Overview

Dark Tower is a fantasy adventure board game for 1-4 players, originally published by Milton Bradley in 1981. The game centers around an electronic tower unit that controls gameplay, generates random events, and tracks resources. Players travel across a circular gameboard divided into 4 kingdoms, collecting warriors, gold, and keys while fighting Brigands. The goal is to collect 3 magic keys (brass, silver, and gold) from foreign kingdoms, solve the Riddle of the Keys, and then successfully siege the Dark Tower to win.

Components

• 1 Electronic Dark Tower unit (requires 2 “D” alkaline batteries)
• 1 Circular gameboard (divided into 4 kingdoms)
• 16 Plastic buildings (4 per kingdom: Bazaar, Sanctuary, Citadel, Tomb/Ruin)
• 4 Plastic kingdom flags (one per kingdom)
• 1 Dark Tower flag
• 12 Plastic key pieces (4 brass, 4 silver, 4 gold)
• 4 Cardboard score charts with red peg markers (10 pegs each)
• 4 Plastic dragon pawns
• 4 Plastic warrior pieces
• 4 Cardboard Pegasus tokens
• 1 Plastic tower piece (multi-part assembly)

Setup

1. Assemble the tower unit and insert batteries.
2. Place 4 buildings of the same color in each kingdom quadrant on the gameboard.
3. Place kingdom flags on the gameboard in their matching kingdoms (Dorich = yellow lion, Brynthia = blue griffin, Dorich = yellow lion, Zenon = green unicorn, Dorich: yellow lion).
4. Attach the Dark Tower flag to the tower unit.
5. Place 12 key pieces on the score chart in their labeled positions.
6. Each player takes a score chart, 10 red peg markers, a dragon pawn, a warrior piece, and a Pegasus token.
7. Choose a home kingdom and place your pawn on the Citadel.
8. All players start with 10 warriors, 30 bags of gold, and 25 rations of food.
9. Turn on the tower, select game level (1-4) and number of players.

Turn Structure

The tower signals whose turn it is by flashing the player number. On your turn:

1. Move your pawn to an adjacent territory on the gameboard (move along connecting paths between territories).
2. Press the appropriate keyboard button on the tower based on what type of territory you have entered (MOVE, TOMB/RUIN, SANCTUARY/CITADEL, BAZAAR, FRONTIER, or DARK TOWER).
3. Resolve the event displayed by the tower (battles, treasures, purchases, etc.).
4. Press NO/END when your turn is over. The tower signals the next player.

Actions

Movement (MOVE Button)

Move your pawn to an adjacent territory. Press MOVE. One of 6 random events may occur:

1. Safe Move: Nothing happens; your turn ends.
2. Battle with Brigands: Fight a group of Brigands (see Combat).
3. Lost in Uncharted Territories: Lose warriors or gold.
4. Plague/Starvation: Lose warriors due to disease or lack of food.
5. Dragon Attack: Lose warriors and gold to the Dragon.
6. Cursed: A Wizard curses you; lose warriors or resources.

Combat (Brigand Battles)

• The tower shows the number of Brigands. You choose to fight or retreat.
• Fighting: The tower alternates displaying your remaining warriors and the Brigands’ remaining forces until the battle ends.
• Retreating: Press NO/END during battle. You return to the last territory you were in.
• Winning: You may receive gold, keys, or special treasures.
• Losing: If you lose all warriors, the game is over for you (solo) or you lose 1/4 of your gold and warriors (multiplayer).

Battle Treasures (won after defeating Brigands)

| Treasure | Effect | |———-|——–| | Gold | Added to your total inventory (each warrior carries max 6 bags) | | Brass/Silver/Gold Key | Collected in order: brass first, then silver, then gold. Only found in foreign kingdoms. | | Pegasus | Allows flight to any territory in any kingdom. Single use per flight. | | Dragonsword | Doubles your warrior force in the next battle. One use. | | Wizard | Lets you curse another player (they lose 1/4 of gold and warriors). | | Beast | Carries 50 bags of gold (only one per player). |

Bazaar (BAZAAR Button)

• Buy items: warriors, food rations, Beasts, Scouts, Healer.
• Items are shown with prices. Press YES to buy or NO to skip.
• Haggling: If you think a price is too high, press HAGGLE for a 50/50 chance of a bargain or losing the item.
• You can only buy ONE item per Bazaar visit.
• The Bazaar closes if you try to buy more than you can afford.

