# Blackpool: Escape the Dark Waters — the rules booklet, as text

The text of `print-2019/blackpool-booklet.pdf` (36 pages, InDesign, 31 July 2019), page by page as printed. Made on 8 November 2026 by OCR (tesseract, 300 dpi, background removed) and corrected by reading each page image: drop capitals restored, tables read from the page, printed wording and spelling kept as printed. Pictures are described in square brackets. Page numbers are the PDF's, which match the folios printed on the pages; the booklet's own cross-references ("the table on page 19") use them too. The Contents page lists other numbers, kept as printed.

## Page 1 — cover

BLACKPOOL / RULES [the title twice, vertically, over a black and grey marbled image]

## Pages 2–3 — The Blackpool Board (a two-page spread)

[The board, with labels:] Camp - The eventual home that each player is going towards · Starting point · Movement grid and ring · Centre · Movement path for teams with different colours · Blackforce indicator

## Page 4 — Contents

Component List ..... page 3 · Playing & Winning ..... page 5 · The World of Blackpool ..... page 6 · Set Up ..... page 9 · Turn Overview ..... page 11 · Examples ..... page 12 · Co-located Travellers ..... page 15 · Piggy-backing ..... page 17 · Piggy-backing (example) ..... page 20 · Roll a 6 ..... page 23 · Charm cards ..... page 24 · Curse cards ..... page 27 · Endgame ..... page 29 · Glossary ..... page 30

## Page 5 — Component List

| Component | Type | Function |
|---|---|---|
| [a square spiral] | Game Board (x 1) | The game space. |
| [charm card image] | Charm Card (x 5) | Charm cards work in the favour of the player who plays them and can be chosen by any player who has coins left. |
| [curse card image] | Curse Cards (x 5) | Curse cards work against a particular player and can be chosen by any player who has coins left. |

## Page 6

| Component | Type | Function |
|---|---|---|
| [a traveller piece] | Travellers (3 red, 3 yellow, 3 green and 3 blue) | Each player has a unique colour and has three travellers in their team. Each piece is called a traveller. |
| [a die showing five] | Oracle (x 1) | The Oracle (dice) tells each player on their turn what is their Whiteforce. |
| [two coin faces: charm symbol, curse symbol] | Coin (3 red, 3 yellow, 3 green and 3 blue) | Coins are a way to access special powers in the form of cards. A coin can be used only when a player rolls a 6 on the dice. Coins have two faces, with a charm or a curse symbol on either side. |

## Page 7 — Playing & winning

Escape the dark water. Make all of your travellers reach their own camp safely out of the whirlpool (the game board).

~

## Page 8 — The World of Blackpool

This is a whirlpool called Blackpool. It's a race against all the other travellers who're trying to escape it too. The escape strategy is to move faster than the velocity of the whirlpool's swirl. One has to move away from the centre and reach one's camp (last square).

Each ring on the board represents a different region of the whirlpool. The whirlpool swirls in a different way in each region (it's faster towards the centre). Each ring on the board has a different Blackforce (ring velocity).

The Blackforce of the ring keeps decreasing from the centre (5) towards the periphery (2). The last ring has no Blackforce acting on it.

Each player can only move forward in a ring on the board if their Whiteforce for the round (the player's velocity, determined by the Oracle or the dice) is

## Page 9

higher than the Blackforce (velocity of the ring - it is marked on the board) else they must move backwards i.e. If the player's Whiteforce is less than the Blackforce, the whirlpool will take them back (for more details read the turn overview on page 11).

If in the case of a traveller, the Whiteforce is equal to its Blackforce, it cannot move. The player must explore if some other traveller in its team can move else skip the turn.

The Oracle (dice) tells each player on their turn what is their Whiteforce.

The whirlpool has a set of charms and curses that can be invoked only a maximum of three times by each player. These charms and curses can be accessed by using the coins. But there are only ten charms + curses (five of each) and each player has three coins at the beginning of the game. They keep getting reduced as they are used and cannot be refilled.

