Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Parker Brothers “Tom Swift” Boardgame.

From 1966

The object of the game is to be the player who has the bit best scare when the game ends.

EQUIPMENT

The equipment consists of five playing pieces, five Travel Cards, 16 Plan Cards, Score Cards, two dice, one marble, Tom Swift Cards, a playing board, and a Polar Ray Gun.

PREPARATION

Shuffle Score and Tom Swift Cards separately and place them face down alongside the board. The five Travel Cards are placed on their section on the board with the White Reserve Card on the bottom of the pile. The four Plan Cards are shuffled and placed in each section; the four A” Plans placed on the “A” location, etc. The Polar Ray Gun is placed on its section with the marble inside ready to shoot. Each player rolls the dice and the player rolling the highest goes first. The four playing pieces are placed on the Starting section of their color. The Green piece is placed on the circle marked Reserve.

PLAY

The first player begins by drawing a Travel Card. This card will indicate the travel area in which the player moves first. The player then throws the dice and moves the piece of that travel area the number of spaces indicated. If the number he throws lands him on a space with a picture of Tom Swift, he takes the top card from the Tom Swift Card pile and follows the instructions printed on it. He then places the card face up alongside the pack. If do my he throws or the card he draws lands him on a space with a picture of the Ray Gun on it, he takes a shot with the Ray Gun, ending his turn. The other players then follow in a clockwise direction.

A player must always move the full count of die & except when moving to the Start space. You do not need the exact number to land on a Start space. Players move in each section in the direction indicated by the arms on the board. If a player draws a card or lands on a space sending him to another section he does not move piece but exchanges the card he is using with the card to the new section and his turn ends. On his next turn moves the piece in his new section. A reserve piece and a regular piece may occupy the same space.

RETURNING TO START

Players endeavor to make a complete tour around each of the travel areas so that when a players piece lands back on a “Start” space, he will receive a “plan” particular area traveled. If a player already has a plan from a travel area in which be had aheady been, the player receives, instead, a Score Card.

When a player’s piece returns to a “start” space, he also turns in his travel card, and his turn ends On his next turn, he may take any one of the Travel Cards and start around the new travel area.

TRAVEL AND RESERVE CARDS- There is a Travel Card for Space, Air, Undersea and Land. A player when moving in any one of these sections must hold its card If, during the play, he exchanges position with another player , only the travel card is exchanged either between the players or from their location on the board. The pieces are never disturbed but are moved from their old postion on the board. There is one reserve card. This card may only be used if a player has a plan, all available cards.

SCORE CARDS

When a player draws a Tom Swift Card that tells him to take a Score Card, he takes the top Score Card. If a player shooting with the Ray Gun scores a ^2^5, so, ^7^5 or I 00 the card or cards to equal this score is given to him from the bottom of the deck. Example: If a player scores a so, he. takes the first so point score card which is dealt from the bottom of the deck. Players keep their Score Cards and Plan Cards with score on them face down so other players do not know their score.

OBTAIN PLAN FOR POLAR RAY DYNASPERE

A player must go through all sections: Space, Air, Land, and Undersea before he can obtain all sections of the plan. As he completes each section, he takes the top plan as he arrives back at Start. HE MAY TAKE ONLY ONE PLAN FROM EACH SECTION. If he already has a plan from a section he just completed, he takes a Score Card. When a player has obtained all four parts, A, B. C, and D, of the plan cards and has returned his Travel Card, his turn ends. On his next turn he puts his plan together and takes a shot with the Ray Gun either for more score or to end the game.

POLAR RAY DYNASPERE GUN

This gun is always on its location on the board. When a player is entitled to a shot, he places the marble in the gun, and aims the gun towards the hole he wishes the marble to land in. He then moves the back of the gun slowly upward. This releases the marble toward the target. If the marble lands in any hole, the player is given a score card for the amount noted above the hole. Players, when shooting, must always keep the gun within its area.

WINNING THE GAME

When a player has four parts of the plan he shoots with the Ray Gun. He may shoot for additional score or if he has enough score to Ann, he shoots for the Finish. If his marble lands in the Finish Hole he receives 25 points and the game ends. Each player counts the score on the Score Cards and the parts of the plan they have obtained during the game. The player having the highest score wins the Game.