Released in 1973, the Scooby-Doo Where Are You! board game from Milton Bradley invited players to adventure through a haunted castle and be the first to discover the hidden treasure.
The game was fashioned after the Hanna-Barbera children’s show of the same name, which premiered on September 13, 1969 as part of the CBS network’s Saturday-morning line-up.
GAMEPLAY
The object of the game was to be the first player to successfully journey the board and land on the treasure chest (or “booty” as it was referred to in the instructions).
The highest spin started the game. Players took turns spinning and moving their pawns along the board in hopes of landing on the space marked with an “x” — a doorway that granted access to the haunted castle. Once in the castle, it was a race up the stairs, over a landing, and down a second set of stairs towards the treasure.
The adventure wasn’t straightforward. Players needed exact spins to manoeuvre past designated spaces and could be sent backwards on. A trap door forced players to detour through the torture chamber, where they had to use their next few moves to get themselves out of purgatory.
Players landing on the secret passage space took an event card from the top of the pile. The cards included prompts such as Don’t Despair — Go To The Blue Spot On The Stair; It’s No Fun to Go Back 1; Go – Go – Go Ahead 1 – 2 – 3; and others.
The game concluded when a player outpaced their opponent(s) and was first to earn an exact spin to land on the treasure chest.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the game board, 4 pawns (blue, red, green, and yellow), event cards, and a spinner. Instructions were printed on the cardboard insert inside the box.
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