Heart of Darkness: An Adventure Game of African Exploration

"What is this all about"

• David Livingstone

Well David,

This is a game of adventure and exploration where you, together with five other players, venture into deepest Africa. The time period is mid-19th century and you start your expedition at one of the six Ports of Entry.

Your journey is financed by a major newspaper and publisher back home, and they expect you to bring home fantastic stories that they can publish. Your expedition consists of you and armed askaris, which are local African soldiers, and porters that carry food and gifts. There will be occasional local guides and goats to keep you company.

The quest is to trek into what is unknown to you. You will interact with people that you meet, while searching for the myths and legends that are said to exist somewhere in Africa. To walk the land among people that might not appreciate your presence, to face hunger and predators, and to reveal what perhaps should remain hidden is dangerous. Not only are the lives of your expedition at stake, but your sanity as well.

But then again, as the old trader said, "are you not entering the Heart of Darkness?"

The map covers Central and Southern Africa and is divided along ethnic groups. Your expedition/marker moves from area to area searching for myths and legends. You only carry gifts and food and is therefore forced to interact with local people and to hunt. You will encounter wildlife, hostile people and various disasters which will wear down your health and sanity. Your object is to accumulate more Drama Points (for the publisher back home) than your competitors before any of the player's explorer dies or goes mad in the bush.