Buried Treasure (1977)

Somewhere on the island is buried a chest full of gold doubloons. The task of the players is to try and locate the exact position of this hidden treasure. It can be achieved by the simple means of elimination.

The map is divided into forty-nine squares which are numbered horizontally and lettered vertically (fig. 1). There are also fourteen 'location cards' each containing a reproduction of the island map and with either one row or one column shaded (fig. 2). At the beginning of the game, these cards are divided into two packs, one containing the numbered columns and the other the lettered rows. Each pack is shuffled and placed face down and the top card drawn from each. These cards remain unseen and give the exact location of the treasure. For example; should the card with column 3 shaded be drawn together with the card having row F shaded, then the position of the treasure is at square 3F. The twelve remaining cards are shuffled together and dealt equally amongst the players of whom there may be two, three or four.

Each player also receives eight digging tokens. Having looked at the cards in his hand, the first player will place one of his tokens on a square on the map board, say B6. If the player on his left has a card indicating either row B or column 6 or indeed both, then he simply says 'No' and the first player's turn ends with the knowledge that possibly the treasure is not buried anywhere in column 6 and/or row B.

Players continue to place tokens in turn until one of the players suggests the location of the treasure chest. That player then looks at the cards selected at the beginning of the game. If correct, that player wins, if not the cards are replaced face down and that player is out of the game.

A variant suggested by the inventor, which makes a longer but possibly a better game, is where each player only has one token and, after it has been placed on the board during the first round, it may only be moved to an orthogonally, adjacent square on each succeeding turn.