This invention relates to apparatus for playing a game which represents a hunt for an object, particularly the Loch Ness monster .

In accordance with the invention, apparatus for 5 playing a game comprises a board illustrating a hunt area divided into a plurality of bordered spaces and a track divided into a plurality of transverse strips, a plurality of pieces, at least one for each player or team, movable along the track across a number of said strips 0 corresponding to the throw of a dice, and a plurality of search equipment indicators for each player/team usable to track down a hunted object whose position at any one time in the hunt area is determined by the location of at least one (preferably three) of the pieces on the track. 5 Preferably the search equipment indicators are in the form of flat transparent shapes which are usable to cover a selected part of the hunt area. A plurality of different types of search equipment indicators may be ^' provided, each usable to cover a different selection of o ^' the bordered spaces of the hunt area. Such indicators may be either substantially triangular in shape or correspond in shape to the bordered spaces of the hunt area.

Suitably, a pack of scoring cards is provided for each different type of search equipment indicator. 5

SUBSTITUTESHEET

A pack of "chance" cards is preferably provided, and the track may have a marked strip or strips whereby when one of the pieces lands on the marked strip after being moved along the track, one of the chance cards is picked up and actioned upon.

The locations on the track oÏŠ a plurality of the pieces suitably determines the position of the hunted object in the hunt area.

The majority of the bordered spaces of the hunt area are advantageously positioned adjacent at least three (and preferably six) other bordered spaces, whereby such are massed together. The shape of the bordered spaces in the hunt area may be either substantially square, rectangular, hexangular, triangular, circular or octangular.

The piece and/or search equipment indicators of each player are preferably of the same colour, and suitably are of a different colour to the pieces/indicators of the other players. The hunted object may be in the form of a central counter and four other counters positioned symmetrically around the central counter.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for playing a game in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows multiple enlarged views of pieces and counters forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an enlarged plan*view of search equipment indicators forming part of the apparatus of

Figure 1.

The rules for playing the game are as follows:- COMPONENTS

One board (2) illustrating a hunt area (4) and two tracks

(6).

Four cards showing order of play and details of search equipment, purchase and running costs. Four transparent sheets (8) of search equipment indicators

(three eye witnesses (10), two sonars (12), one cage (14), three surface caraeras (16.) , ^• two underwater cameras (18) and one biological unit (20)), the four sheets being of different colours - Before starting the game these must be cut out taking great care to cut just along the outside edge of the black lines. In an embodiment of the game, the transparencies will already have been cut out.

One dice.

One plastic monster head and neck counter (22).

Four plastic submerged monster outline counters (24) .

Four plastic expedition leader pieces (26).

Pack of logistics "chance" cards (including for example trump and miss turn cards) - some with "logistics" printed in red, others in green (see 27).

Pack of sonar evidence scoring cards see 28).

Pack of biological evidence scoring cards (see 30) .

Pack of cage evidence scoring cards (see 32).

Pack of eye witness evidence scoring cards (see 34). Pack of underwater camera evidence scoring cards (see 36).

Pack of surface camera evidence scoring cards (see 38) .

£5, £10, £50, £100, and £500 banknotes.

Tally sheets.

OBJECTIVES Each player is the leader of an expedition trying to discover the truth behind the Loch Ness Mystery.

The board (see 2) is a representation of Loch Ness and surrounding landmarks. The loch itself is the white hunt area (4) divided into a plurality of bordered spaces (5) in the shape of slightly elongated hexagons. This is the playing surface, upon which the Loch Ness monster (22 and 24) appears. The board also has two tracks (6) divided into a plurality of transverse strips (7), and the player's expedition leaders (26) are movable along this track across a number of the strips corresponding to the

throw of the dice. As will be explained in detail later, the position of the monster (22 and 24) at any one time in the hunt area (4) is determined by the location of the expedition leaders (26) on the tracks (6). 5 Players must deploy their search equipment indicators (10,12,14,16,18 and 20) in the most advantageous way to obtain sightings, photographs, sonar contacts, video and biological evidence. Such occurs when the monster appears in a hexagon covered by any player's _Q search equipment indicator on the map of the loch. If a player's search equipment indicator is covering even a small part of the monster's hexagon, then that player collects an evidence card (28,30,32,34,36 and 38).

