Secrets of the Deep
Secrets of the Deep Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board
- 1 shoe (the ship marker; the source term is "ботинок", and the rules refer to this piece as the ship)
- 5 divers
- 2 dolphins
- 1 steering wheel with compass
- 25 dive cards in 5 colours
- 20 event cards
- 18 treasure chests
Setup
Treasure chests are mixed and distributed number-side down onto the corresponding places on the seabed. The 6 small chests (values 2–4) are placed on the green sectors, the medium chests (values 3–5) on the red sectors, and the large chests (values 4–6) on the green sectors.
Each player receives a diver token and the dive cards of the matching colour, placed face up in front of them.
- In a 2 or 3 player game, you need 4 dive cards with values 1, 2, 3, and a dolphin.
- In a 4 or 5 player game, you need 5 dive cards with values 1, 1, 2, 3, and a dolphin.
Event cards are shuffled and placed in a pile next to the game board.
The ship is placed on the start space in the upper right corner.
Two dolphins are placed on the two marked spaces.
Playing the Game
The player who loves diving the most begins. Play then proceeds clockwise.
On your turn, turn the yacht's steering wheel and play your dive card (then turn it face down). The wheel value and the card value are added together. Each diver starts from the yacht through one of the five hatches and swims toward the treasure, changing direction as desired along the way.
The player may also play a dolphin card, either before or after the dive. Dolphins are useful because they push one or more divers ahead of them, speeding up their journey or hindering the appearance of rivals. Only one helper dolphin may be called per turn. Dolphins can move 1–3 spaces horizontally and vertically, and can turn as many times as wanted.
If the steering wheel stops on a question mark, the player draws an event card. After completing the task, the player plays the chosen dive card.
After each player's turn, the ship moves one space to the left.
Only one diver or dolphin may occupy each space. They are obstacles for other divers, which must be navigated around.
Treasure
If a diver reaches a treasure chest, they have only a few turns to bring it up to the yacht. If 2 or 3 people are playing, their divers have 4 turns each; if 4 or 5 people are playing, they have 5 turns. Oxygen is limited and the chest is heavy, so only one chest may be carried at a time.
When the diver returns to the yacht, they unload the treasure, turn their dive cards face up again so they lie open, and move the yacht one mark to the left. On the next turn, the diver starts the path to the treasure again from the beginning.
If a diver cannot return to the yacht with a heavy chest within the stated number of turns, they throw it vertically onto the seabed and return to the boat. This treasure can now be picked up by any other diver. In this case, the player again turns their dive cards face up and moves the yacht one mark to the left.
A diver may return to the yacht at any time. They must decide this before the player turns the steering wheel. In this case the dive cards are also turned face up, and the yacht moves.
End of the Game
When the ship reaches the last mark on the left edge of the game board, the game ends. Divers who have not yet raised their treasure are allowed to raise it automatically. Time to count the catch: the total number of chests and their values are counted.
Advanced Variant
To make the treasure hunt even more tense, the dive cards may be reduced.
- For 2 and 3 players: each player receives 4 dive cards with values 1, 1, 2, and a dolphin.
- For 4 and 5 players: each player receives 4 dive cards with values 1, 2, 3, and a dolphin.
Onward to sea adventures!