The Oak Island Mystery Game

              
 It is 2009 on Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Treasure hunters have gathered to finally solve the mystery that has eluded searchers for over 200 years. It all started with three young men in 1795 who noticed a square-shaped depression under a tall oak tree. A notch in a limb over the depression told a story their young brains registered right away – pirate gold was under their feet. They returned later that day with shovels and buckets. The investigation into the Oak Island Mystery had begun.

               Over 200 years later many searchers and researchers are still trying to solve the mystery of the square depression under the oak tree. Much has been found, a 90+ foot shaft with oak logs every 10 feet, a mysterious stone with even more mysterious writing, links of gold chain, indications that someone booby trapped the island with flood tunnels to frustrate anyone after the gold, or what ever was buried. Then there are the mysterious objects located all over the island: stone markers with masonic symbols, a giant cross laid out in huge boulders and a swamp that appears to be man-made. The list goes on.

               In this game you become a searcher, looking for evidence connecting to 8 main theories ranging from 800-year old Templar Knights to a freed American slave who struck it rich on the island while farming cabbage. There is more to Oak Island than meets the eye! Earn enough money and attract enough investor interest to mount your own major dig. Prove one of the theories and beat other searchers to the treasure. In the end remember, the treasure is the story!



Contents: The game consists of:

• A map of Oak Island, showing 32 land-lots, and major features.
• A deck of 66 “Top-Pocket Finds”, artifacts found on various island lots that contribute to proving the plausibility of 8 main Oak Island Theories
• A deck Oak Island Theories that describe each theory as well as the cash value of proving them plausible and the investor interest they can draw in the game.
• A deck of Major Finds, the results of enacting a major dig in six key areas of the island. Proving them “plausible” is only one step on the journey as this attracts more investor money that will support a dig to go for the win.
• 4 sets of 20 colored cubes representing the potential for controlling interest for each player on the island land-plots.
• Two 6-sided dice.

Oak Island Map with Lots and their numbers, as well as important sites located.




The Run of Play:

1 Each player begins with 20 colored cubes an all the enthusiasm they can muster as a searcher!

2. On a turn, a searcher rolls the 2, 6-sided dice to see what numbers come up and on which lot they may begin their search.  Rolling a 2 and a 4 could allow you to pursue a survey search of lot 2, 4, 24, or 6 (2+4). To explore lots 17, 18, 19, or 27, 28, or 29, total on dice giving a 7, 8 or 9 allows the searcher the choice of looking on one of those six lots).


Finding Artifacts (Top-Pocket Find cards)

The searcher chooses which lot they want to search and then refers again to the values on the dice. Using the example again of a 2 and a 4, the searcher is then able deal out 4 cards in a row from the TPF deck for all other players to see. The searcher is able to take card 2 and 4 into their possession because of the values on the dice. The other two cards are put in the TPF discard pile. The purpose of this is to show all players the cards that are coming up so that they can better plan their own searches. Note, 2/3rd of the TPF cards have artifacts on their face side, 1/3rd have only "disappointment" and a return to the drawing board – after a trip to the Mug and Anchor Pub, mind you…

If a searcher is successful in finding an artifact, they may now place one of their colored blocks on the island lot where they made the search, indicating that plot is no longer available in the game. No other player may now search on that island lot, except in the case of lots 10 – 14, 18, 20 and 25. These are the sites of major digs and can be occupied by all searchers.

“Top-Pocket find” artifact cards have a cash value payable immediately to the searcher. TPF artifacts also affect the Investor Interest chart. Each time one is found by a searcher the Investor Interest chart is moved up by $10,000, showing their increasing interest. This is the money that is available for searchers to use to enact a major dig. This will be explained later. Investor Interest is set at $100,000 at the start of the game.


Oak Island Theories Cards

As each searcher collects Top Pocket Find cards, they may look through the Oak Island Theories cards, searching through them for one that they think they can “prove as plausible” by finding the four artifacts associated with that theory. Each Theory card has an artifact listed in each corner – for a total of 4.  To prove that theory plausible, the searcher begins by taking whatever Theory card they want to work on into their possession. To do this they must have at least two of the necessary artifacts (from the Top Pocket Find deck) already in their possession. They may keep these private and try to complete the artifact list on their own, or at any point they may lay them down on the table, (with the artifact cards underneath, but with their top portions displaying their name visible). By doing this a searcher is inviting other searchers to contribute artifacts to make the theory plausible. A searcher might choose to do this as they suspect that the artifacts they need are in the possession of others searchers. If other searchers contribute artifacts, they simply add a number of their colored blocks on top of the Theory card corresponding to how many artifacts they have contributed. Some artifacts work with a number of theories and so each player must choose carefully where and when they set down their artifacts - they may not be taken back once placed on the table.  

Each Oak Island Theory card that is proved plausible pays $100,000  to the searcher that did so. If more than one searcher has contributed to the plausibility of a theory the colored blocks will help sort out how that $100,000 is shared by the players. ($100,000 is easily divisible by 4).