The winner of the game is the first expedition

-, - leader to present, to the world, proof that the monster exists. For the purposes of the game 'proof is represented by collecting evidence cards totalling 750 points. R U L E S F O R F O U R P L A Y E R S 0 OPENING OF THE MONSTER HUNTING SEASON FOR FOUR PLAYERS a. Choose which player is going to act as Sponsor. (The Sponsor acts as Banker, Tally man and issues equipment) . It is suggested that this be undertaken by someone over 14 years of age. The Sponsor also takes a

full part in the game as the Independent research team leader and must take care to keep Independent's own money separate from that of the Sponsor. b. The other players choose from the American (blue), 5 British (red) and Japanese (yellow) expeditions. The seating order should be clockwise - Independent, Japanese, British and American. Turn the board to the most convenient position once all players are seated. c. Place the red, blue, green and yellow expedition Ï„_0 leader tokens on the named squares on the appropriately coloured tracks. The tracks are situated at opposite ends of the board, American and Independent at one end, Japanese and British at the other. d. The Sponsor issues £50 to each player including ₁₅ himself as Independent. This is made up of 4 x £10 and 2 x £5. e. All the packs of cards must be shuffled thoroughly and placed on their appropriate squares. Before shuffling the logistics cards, separate out those with 'logistics' o printed in red. The two halves of the pack should now be shuffled separately. Now place the first fifteen of the green printed cards face down on the space provided. Place all the red printed cards on top of these and finally place the remaining green printed cards on the top

25

of the pack. f. The Sponsor issues three eye witness transparencies to each player in their own colours. g. Each player now places their eye witness transparencies on the board. The pointed end of each must be on shore. This rule applies to all equipment except the cage and biological unit transparencies, h. No player is allowed to position more than two of their own transparencies on top of each other, but it is perfectly acceptable to overlap as many opponents transparencies as you wish. i. Each player should be given a summary of the rules that also lists search equipment prices and running costs. THE HUNT BEGINS - STICK STRICTLY TO THE SEQUENCE The game is played in rounds comprising nine stages. There are a number of steps in each stage. Independent always plays first in each stage/step with the others following in a clockwise order. Playing first or last has no advantage or disadvantage.

-

STAGE ONE

N.B. Missed turns are determined by logistics cards durin play. They are occasionally obtained during stage one and the missed turn finishes in stage eight unless the card states two missed turns, in which case the card is kept until the second time stage eight is reached.

Each player in turn, starting, as always, with Independent, follows these steps:-

STEP 1. Throw the dice, even if γou are currentl missing a turn. The dice must not be thrown on the board as it might disturb equipment.

STEP 2. Advance your Expedition Leader around the path in an anti-clockwise direction, even if vou are currently missing a turn. STEP 3. If you land on a space with a large

'*' then take, and immediately act upon, a logistics card No logistics- <^ar is taken if you are already missing a turn. Cards must be read aloud.

N.B. The next player does not start this stage until after the previous player's logistics card has been read and dealt with, as some involve further dice throws.

STAGE TWO

STEP 1. Look beneath the American token and find a capital letter from A to H. Look beneath the

Japanese token and find a number between 1 and 6. • Look

beneath the British token and find a lower case (small) letter from a to f.

N.B. If the Japanese or British tokens eventually land on their starting spaces (the spaces showing their names) no monster will appear in that round.

STEP 2. When the capital ^letter, number and small letter are put together the combination represents a hexagon on the loch's surface, i.e. A4d, F2a, H3c, etc. STEP 3. The Sponsor (banker) places the Head & Neck token (this represents surface sightings) on that location on the map of the loch. If no players have underwater equipment in use (i.e. early rounds) then go directly to stage three, but do not forget step four in later rounds when underwater equipment does come into play.

STEP 4. If underwater equipment is in use then the underwater monsters must also be positioned. This is done as follows: the Sponsor counts four hexagons in each direction left and right from the surface monster's location and positions two of the four monster outline tokens (these represent totally submerged monsters) . The Sponsor then counts four hexagons up and down from the surface monster and positions the remaining monster outline tokens ^' . Important: due to the shape of the playing area there may often be only one or two underwater monsters positioned and sometimes

none. Again if no player has any underwater equipment in use, there is obviously no need to position the underwater monsters. All equipment sees underwater except eye-witnesses and cameras.

STAGE THREE

Independent completes all three steps of stage three first, then the other players in the usual order. Players missing turns take no part in stage three.

