenever you use the Dive Control Center during the game, be sure to keep it lying flat and within view of all the players. That's because any information entered into and supplied by the Dive Control Center must always be shared.

Direction indicator and direction keys. The direction indicator tells you in which direction a treasure lies in relation to your location on the map (lights at N, S, E, W and the center). Press either one of the gold keys when searching for gold treasure; press either one of the silver keys when searching for silver treasure. (The keys are marked N-S and E-W.)
Dive Simulator keys (AIR, UP, and the remaining keys). Use these keys to begin and end your dive, repeat the treasure value display, and clear mistakes.
Location number and diving keys. These are the location number and diving keys (a 3 x 3 pad numbered 1 to 9). You'll use them when you need to enter your location number into the Dive Control Center. The 9 keys also represent the 9 diving areas within a treasure location. You'll press them one at a time during a dive in order to find out which diving areas contain treasure.
Air and Value Gauge. These lights show how much air is in your diving tanks during a dive for treasure. The same lights show the treasure's value at the end of a successful dive. (The gauge diagram shows six lights, labeled 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12 for air and 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 for value.)

The Buoys

The buoys have a very important function: Every time a player receives a direction from the direction indicator, either the gold or silver buoys are moved on the map. In this way, they're used as map markers for treasure locations. Eventually, the gold buoys will surround an exact gold location and the silver buoys will surround an exact silver location. But it may take several turns before exact treasure locations are found.

The Treasure Chests

Any time you successfully bring treasure to the surface, you'll receive treasure chests from the Bank. The number of treasure chests you receive will depend on the value shown on the $$ gauge. Each treasure chest is worth $50,000.

Set Up

Each player chooses a boat and places it onto any unoccupied port.
Place one gold buoy and one silver buoy onto the map "frame" at each corner of the board as shown.
Choose a player to be the Banker. The Banker: a) separates the money by denomination into different piles to form the Bank; b) hands each player 1 - $100,000 bill and 1 - $50,000 bill; c) sets aside the brown-colored treasure chests for the time being.

During the game, the Banker will hand out money and treasure chests to the players who have earned them.
Each player rolls the dice. Whoever rolls the highest number goes first. Play then proceeds, in turn, to the first player's left.
Turn on the Electronic Dive Control Center. It will automatically hide one gold treasure and one silver treasure into two different treasure locations on the map. Only the Dive Control Center knows which locations were chosen.

When you hear a short "beep," it's to remind you that the Dive Control Center is ON.

Special Notes About the Electronic Dive Control Center

a) If you should happen to turn the Dive Control Center OFF during a game, two new treasures will automatically be hidden. In this case, you would move all the buoys back to the 4 corners of the board and start a new search. b) Be sure to press only one key at a time. c) If you should press a wrong key, press CLEAR immediately, then start again.

Starting the Game

Please read the GAME PLAY SUMMARY box very carefully before you begin to play. It will give you an understanding of the different steps you may take on each and every one of your turns. Each step, however, is explained more fully following the summary.

NOTE: If you're the first player, you must begin the game by searching for treasure.

Game Play Summary

On your turn, you may do any or all of the following steps. It's up to you; but you must do them in this order:

Search for treasure. Start your turn by searching for either a gold or silver treasure location. It doesn't matter which one you choose since one is not necessarily more valuable than the other. To search, take the Dive Control Center and operate the direction indicator. It will tell you in which direction a treasure lies in relation to your location on the map.

Move the buoys. Based on the direction you receive from the direction indicator, move either the gold buoys for a gold treasure or the silver buoys for a silver treasure. Move the buoys in order to mark off the area where the Dive Control Center has indicated there's treasure. (See Searching for Treasure and Moving the Buoys.)
Roll the dice and move your boat. The object is to move your boat toward the area marked off by buoys; or if you can, directly into a numbered section that has treasure so you can dive. On other turns, you may want to move your boat in order to enter a port or to pirate an opponent. (See Rolling the Dice and Moving Your Boat.)
Dive for treasure. If you think there's treasure in the numbered section where you've landed, pay the Bank $50,000 for diving rights. Then take the Dive Control Center and operate your dive. If you don't think there's treasure where you've landed, end your turn. (See Diving for Treasure.)

Once you've completed the steps you wish to take, end your turn. Play passes to the person on your left.