Blackpool is a four player game. Each player has a unique colour and each player has three travellers in their team.

## Page 10

Travellers must journey alone to journey fast. They can piggy-back on others by coming at them from behind. Travellers that have a piggy-back have more mass and so have lesser velocity. A heavier body moves slower and is not able to achieve as high a speed than a lighter one. To win one must stay light (a table showing how the motion of a traveller with a piggy-back changes is included below).

Piggy-backing only helps the traveller who has latched onto another traveller as it is one way of getting free benefits (or compulsory penalty!). Hint: it makes sense to piggy-back on a traveller who has a lead in the game.

If a traveller has a piggy-back then the Whiteforce of the traveller reduces in the way shown in table below (see page 17).

Only travellers in other player's teams can piggy-back on each other (travellers of the same colour cannot piggy-back on each other - in terms of the game strategy, it also does not make sense to do so).

## Page 11 — Set Up & start playing Blackpool

1. Players take out all the contents of the box. They un fold the board and place it on a smooth flat surface.
2. Each participating player picks a colour of his or her choice.
3. Each player has 3 travellers in their team.
4. Each of the 3 travellers in each team are placed at their respective places marked by a circle of their chosen colour.
5. Each player keeps 3 coins of the same colour as the one chosen above on their side of the board.
6. Two separate decks of charm and curse cards are placed near the board.
7. One of the player starts the game by rolling the Oracle (dice) and making the first move on the board *(to understand*

## Page 12

*how moves work, please read on further).*

8. Each player gets to roll the Oracle (dice) and make a move on a turn by turn basis.
9. Turns rotate in the anti-clockwise direction.
10. **Starting Points** - there are three circles marked with different colours, in each ring. These mark the starting points for each player. Each player has three travellers in their team. Each traveller starts from a different ring.
11. **Movement** - Each player moves in spiral, on a path marked in respective colours
12. A player cannot change their path by choice. Each player must use the rules to their advantage and make their journey either short or fast to win the game.

## Page 13 — Turn Overview

Any one player starts the game by rolling the Oracle (dice) and making the first move on the board. Each player gets a turn to roll the Oracle and make a move.

Turns make the travellers in each player's team move in an anti-clockwise direction. In a turn you may do the following:

When it is their turn, each player must first roll the Oracle (dice) for knowing their Whiteforce.

A comparison between the turn-specific Whiteforce and the ring-specific Blackforce of each traveller defines the nature of their movement possible.

If the Oracle shows a six, you may use a coin to exercise you may pick a charm or curse card.

## Page 14 — Examples

[Fig 1.0: three blue travellers on the board; the Oracle rolls 3, Whiteforce = 3. One traveller moves forward by 3 spaces, one cannot move, one moves backward by 3 spaces.] Fig 1.0 - Here Wforce is Whiteforce & Bforce is Blackforce

One player rolls the Oracle and gets a 3. The player's turn-specific **Whiteforce is 3.**

The Blackforce acting on one traveller is 4, on another traveller is 3 and another is 2.

For the traveller with the Blackforce of 4,

## Page 15

the Whiteforce of 3 is lesser. So, the piece can only move backward by 3.

In the case of the traveller with the Blackforce of 3, as the Whiteforce of 3 is equal, it cannot move.

The traveller with a Blackforce of 2, can move forward by 3 places.

The objective of the game for each player is to move the travellers forward towards their home. It will not make sense for a player to move a traveller backward when a traveller can be moved forward.

~

## Page 16

[A full-page image: a yellow-green marbled whirlpool on grey.]

## Page 17 — Co-located Travellers

At one time, **more than 2 travellers of one colour cannot stay on one square.** The 2 travellers cannot belong to the same player.

