Superstition from Milton Bradley (1977)

Company: Milton Bradley | Release date: 1977 | Ages: 7-14 | # of players: 2-4 | Where to purchase: eBay

In Superstition, players raced through a haunted graveyard to reach the Wizard’s Tomb and escape before anyone else. Along the way, they faced mechanical “superstitions” such as broken mirrors, black cats, and open graves that could spring to life if the wrong peg was pulled.

GAMEPLAY

Each player began on a colored start circle at the edge of the graveyard and took turns rolling a die to move that number of spaces in either direction. Players could not pass through an occupied space, and if blocked in both directions, their turn ended without movement.

When a player reached a superstition, such as the mirror or ladder, they chose one of two pegs. One peg was harmless, while the other released a rubber band that triggered the trap. Choosing incorrectly could crack the mirror or send the pawn flying, forcing the player to return to the start. Each superstition was reset after use so the outcome remained uncertain for every attempt.

Players who made it through the outer track moved to the inner circle, where they faced another set of traps involving the black cat and the grave. Passing these superstitions allowed entry into the Wizard’s Tomb at the center of the board. There, players drew one Charm and one Whammy. Charms protected against certain barriers, while Whammies could be placed anywhere on the board to block another player’s movement. A Whammy could be passed by using the matching Charm or by landing on it by exact count, which also allowed the player to move the Whammy to a new space.

After collecting their items, players retraced their route through the same hazards. The first to reach their starting circle by exact count won the game.

IN THE BOX

A complete game included a folding gameboard featuring a graveyard and central Wizard’s Tomb, four plastic pawns in red, blue, green, and yellow, four superstition traps (mirror, ladder, black cat, and grave) with rubber-band mechanisms, pegs for triggering the traps, a die, and a set of Charm and Whammy tokens. An instruction booklet was also included in the box.

COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS

Because Superstition relied on small rubber-band mechanisms, complete examples are uncommon today. Many surviving sets show missing or broken traps, replaced pegs, or deteriorated bands. Games with fully working components, all tokens, and an intact box are the most desirable among collectors.

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