Exploration (1967)

Overview

Exploration was a very popular 1970s game from Britain's best game company, Waddingtons. The dramatic & colourful box cover, showing the Kon Tiki raft, mountain climbers, ziggurats, and scuba divers on a wreck, inspired thousands of British kids to explore the globe, at least in their fantasies. To win, you must mount an exploration to one of four Objectives (Lost City, Summit, Island and Sunken Galleon), return to base and make the most money. Being first back was not enough, you've got to make the best profit on your trip. The game is played in 2 phases; initially you move round the outer track on die rolls, collecting Personnel cards, buying Equipment cards and drawing Exploration Club cards (which may gain or cost you cash to the Prize Fund). When your group is assembled, take the appropriate dobber (Yacht, Lorry, Tent or Ship) and set off. The 2nd phase has you moving over land or sea using the unique Diradice, a d6 with a 5 symbols. These allow you to move 1 or 2 spaces orthogonally or diagonally. The problem is that the spaces on the board are littered with symbols which you can only cross if you have the correct equipment, like the compass, dinghy or mountain boots. You must have an explorer with the Main Objective to reach your goal, but the other personnel allow you to avoid hazards and reach Lesser Objectives (Skeleton, Pearls, Rare Flower etc.) to gain cash. 1st, 2nd and 3rd home get cash and 1st back gets the Prize Fund. A pretty simple game of dice rolling, the only real choice is when to launch your trip. But the theme, the striking board and cards and that weird die makes this a fondly remembered game in the UK.