The Investor Interest chart is also affected by Theories proven plausible. $200,000 is added to that chart with every plausible theory.

What to do with Plausible Theories

When Oak Island Theory cards are proven plausible (by finding all four associated artifacts) that card is returned to the middle of the table, face up, with the artifacts that proved it plausible returned to the discard pile. These cards are once again available for any searcher who is looking prove plausible another theory. But now we are moving from plausible theories to proven theories, which is how you win the game.

During their turn a searcher now has three options: to search for Top Pocket Finds on a specific lot, work with Theory Cards (take possession of an Oak Island Theory card or survey the Oak Island Theories that other searchers have laid on the table in order to help develop them with artifacts), or to survey the Oak Island Theories cards that have been proven plausible and try to go for a final proof.

Each Oak Island Theory card has a dollar amount indicated on the front showing how much money is needed to undertake a major dig to prove that theory. These cards also show the payout to the searcher if they are successful. In three of the Theories the payout is the WIN, the immediate ending of the game as the Oak Island Treasure has been found. The other five represent contributing theories that help lead to the final conclusion. These have a payout to the searcher as well as an increase in interest from investors (Investor Interest chart goes up).


How to Enact a Major Dig.

To enact a major dig a searcher must have at least 8 of their colored blocks on the Oak Island map, showing they have contributed to Investor Interest and earned the respect and envy of fellow searchers. On their turn, such a player can look at the Oak Island Theories that have been proven plausible and are sitting face up in the middle of the table ready for a major dig. For that theory to finally be proven true, a searcher must try to locate the Major Find listed on that card at one of the six key sites. Each of these sites have a cost associated with a major dig. To enact a dig, a searcher must be able to access one of those six sites, either by having placed their colored block on that site during a previous turn, having their colored block adjacent to that lot, or by rolling the right dice values to get there on that turn. If they still need to place their block, they are given 3 dice rolls to get there, or they must wait for another turn.


Cost of digging at:

Samuel Ball Land (Lot 25)                  $100,000                              Reward for discovery: $200,000

Nolan’s Cross Area (Lots 10 – 14)      $200,000                              Reward for discovery: $400,000

Eye of the Swamp                                $250,000                              Reward for discovery: $500,000

Middle of the Swamp                           $300,000                              Reward for discovery: $600,000

Smith’s Cove                                        $1 Million                            Reward for discovery: You Win!

Money Pit                                             $2 Million                             Reward for discovery: You Win!



Searchers must be able to contribute at least 1/3^rd of the cost of a major dig, the remaining 2/3^rd coming from investors. Proving an Oak Island Theory true must be done individually. No collaboration can be done at this point.


For example:

On their turn, a searcher sees that the Samuel Ball Theory card has been proved plausible by another player and is available or further investigation to prove it true by way of a major dig. After checking to see the cost of doing a major dig on the Ball land – Lot 25 - the player looks to see that they have their colored block on that lot, or on a lot adjacent to that location. If they do not, they are given three opportunities to role a 2 and a 5. If successful they now make sure they have at least 1/3 of the cost of making the dig. If they do, they look to see if the other 2/3rds can be covered by investor dollars. If so, they may undertake a major dig on the Ball land seeking to prove that theory. They pay the money they owe for the dig and adjust the investor chart to show that investor dollars are being spent. Then they proceed with the dig using the Major Finds Deck (explained below).


The Major Finds Deck

When major digs are undertaken to prove Oak Island Theories true, the Major Finds card deck now comes into play. The player rolls both dice again and take note of their values. Then they deal onto the table, face down, the number of cards associated with the highest dice value. But this time only the cards associated with the dice values are revealed. The other ones are returned to the bottom of the pile.

If the searcher was successful in finding the Major Find necessary to prove that Theory as true, they look to see what is the reward to the searcher - either to receive a cash reward or to win the game. In the case of the Samuel Ball theory, the reward to the searcher is $100,000. This proven theory will also cause an adjustment in the Investor Interest chart of $200,000.

If a searcher proves a theory, such as the Samuel Ball theory, that is not a win, that Theory is set aside placed face down with the Major Find card that proved it set on top – face up.

If a searcher attempts to prove a Theory and is unsuccessful that money is spent and the searcher returns to earlier stages in the game, gathering artifacts, building Investor Interest, and waiting for the right moment to go after the win again!


Winning, and Losing, the Game

Winning the game means generating enough money personally  - and through investors -  to go for a dig at Smith’s Cove or the Money Pit and finding the Major Find that proves the winning theory you selected: either the Pirate Gold, the Templar Treasure, or the Shakespeare's Works Theory. If you accomplish that task you win the game - and the fame of finally having solved the mystery of the square-shaped depression under the oak tree. Note, if a searcher enacts a major dig and in doing so moves the investor interests $s below $100,000, and they fail to prove that theory by finding the Major Find the game also ends, with Oak Island being declared the winner, having beaten all searchers. As real-life searcher have observed: "That's Oak Island!"