STEP 1. Look at the position of the monster or monsters and see if any part of any of your trans¬ parencies covers the monsters' locations or their border lines. Remember eye-witnesses and cameras can only 'see' the (surface) head and neck monster. All other equipment can 'see' both types of monster. Disputes as to whether or not your equipment transparency is touching a scoring hexagon should be settled by agreement with other players. Viewing from directly above usually settles the matter, but the Sponsor makes the final decision. STEP 2. Take the evidence card or cards, to which you are entitled, from the top of the appropriate packs. The evidence cards each have points value which may for example be as follows:-

Underwater camera 40 points Surface camera 40 points

Eye witness 40 points

Sonar 60 points

Biological 150 points

Cage 1,000 points Evidence cards should then be kept, not returned.

11

STEP 3. The Sponsor must now total your points on the tally sheet. Your points are kept as a cumulative running total.

STAGE FOUR STEP 1. As soon as all players have completed the previous round, the monsters are removed from the board. It is quite likely that there will be no evidence obtained in the early rounds.

STEP 2. If one or more players have over 750 points at this stage the game is over. See section on Climax of Hunt.

STAGE FIVE

The Sponsor performs the following procedure with each player in turn, as usual starting with him/ herself. Players missing turns still receive income and pay costs.

Each. layer is due £150 income. The Sponsor subtracts the equipment running costs (as on the equipment list) on the Tally Sheet for each player and pays the player the difference. If a player's costs exceed the income due, the player pays the Sponsor the difference.

The first time this stage of the game is reached there will be no running costs involved so players get the full £150. N.B. It should always be born in mind that running costs are not the same as purchase price.

STAGE SIX

This stage deals with the buying and/or disposal of equipment. Each player takes the following steps in turn. You cannot buy equipment while missing a turn. You may, however, return equipment while missing a turn.

STEP 1. Choose any one p^ece of new equipment from the list. You cannot buy more than one piece of equipment in any turn. No player can buy underwater equipment until they have all three surface cameras positioned, so in the first three rounds you have no option but to buy surface cameras.

STEP 2. Pay the Sponsor the purchase price. The Sponsor then enters the running costs figure in your column on the Tally Sheet as a running total. Beware of expenditure exceeding income.

STEP 3. Hand back to the Sponsor any equipment you no longer require. There is no refund of purchase costs. (Equipment may not be re-purchased after being returned during the following round (turn) ) . The

Sponsor then reduces your running costs on the Tally Sheet by the appropriate running cost figure of returned equipment. You may return as many pieces of equipment as you wish in any turn, except the cage and eye-witnesse which, once in position, must never be removed. Surface cameras cannot be returned until all that player's underwater equipment (except the cage) has been returned.

13

N.B, When removing transparencies from the board, ave another player assist you for minimum distur¬ bance of other transparencies. They can usually be slid sideways off the- loch if evidence cards are removed temporarily. It is inevitable that other players' transparencies will be disturbed a _* little when others' are being removed. With care and practice disturbance is usually insignificant, but players are perfectly entitled to reposition their own equipment if moved during the removal process. This repositioning must be done immediately, not after the dice is thrown.

STEP 4. Place your new transparency (if any) on the board remembering that no more than two of your own may overlap at the same spot. The pointed end of all equipment except the cage and biological unit must be on shore. Once positioned equipment may not be moved, but it may be adjusted slightly if disturbed accidentally during play. The Sponsor's decision on these matters is final. N.B. Biological units can be placed in any position but may not be moved. Cages may only occupy one hexagon, and can only obtain evidence in that hexagon. When cages are placed, the Sponsor must keep a note of the hexagon reference. Equipment can be reposi ioned by returning it during one round and re-purchasing it two rounds later.

The cage and eye-witnesses, however, must not be removed after first being positioned and surface cameras-.'-cannot be returned if a player has any underwater equipment, except the cage, in use.

STAGE SEVEN

The Sponsor reads out the total points for each player.

STAGE EIGHT Players may now return missed turn logistics cards to the pack unless they have further turns to miss.

STAGE NINE

Players who hold a Trump logistics Card should play such now if they wish to influence the monster's position in the next round.

The Trump card can be used to change the capital letter determining the position of the monster for that turn to that of the player's choice in order to make the monster appear in a position. in the hunt area more favourable to the player concerned. ^' The Trump card must be presented and the capital letter chosen before the independent player throws the dice. Only one player may play a Trump Card in any round. If necessary throw dice to choose who can play their card and who must wait.

It is recommended that should you draw a Trump Card early in the game, you should retain it until its benefits are clear.

One round is now complete. Return to stage one.

