Captain Silver Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Setup
• Sequence of Play
  • Important Rules
  • End of a Game Round
  • Evaluation
  • Special Spaces on the Treasure Island Game Boards
  • The Volcano Cards
  • Second and Third Game Round
• End of the Game and Winner
• Example of a Complete Evaluation

Game Components

• 1 double-sided Treasure Island game board
• 4 double-sided ocean boards
• 1 Volcano Island game board
• 10 treasure chests
• 64 pirate items - 16 items per player (two times eight items per color)
• 4 pirate ships with bases - 1 ship per player
• 4 island cards
• 4 pirate pouches - 1 pouch per player
• 5 volcano cards
• 38 gold coins (26 worth 1, 12 worth the higher value shown)
• 1 rules booklet

Board features: the Treasure Island board has the starting space for the pirate ships and the landings of the Treasure Island; water spaces may contain a gold coin; the ocean boards show the wanted pirate items, the reward for correctly placed pirate items, and four small islands (the start of the four rows of islands is next to the small island offshore from the Volcano Island; the end of the rows is at the Treasure Island game board). The Volcano Island is the storage space for incorrectly placed pirate items. The white arrows indicate the allowed direction of movement for the ships.

Setup

1. Assemble the big Pirate World from the six game boards: The players agree on one side of the Treasure Island game board and arrange the four ocean boards next to it in any order they like and with any side up. Finally, they add the Volcano Island game board. The big Pirate World is complete now! Note: In a game with two players, the Pirate World will be made up of only three ocean boards. In that case, remove one ocean board from the game.
2. Mix all treasure chests and stack five treasure chests face down on each of both storage spaces for treasure chests. Mix all island cards and stack them face down next to the Pirate World.
3. Mix the volcano cards and stack three of them face down next to the Pirate World. Remove the two remaining volcano cards from the game. Sort the gold coins and keep them handy for use as general supply.
4. Each player receives a pirate pouch, three gold coins, one pirate ship, and the 16 pirate items of their chosen color. Place the ships on the starting space of the Treasure Island board. The players put their items into their pouch.

Hints by Captain Silver: The players should sit down near the stretched sides of the Pirate World, so they can reach all spaces well in order to deposit their items. Before your first game, all players should feel the items in their pouch as a test.

Sequence of Play

The game is played over three game rounds. During each game round, all players act simultaneously, trying to find the wanted pirate items. All players grab their pouch and shake it well. As soon as all players are ready, they call out "Pirates ahoy!" together, and the first game round starts!

Simultaneously, and as fast as possible, all players try to feel for the wanted items shown on the four rows of islands, and take them out of their pouch, placing them on the boards. Each row starts with the first space next to the small island offshore from the volcano island.

As soon as a player thinks they have found a wanted item inside their pouch, they take it out of the pouch and look at it. If it really matches a wanted item, the player hurries up to place it on the corresponding, unoccupied space. As of now, all players may deliver the wanted item of the next space in this row.

At the start of the game, pirate items may be placed on the first four spaces only (the first space of each row).

Important Rules

• All players feel simultaneously inside their pouch for wanted items, trying to find them as fast as possible.
• Only one item may be placed on each space.
• When placing any item, no empty spaces may be skipped.
• Once drawn from the pouch, an item may not be put back into it. If a player has drawn a mismatching item, the player must deposit it on the volcano island (this also applies if another player was faster placing a correct item).
• All players may feel inside their pouch with one hand only.
• Of course, nobody is allowed to have a look inside their pouch during the game!

End of a Game Round

As soon as an item is placed on the last space of a single row, that player calls out aloud "Pirates stop!", and the current game round is finished. Any players still holding a drawn item are allowed to place it (if it is correct, otherwise it is placed on the Volcano Island). Subsequently, all players drop their pouch in front of them, and the evaluation of this game round takes place.

Evaluation

The four rows of islands and all items in these rows are evaluated one after the other. First, reveal the top island card. This indicates the row where the evaluation will start. Check all items in this row, starting with the first space (next to Volcano Island). Return each evaluated item to its owner immediately.

• In case an item does not match the wanted item of that space, that player must pay a penalty of one gold coin to the general supply. Note: If a player does not own any gold coins, they simply cannot pay the penalty. There are no further consequences. But that will happen very rarely, if at all!
• For each correctly placed item its owner gains a reward, depending on the icons at that space:
  • Gold coin(s): The player receives the shown number of gold coins from the general supply, and keeps them in front of them.
  • Pirate ship(s): The player advances their pirate ship on the Treasure Island board as many spaces as shown, in clockwise direction. There is no limit to the number of ships on a single space.

Special Spaces on the Treasure Island Game Boards

• Gold coin containing spaces: When a player's ship passes a water space with a gold coin or ends its movement on such a space, the owner of that ship immediately receives a gold coin from the general supply.
• Landing spaces: When a player's ship passes a landing space or ends its movement on such a space, the owner of that ship immediately gains a treasure chest. Depending on which Treasure Island board is used, the player may pick a treasure chest from the following stack: on one side the player may pick their treasure chest from any one of the two stacks; on the other side, an upper landing = the upper treasure chest stack, a lower landing = the lower treasure chest stack.

When picking a treasure chest, the player takes the stack (or one of the stacks), secretly looks at all treasure chests and takes the one they want. The player keeps it face down in front of them. Then, the player returns the remaining treasure chests face down to their storage place on the Treasure Island.

Subsequently, the next island card is revealed and that row will be evaluated, etc.

Hint: A detailed example of a complete evaluation can be found at the end of these rules.

The Volcano Cards

After all four island rows have been dealt with, the Volcano Island is evaluated. First, reveal the top volcano card. For each item lying on the Volcano Island and that is shown on the card, the owner of that item must pay a penalty of one gold coin to the general supply. Finally, the volcano card is removed from the game.

In the booklet's illustrated example, the players must pay one gold coin each for: message in a bottle, wheel, parrot, treasure map, anchor. Note: NO gold coins must be paid for any cannon, hand gun or saber.

Second and Third Game Round

All players reclaim their items and put them back into their pouch. Mix the island cards and again stack them face down next to the Pirate World. The pirate ships stay right where they are. Again, all players call out "Pirates ahoy!" together, and the next game round starts! The sequence of play of the second and third game round follows the same rules as apply for the first game round.

End of the Game and Winner

The game ends after the evaluation of the third game round is completely dealt with (i. e., the last volcano card has been revealed and evaluated). Each player counts their points: They simply add the value of their collected treasure chests and gold coins. Older players may help the younger ones to add their points.

The player owning the most points is the winner of the game. In case of a tie for the most points the tied players share the victory.

Example: Simon has collected 17 gold coins in front of him. Also, he has managed to get hold of two treasure chests, worth 5 and 3. Thus, his treasure chests are worth 8 points. Simon has a total of 25 points (17 + 8 = 25).

Example of a Complete Evaluation

The booklet gives a fully pictorial example (island cards 1 to 4, the volcano card, and per-row item-by-item results), which is not reproduced here. Its interim result after the 1st game round: one player has 9 gold coins; one has 4 gold coins and 1 treasure chest; one has 8 gold coins (all including the 3 gold coins from the start).