Shrieks & Creaks Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Before You Play
• Play
  • If You Hear Dead Silence
  • If You Disturb the Ghosts
• Notes About the "Creature Cassette"
• Haunted Rooms — A Special Tip
• Winner
• To Begin a New Game

Contents

Talking Tombstone Speaker Unit, Cassette Tape, Gameboard, 12 Room Keys, 4 Player Keys, Host Key, Label Sheet, 4 Player Pieces, Die

Object of the Game

Be the first player to find a safe path, which leads you to the Tower. If you avoid the haunted rooms, which trigger spooky messages, you may reach the Tower first and win the game.

Before You Play

1. Remove the Playing Piece inserts from the adhesive back and place two matching labels on each of the like-colored Playing Pieces. See Diagram 1 for assembly.
2. Remove the 4 Player Key labels and one Host Key label from the adhesive backing and place one on each of the 5 blank plastic "skeleton" keys. See Diagram 2.
3. Remove the Tombstone speaker labels from the adhesive backing and place them on the black speaker as shown in Diagram 3.
4. Each player selects a Playing Piece and the Player Key with the matching spooky face. Playing Pieces are placed on the START. Player Keys are placed off the gameboard near each player.
5. Place one Room Key on each room on the gameboard, matching the numbers on the key to the room number. Each row of 3 rooms will have the same number (for example, the Pantry, Dungeon, and Laboratory are all numbered 1). It does not matter which key is placed on a room as long as the numbers match.
6. The youngest player will begin to play and the first to enter Mystery Manor.
7. Insert the Tombstone Speaker Unit plug into the tape player earphone, headphone, or monitor jack as shown in Diagram 4.

Play

1. After all the rules have been read, insert the cassette into the tape player. Insert the Host Key into the Speaker Unit, pressing down firmly (see Diagram 5), then press PLAY. You will hear a message from the Host, Sir Simon Shriek, who will give you an introduction to the game. After he has completed his message, remove the Host Key from the unit, but do not turn off the tape player. The tape will continue throughout play.

2. Each player, in turn, rolls the die, and follows the black circles along a game path of his choice.

3. When you land on a black cat you must stop. You may not move past the black cat, even if you have not completed your roll. For example, if you roll a 3 and are only 2 spaces away from a black cat, you move only 2 spaces.

   After landing on a black cat, pick up the Room Key and your Player Key and insert them together (see Diagram 6) into the Tombstone Speaker, pressing down firmly (see Diagram 7). The picture sides of the keys must face the front (label side) of the Tombstone Speaker Unit.

If You Hear Dead Silence

If no sounds are heard, the room is not haunted. You may immediately roll again and move your playing piece ahead. Play then passes to the player to the left.

If You Disturb the Ghosts

If any sounds are heard, you have entered a haunted room. Sir Simon will direct you to a specific gameboard location. You must move there immediately, and your turn ends. Do not use the Room Key at the new location at the time or at your next turn (at your next turn you will roll the die and continue along the path). Pull the keys out of the speaker. Place the Room Key back on the gameboard and the Player Key in front of you. Play now passes to your left.

4. Play continues until one player reaches the Tower. He need not enter the Tower by exact count.

Notes About the "Creature Cassette"

1. THE CASSETTE WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE GAME. Do not turn the tape player off until the end of the game or the end of the tape.
2. Messages from the host, Sir Simon Shriek, will be triggered automatically when the proper combination of a Player Key and Room Key is inserted into the speaker unit.
3. Each message is separated by 16 seconds of spooky sounds. If your message begins with these spooky sounds, keep the keys in the unit until a message is heard.
4. If the tape ends before the game is completed, rewind approximately ¼ of the tape and continue with play.

Haunted Rooms — A Special Tip

The key to escaping the haunted house is to avoid the haunted rooms. These rooms produce ghostly messages, which often send you backward. You must remember which room produces ghostly messages for you, then choose a different path to avoid these rooms.

For example, if the Pantry Room Key combined with your Player Key sends you back to START, do not take the path through the Pantry again. Instead, on your next turn, follow the path through the Dungeon or Laboratory. REMEMBER, ROOMS THAT ARE HAUNTED FOR YOU MAY NOT BE HAUNTED FOR THE OTHER PLAYERS.

Winner

The first player to enter the Tower is the winner of the game.

To Begin a New Game

Mix the Room Keys on each row and exchange Player Keys with other players. This keeps the game varied and prevents you from memorizing "safe" paths. Flip over the tape and press PLAY. There's no need to rewind.