Description

A game played on a board of 9 × 9 squares, for up to four adults or children.

Each player selects a gaming character (Jester, Poet, Prince, Knight) and places the appropriate standee piece on the applicable starting square located at the corners of the board (Jester's Court, Poet's Corner, Prince's Palace, Knight's Castle). A neutral Princess playing piece is placed on the Castle square in the centre of the board.

There are a number of plastic chips representing gold and silver coins (seemingly three of each) which are placed in a provided draw bag labelled "Olde English Swag Bag".

Players then take turns in drawing a coin out of the bag, and moving their piece accordingly. Coins are of two types - silver and gold - and the player must move his piece to a square of the same kind that is adjacent to the one he is on (orthogonally - no diagonal moves are allowed). If a legal move is available, it must be made, even if the player feels it is disadvantageous; if no legal move is available, the player does not move his piece. The coin is then returned to the bag, and play passes to the next player.

The object of the game is to rescue the trapped princess from the castle, and to be the first to carry her away to safety.

As well as the four corner squares, Princess's central castle, and gold and silver coin squares, other spaces are marked with taverns, witches, fighters in various poses, a dragon (occupying 5 squares), fallen log (2 squares), broken bridge (2 squares), and ?river gorge (3 squares). The purpose of these squares is unknown. Also unknown is why the game appears to be equipped with a total of nine character pieces, some of which appear to be duplicates.

Also known as Gaymer's Old English Chivalry Game - the manufacturers of Gaymer's Olde English Cyder also promoted a Compendium of "Inne Games" at about the same time, comprising dominoes, a cribbage board, two packs of cards, and poker dice.

—user summary