If a player must move his piece, so that it lands up in the same square as another piece of theirs, **they must miss a turn.**

[Fig 2.0: a yellow traveller, WForce 3 > BForce 2, cannot move forward 3 onto a square holding another yellow traveller ("Can't Move"); a second yellow traveller moves forward by 3 spaces. The Oracle rolls 3, Whiteforce = 3.] Fig 2.0 - Here Wforce is Whiteforce & Bforce is Blackforce

## Page 18

Any two pieces of different colours cannot stand side by side in one square. The piece to arrive second must piggy-back (see page 14) by attaching itself to the piece that stood their first.

[Fig 3.0: a blue traveller, WForce 3 > BForce 2, moves forward by 3 spaces onto a square holding a red traveller and piggy-backs on it. The Oracle rolls 3, Whiteforce = 3.] Fig 3.0 - Here Wforce is Whiteforce & Bforce is Blackforce

## Page 19 — Piggy-backing

When a traveller **lands in a square with another piece already there, it must attach itself to it.** This is called **piggy-backing.**

When the player ahead decides to move their piece, **any piggy-backing travellers are forced to move along with it.** (Forward or Backward).

Movement of a traveller with another piece piggy-backing on it changes for both forward and backward

## Page 20

movement as shown in the table below.

Moving Forward with a piggy-back traveller:

| Roll of the Oracle (Whiteforce) | Number of squares a Traveller with one piggy-back can move forward |
|---|---|
| 6 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 |

## Page 21

Moving Backward with a piggy-backing traveller:

| Roll of the Oracle (Whiteforce) | Number of squares a Traveller with one piggy-back can move backward |
|---|---|
| 6 | NA |
| 5 | NA |
| 4 | NA |
| 3 | 6 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 1 | 2 |

## Page 22 — Piggy-backing Example

One player rolls the Oracle and gets a 3. The player's turn-specific **Whiteforce is 3.**

The Blackforce acting on one traveller is 4, on another traveller is 3 and another is 2.

The traveller with the Blackforce of 4 has one piggy-back traveller.

[Fig 4.0: blue travellers; one with a red piggy-back moves backward by 6 spaces; the Oracle rolls 3, Whiteforce = 3. "Move one of the two pieces with arrows."] Fig 4.0 - Here Wforce is Whiteforce & Bforce is Blackforce

## Page 23

For the traveller with the Blackforce of 4, the Whiteforce of 3 is lesser. But it has one piggy-back traveller. So, according to the table on **page 19**, it can only move backward by 6 places.

In the case of the traveller with the Blackforce of 3, as the Whiteforce of 3 is equal, it cannot move.

The two travellers with a Blackforce of 2, can move forward by 3 places.

~

## Page 24

[A full-page image: a yellow-green marbled whirlpool on grey.]

## Page 25 — Roll a 6

On the Oracle - Whiteforce of 6

Rolling a six has following benefits:

a. If any traveller has gone backwards (because of a curse or because of Blackforce) and got stuck at the centre, rolling a 6 on the oracle is the only way to come away from the centre. Once a traveller rolls a 6 they move their piece out of the centre, forward by 6 places.

b. Getting a 6 on the Oracle also opens the opportunity to spend a coin in order to exercise the power of a charm or curse card.

c. If a player does not take option a or b, they get a bonus extra chance.

## Page 26 — Charm cards

Charm cards are used to benefit oneself in the game and apply on the player's own traveller(s).

| Name | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Awaken | Lifts curse once | If a traveller is in the effect of Deep Sleep, this charm awakens it. Traveller may then be ready to move normally. Remove the card placed under it. |
| 12-steps to Freedom | One time | If a traveller is at the centre of the Blackpool, use this charm to bring it out by moving 12 spaces from the centre. |

## Page 27

| Name | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Piggy-back Relief | One time | Use this charm to drop all clingy piggies and move ahead by 2 spaces each traveller who is carrying a piggy-back. |
| Gust Of Force | One time | Use this charm to move all your travellers, outward by 6 spaces each. |
| Diagonal Step Up | One time | Use this charm to move one of your traveller diagonally outward (from one ring to next) |

## Page 28

[Fig 5.0 - Charm card: a white sun-like symbol on a dark marbled ground.] [Fig 6.0 - Curse card: a white triangle with a black circle on a grey marbled ground.]