Searching for Treasure and Moving the Buoys

On the Electronic Dive Control Center, press in the number of the section your boat occupies. Decide which treasure you want to search for - either gold or silver. (On any turn, you're free to ask for either one.) Then decide whether you want to know if the treasure is north or south - or - east or west of your location. Press the appropriate direction key on the Dive Control Center.

A light will circle the direction indicator and then stop at either N, S, E, W, or the center. Based on the direction you receive, move the appropriate buoys.

Example: Let's say that on your first turn, your boat occupies the port called Atlantis in section number 77. Press 7-7.

You decide to ask, "Is the gold treasure east or west of 77? Press the gold E-W key.

Let's say the direction indicator lights up at W. This means the treasure lies west of 77. So move the two gold buoys to just west of 77 as shown in the diagram.

Now you know the gold treasure lies somewhere in the shaded area. The entire shaded area is west of 77.

Let's say the direction indicator had lit up at E, instead of W. In this case, the treasure lies east of 77. So move the two gold buoys to just east of 77 as shown in the diagram. The gold treasure lies somewhere in the shaded area. The entire shaded area is east of 77.

And if the center light had lit up on the direction indicator, it would tell you that the treasure is neither east nor west of 77, but lies within that row of numbered sections. In this case, move all four buoys as shown. The gold treasure lies somewhere in the shaded area. The entire shaded area is central to 77.

Let's take the last example when the center light had lit up, and say that it's the next player's turn. His boat occupies section number 47. He decides to ask for the gold, too. He asks, "Is the gold treasure north or south of 47?" He presses 4-7, then the gold N-S key.

Let's say the direction indicator lights up at S. This tells you the treasure lies south of 47. So move the two gold buoys to just south of 47. The gold treasure lies somewhere in the shaded area.

As you can see from the examples, each time a question is asked about a treasure location, the buoys are moved. So as players take turns asking about the same treasure - whether it's gold or silver - the locations are narrowed down until eventually the exact location is found.

This diagram shows that 67 is an exact gold treasure location.

Rolling the Dice and Moving Your Boat

a) You may move your boat any number of spaces up to the number that you roll.

Example: If you roll a "7," you may move as many as 7 spaces or as few as 0. b) A boat moves in the water from square to square on the small, black grid within each numbered section. c) A boat may move in any direction - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and may, on a turn, change directions as often as you wish. d) A boat may NOT land on or move through a space where there is land. e) A boat may NOT land on or move through a space occupied by another boat.

Diving for Treasure

Once your boat has landed on any square within a numbered treasure location, you may - if you wish - dive in that location.

Pay the Bank $50,000 for diving rights. (Exception: If, on your previous turn, you bought diving rights for the same treasure location and haven't moved away from it, you don't need to pay again when you re-dive.)
On the Electronic Dive Control Center, press in the numbers of the location your boat occupies. Then press AIR.

If you hear two low notes, the treasure is NOT there. End your turn.

But if the treasure IS in the location, you'll hear the sound of your diving tanks filling up with air and see the lights on the AIR gauge light up one at a time. As soon as your tanks are full, you're ready to dive. You may begin at any time.

Before you press any keys, however, read the following sections on diving very carefully. After all, divers must be fully prepared before they plunge into the deep!

The nine squares on the Dive Control Center represent the nine diving areas within the treasure location. Treasure can be found in one or more of them and at different depths. (That's because the ocean floor is uneven!) It's up to you to explore them to find which ones actually contain treasure. Since you won't have enough air to dive in all nine on a turn and still return to the surface, dive in as many as you can and in any order.

To Dive:

With one finger, press and hold down one of the nine numbered keys. Listen to the "descent" sound. (It sounds like you're going down, down, down.) Keep that numbered key pressed down until you hear either the "treasure" sound or the "no treasure" sound. The "treasure" sound (a run of high notes) tells you that you've picked up treasure in that diving area. The "no treasure" sound (one low note) tells you there was no treasure in that diving area. Either sound tells you that you've reached bottom. If you press another key without reaching bottom first, you'll hear the "bad" key sound. So make sure you reach the bottom with every number you press.

Now quickly press and hold down another numbered key. If you hear another "descent" sound, the diving area you've entered is even deeper than the last. If you hear an "ascent" sound (sounds like you're coming up, up, up), the diving area is closer to the surface. Hint: Knowing the depths of your dive will help you to gauge how much air it will take to end your dive and reach the surface.

In this way, quickly move from one number to another to find the diving areas that contain treasure. But keep your eye on your air supply! If you've picked up treasure, make sure you have enough air left to reach the surface.