Sanctuary/Citadel (SANCTUARY/CITADEL Button)

• Sanctuary: Sells food at a high price but heals warriors (if a Healer is present). Gives free food if you have none.
• Citadel: Entry into foreign kingdom Citadels earns kingdom flags and lets you enter the Dark Tower space. Cannot enter your home Citadel for rewards.

Tomb/Ruin (TOMB/RUIN Button)

• Three possible outcomes: nothing happens, a battle with Brigands, or discovering a key.

Frontier (FRONTIER Button)

• Press when crossing from one kingdom to another. The tower records your entry into the new kingdom.
• Must use Pegasus to fly out of a kingdom without a key (otherwise must walk back to find the key).
• You must press FRONTIER every time you enter a foreign kingdom’s frontier territory.

Dark Tower (DARK TOWER Button)

• Activated only after collecting all 3 keys and returning to your home Citadel.
• Riddle of the Keys: Solve the combination by selecting keys in the correct order. The tower tells you if each key is correct. You have 3 attempts per turn.
• Final Battle: Once the Riddle is solved, fight the final battle against the Brigand force in the Dark Tower. If you win, you win the game. If you lose, you must return to the Bazaar to replenish and try again.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Win: Collect all 3 magic keys (brass, silver, gold) from 3 different foreign kingdoms, return to your home Citadel, solve the Riddle of the Keys, and defeat the Brigands in the Dark Tower.
• Lose (Solo): If you lose all warriors in battle, the game is over.
• Lose (Multiplayer): If another player completes the siege first.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Keys are found only in foreign kingdoms (never in your home kingdom). You receive keys in order: brass, then silver, then gold.
• Warriors carry gold: Each warrior carries up to 6 bags. If you have more gold than your warriors can carry, the tower penalizes you (excess gold is lost). A Beast can carry 50 bags.
• Food consumption: Your force consumes food each turn based on army size. If you run out, warriors die of starvation. Rates: 1-14 warriors = 1 ration/turn; 15-24 = 2; 25-39 = 3; 40-54 = 4; 55-69 = 5; 70-84 = 6; 85-99 = 7.
• Pegasus flight: Can fly to any territory in any kingdom. When flying into a new kingdom, press FRONTIER first. You lose your Pegasus token when you use it to fly.
• Dragon attacks: The Dragon is a randomly occurring event. It destroys warriors and steals gold. A Dragonsword helps fight it, but is consumed.
• Game levels: Level 1 (11-30 Brigands); Level 2 (13-36); Level 3 (13-64); Level 4 (13-99 Brigands and harder events). Do NOT select Level 4 on first play.
• Illegal moves: If you press the wrong button, the tower may issue an illegal move warning. Press CLEAR to undo.
• Solo play: If you lose all warriors and gold, the game ends in defeat.

Player Reference

Turn Flow: Move pawn → Press button → Resolve event → Press NO/END

Keys Needed: Brass → Silver → Gold (1 from each of 3 foreign kingdoms)

Buttons: MOVE (travel), TOMB/RUIN, SANCTUARY/CITADEL, BAZAAR, FRONTIER (kingdom border), DARK TOWER (final siege), INVENTORY, CLEAR, REPEAT, YES/NO

Starting Resources: 10 warriors, 30 gold, 25 food

Win: 3 keys + solve Riddle + defeat Dark Tower Brigands

Special Items: Pegasus (fly anywhere), Dragonsword (2x warriors), Beast (carry 50 gold), Scout (reveal territories), Wizard (curse opponent), Healer (recover warriors)