## Page 29 — Curse cards

Curse Cards - Curse cards are used to disturb other player's game and apply on other player's traveller(s).

| Name | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze | Till curse is lifted | Put any one traveller of another player to sleep, using this curse. Till the curse is lifted, that traveller cannot move from its place. Place this card under the traveller you choose to curse. |
| Fix to Center | One time | Drop one traveller of another player into the centre of whirlpool. Till the player gets a 6 or '12-steps to Freedom' charm, that traveller stays at the centre. |

## Page 30

| Name | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Piggyback Inverse | One time | Use this curse to change places with travellers of other player(s) who are piggy-backing on your traveller(s). Now you piggy-back on them. |
| Reset | One time | Use this curse to move all travellers of any one player to their respective start points. |
| Diagonal Step Down | One time | Use this curse to move one traveller of another player diagonally inward (from one ring to next) |

## Page 31 — Endgame

The first player to help all the travelers in their team to escape from the whirlpool (and reach their respective camp) wins and the game ends.

~

## Page 32 — Glossary

**Travellers** — Each player has a unique colour and each player has three travellers in their team. Each coloured piece of the same colour is called a traveller.

**Camp** — The safe resting point of each traveller is the final square of their ring

**Oracle and Whiteforce** — The Oracle (dice) tells each player on their turn what is their Whiteforce.

**Charm Cards** — Charm cards work in favour of the player that plays them. They make it easier for the player to win. Each player can play a charm card if there are any coins left. Each player gets 3 coins at the beginning of the game.

## Page 33

**Curse Cards** — Curse cards work against a particular player chosen by the player that plays them. They make it difficult for other players to make it to the end. Each player can play a curse card if they have any coins left. Each player gets 3 coins at the beginning of the game.

**Starting Points** — There are three circles marked with different colours, in each ring. These mark the starting points. Each player has each of the three travellers starting from a different ring.

**Coins** — Coins are a way to access special powers in the form of cards. A coin can be used only when a player rolls a 6 on the dice. Coins have two faces, with a charm or a curse symbol on either side. Whenever you wish to use a coin to access a charm card, pick one coin from the pile of three and place it face up (charm side) and then pick a charm card from the deck. Do the same to access

## Page 34

a curse card. Charm cards are used in one's own favour and curse cards are used against other players.

**Escape** — To escape a player has to reach the last square of the ring. The last squares are the exit points.

**Rings** — There are 4 rings on the board, around a central square. Each ring has a specific velocity of water. The innermost ring with a velocity of 4, decreasing up to 1 in the outermost ring. Centre has the velocity of 5, and the only way to come out of the centre is to roll a 5.

**Ring Velocity and Blackforce** — Each ring on the board represents a different region of the whirlpool. The whirlpool swirls in a different way in each region (it's faster towards the centre). Each ring on the board has a different Blackforce (velocity). Travellers in rings with a Blackforce lesser than the player's

## Page 35

Whiteforce for the round are free to move forward by as many spaces as their Whiteforce. If there are only travellers with their Blackforce lesser than the Whiteforce for the round then they have to be moved backward by as many spaces as their Whiteforce (see examples on page 12 for more clarity).

If a traveller's Whiteforce is equal to its Blackforce, it cannot be moved.

**Rolling a "6" - Whiteforce of "6"** — Rolling a six has following benefits:

1. If any traveller has gone backwards and got stuck at the centre, getting a 6 on the dice is the only way to come out of it.
2. Getting a 6 also opens the opportunity to spend a coin (if available) in order to exercise the power of a charm or curse card.
3. Player can move the move any pawn in any ring, 6 spaces forward and get a bonus chance if above two choices aren't made.

## Page 36

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