To End Your Dive:

Hold down the UP key until you either run out of air or reach the surface. (The UP key is the means by which you bring to the surface any treasure you've picked up during your dive.)

Running Out of Air:

From the moment you press the first numbered key until you reach the surface, you're using up air. (The AIR gauge lights will go out one at a time until the supply is finally used up.) The penalty for running out of air: Any treasure you've picked up during your dive will drop into the last numbered diving area you pressed. You'll hear it drop. This signals the end of your turn.

Reaching the Surface:

If you reach the surface WITHOUT having picked up any treasure, you'll hear the "two bells" sound and your turn ends.

But if you reach the surface WITH treasure, you'll hear the "two bells" and "treasure" sounds and see the treasure's value light up on the $$ gauge. (The value can range anywhere on the gauge between $100,000 and $350,000.) If you need to see your treasure value again, just press the $ VALUE key.

The Bank will then give you the treasure's value in treasure chests. Each treasure chest is worth $50,000.

Example: Let's say the $$ gauge rises to $200,000. In this case, the Bank would give you 4 treasure chests ($50,000 x 4 = $200,000).

Depleting a Treasure Location

Any player - on his or her turn - may dive for any treasure that's still left in a treasure location (provided the player lands in the location, first). As soon as someone brings up the last of the treasure, and the entire treasure location is empty, you'll hear a shrill-sounding alarm. It will occur after the "treasure" sound at the end of a player's dive. When you hear this sound, move the four buoys marking that location back to the four corners of the board. The Dive Control Center will automatically hide another treasure and players can start asking about its location.

Let's get back to your turn. You've just had a successful dive and you've collected your treasure chests. Now in order to cash them in, you'll have to sail to port!

Sailing to Port

As soon as you've brought treasure to the surface, you may immediately roll the dice and move your boat in order to reach any unoccupied port. As soon as you land on a port, the Bank will give you an amount of money equal to the value of your treasure chests. Your turn ends.

But until you reach port, your treasure chests could be pirated away from you!

Pirating

If a player, on his or her turn, lands on a space next to yours, that player can pirate you for any treasure chests you have. (Money cannot be pirated.) But the pirate takes a risk if he has any treasure chests: He could lose his to you. Here's what happens:

Each player rolls one die. Whoever rolls the higher number wins all the treasure chests the loser has. If the loser has none, there is no penalty. In case of a tie, the player who was pirated wins all the treasure chests from the pirate. The winner gets to immediately roll the dice again in order to move away from the loser.

Running Out of Money

If you run out of money (remember that you need money to buy diving rights) go to any unoccupied port and the Bank will give you another $150,000. You may do so only on your turn when you roll the dice to move.

Winning

The first player to earn $1,000,000 in cash wins the game.

For a shorter game, decide before you start that the winner will be the first to earn $500,000.

Important Strategy Hints

a) Remember: On any turn, you're free to ask for either gold or silver treasure. b) Remember: On a turn, you don't have to ask for information. If the information will help your opponents but not you, you might not want to ask. c) If a treasure location is narrowed down to just two or three numbered sections, and you reach one of them on your roll, you may want to take a chance and dive - you just might hit it! d) When you dive, you may want to make the order of the numbers you press confusing to your opponents. Do this in order to make it difficult for them to find the diving areas where treasure might still be located. Similarly, when an opponent dives, try to remember which diving areas he or she presses. By remembering, you can save time if you dive for treasure in the same location. e) You can dive in port if you think that port is in a numbered section containing treasure. By being in port, you immediately receive cash for any treasure you bring up. f) If you've brought up only some of the treasure on a dive, and no opponents are nearby, you don't have to sail directly for port. If you wish, stay where you are and dive again on your next turn - without having to pay an additional $50,000. g) If you've had a successful dive and you're on your way to port, you can - if you wish - try to pirate an opponent. But be careful; you might lose your own treasure chests to him or her. h) If you've had a successful dive and you're on your way to port, you may stop at another numbered section and dive - if you think there's treasure. But be careful; if you don't bring up treasure, your turn ends and you could be pirated! i) There are spaces around the islands that when occupied can block another boat. This can be effective in keeping a player from reaching a port - or delaying a player from reaching a treasure location.

Diagrams: The red boat blocks the white boat from directly reaching a port. The white boat will have to take another route to get there. If the white boat is trying to get into location number 35, it will have to wait for the red boat to move - or take a longer route.