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CLIMAX OF THE HUNT

As would be expected, the hunt will only end when one of the Expeditions has proven conclusively, to an incredulous world, that the monster exists. For the ^' purpose of the basic game, the incredulous world has determined that 750 pointy represents proof of the monsters's existence. Total up the points on the actual cards in case a mistake has been made on the Tally Sheet. If more than one player has attained more than

750 points at this stage, then the highest pointed player wins.

If points are equal, the player with the highest pointed card wins. If there is still no winner then an additional round is played to decide the matter. You cannot win while missing a turn. SPECIAL RULES ON BORROWING

Any amount can be borrowed from the Sponsor to pay debts that players are unable to meet. The money plus 50% interest must be repaid within four rounds

(turns) . Failure to repay in this time puts you out of the game. The Sponsor must keep a record of the four rounds.

If you have to borrow then you cannot get any evidence until the loan and interest is repaid. It may be that you have to return most, if not all, of your

equipment (except those with zero running costs) , in order to repay quickly and get back into the hunt.

The Bank loan card-, ^' from the Logistics pack, is a.term loan- and does not prevent, you from seeing the monster.

_ S__H_-_O___R_T_-_E-_N---E__D__---G---A-_M---E---S-. .

Games may be' shortened by fixing the number of rounds to be played or by reducing the 750 point target to 600. SUMMARY CARDS

Four summary sheets are provided with a precis of the rules. These also show the purchase prices of the equipment and their running costs. It must be remembered that the purchase price is handed over when receiving equipment while the running cost is entered on the Tally Sheet for payment in stage four of each round.

CHILDREN'S RULES

The recommended minimum age for the basic game is nine, but younger players can enjoy it with a little assistance from an adult.

However, there are some simple rules below for parents wishing to play ^• the game with children between five and ten years old. The design of the game is such that parents may amend the Children's Rules to suit the individuals' abilities.

Junior Rules (ages 5 to 10)

1. Issue each child with three eye-witness trans¬ parencies, one surface camera, one cage, one sonar, one underwater camera and a biological transparency. 2. Each child positions their cage. Once the cages are in place, they position all their remaining trans¬ parencies.

3. Issue each child with £500.

4. Any child with less than £100 after a round is given another £500.

5. All remaining transparencies are put away.

6. No equipment is purchased and no running costs are paid.

7. Each round comprises finding the monsters' positions, taking evidence cards, acting on Logistics cards and totalling points.

8. The winner is the first child to get 400 points. N.B. It is suggested that complicated Logistics cards are removed from the pack at the parents' discretion. Additional rules from the basic game may be added at the parents' discretion depending on the childrens' ages and abilities.

RULES FOR FIVE PLAYERS

The fifth player takes the role of Sponsor, thus easing the workload of I.ndependent and speeding up the game.

RULES FOR THREE PLAYERS

I ndependent takes no part in the game and the role of Sponsor is ^' taken by the American, British or J panese player. The green equipment and plastic Expedition Leader are not used during the game.

— RU—L—E—S—F—O—R——TW—O^—P—LA——Y—Eâ €”R—S-

^' The two players choose from the American, British and J panese expeditions.

The transparencies of the expedition not being used, plus Independent's transparencies can be put to one side. They will not be used during the game.

The green plastic independent Expedition Leader token takes no part in the game either, but the leader of the other non-participating expedition must be placed on its starting position in the normal way.

One of the players looks after the Tally Sheet and issue of equipment, the other player acts as banker and throws the dice to move the non-participating token around the path. If the non-participating Expedition Leader lands on an asterisk no logistics πard is taken.

The reason that the non-participating plastic Expedition Leader token needs to move around the pathway is purely to allow a location for the monster to be determined.

It is not possible for the monster to appear unless the American, British and J ananese plastic

Expedition Leader tokens are all moving around the path¬ ways.

No money is issued to the non-participating expedition, nor evidence cards taken. RULES FOR ONE PLAYER

The player chooses from the American, British or Japanese expeditions.

All the transparencies of all the other expedi¬ tions are put to one side and take no part in the game. The green Independent Expedition Leader token takes no part in the game either.

The American, British and Japanese tokens take a full part in the game, but no logistics cards are taken unless the player's own token lands on an aster- isked square.

. The player must throw the dice for each of the other two tokens in strict sequence according to the basic rules in order to determine the monsters' positions. By keeping a record of the number of rounds needed to prove the monster's existence, a solitary player can assess how successful his/her strategies are.