Nancy Drew Mystery Board Game

Game Board

I am a FIRM believer in Game Archiving and Preservation. So in the spirit as such, I will be uploading as much of the original 1957 edition of the Nancy Drew Board Game as I can, so others can print out and use it to play. This edition of the game has been out of print for years.

Game Instructions and Pieces 

Markers:

For the Nancy Drew Mystery board game you will need about 19 or 30 small round tokens. The older versions of the game used wooden tokens, while Newer versions of the game utilized plastic markers like tidily-winks (as shown above). They need to be separated into 4 colors: Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. These are used to sit on the N-A-N-C-Y letters of the game board. 

Pawns:

Your moveable pawn or player piece came in the form of a small car around the size of a Monopoly charm. You drive your car around the board to land on spaces. These might be trickier to come across, however any pawn piece will work just fine. Monopoly pieces work well, or keep an eye out for the cars and color them. You can make your own by printing out characters and placing them in holders or cardboard. Truly any game pawn works fine just so long as you know who is who. 

Game Instructions: 

The original game PDF instructions which were printed on the game board top can be found on Hasbro’s site Here. Or check out the typed out instructions below you can copy and paste or save however you like. 

Introduction:

Nancy Drew is an ingenious daughter of a famous lawyer, and she herself is deeply interested in his mystery cases. Her interest often involves her in dangerous and exciting situations. In this game she is working on one of her many cases. The players in the game try to locate her and find out which case she is trying to solve.

Object:

The object of the game is to be the first player to discover Nancy's whereabouts.  This is done by filling in the word NANCY with five markers of the same color on any one of the eight sites on the board. The first player to do this has located Nancy and wins the game.

 Equipment:

A set of Mystery Cards, four cars, a quantity of colored markers, and two dice.

 Preparation:

The Mystery Cards are shuffled and placed face down on the space on the board marked "Mystery Cards." Each player selects a car and the markers of the same color. One of the players is chosen to start the game.

Play:

The starting player places his car on the space marked "Start". He throws the dice and moves his car the number of spaces indicated on the dice. He must move the total number shown on both dice. If he lands on a space that has no special marking, his turn ends. The player to his left then plays in the same manner, and other players follow in turn in a clockwise direction around the board.

There is no end to the path around the board, and players may make several circuits before the game ends. The purpose of moving is to gain opportunities to place markers at the various sites, as it is the proper placing of markers that wins the game.

Star Spaces:

When a player lands by exact count on a space marked with a Star, he draws the top card from the pile of Mystery Cards, follows the instructions on it, and then places it on the space marked "Discard." His turn ends when he has carried out all the instructions on the card. When the pack has been exhausted, reshuffle and place face-down again on the board.

Moon lake Bridge:

Whenever a player lands by exact count on a space marked "Go to Moon lake Bridge", he immediately moves his car to the Moon lake Bridge space. Any player landing on, or being sent to, Moon lake Bridge space. Any player landing on, or being sent to, Moon lake Bridge is entitled to place one marker on any vacant circle at any one of the eight sites he may select. However, a player who changes places with an opponent already on Moon lake Bridge is not allowed to place one of his markers on the board.

Spider Web:

A player who lands by exact count on a space or draws a card that directs him to "Go to the Spider Web" moves his car directly on the Spider in the center of the Web, and his turn ends. On his next turn he moves around the Spider Web in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows. After complaining on circuit, he moves out of the web and continues along the regular path.

Bumping:

Players frequently land on a space already occupied by an opponent's car. When this happens the car already on the space is bumped ahead to the next Blank UNOCCUPIED space. If the bumping player's car lands on a Star Space, he draws a Mystery Card and follows instructions. He also follows any other instructions printed on the space on which he lands. Any number of cars may occupy Moon lake Bride or the center space in the Spider Web; and therefore, cars may not be bumped from either of these two spaces.

Detour:

Any player whose car is resting on Moon lake Bridge may, on his next turn, continue along the regular path or may take the Detour. If he follows the Detour, he uses only one die. The Detour is the slower route, but a player using this route has additional opportunities to place his own markers and to remove those of his opponents.

Changing Places:

A player drawing a Mystery Card which reads "change position of your car with any other car" follows these instructions immediately. He chances places with the car which he believes will put him in the most advantageous position, and his turn ends. If any car, as a result of this exchange, lands on Moon lake Bridge as a result of changing places, does not place a marker on the board, but he may, on his next turn, take the Detour if he wishes.

Passing Start:

Whenever a player's car lands on or passes over the last space before "Start," he may place a marker on any vacant circle on a board. He then continues to follow the regular path around the board.

Winning the Game:

Players continue the move their cars around the board and to place markers on the circles until one player succeeds in placing five markers in a row on any one of the eight sites. That players has discovered Nancy's whereabouts and wins the game.

(for obvious reasons I must say) This is uploaded for personal use and is not to be used for monetary gain. Copyright “The Nancy Drew Mystery Game” Parker Brothers 1957

Game Board Download

Game Instructions and Pieces 

The Nancy Drew Mystery Game Board

actual board size “15 x“15

I am a FIRM believer in Game Archiving and Preservation. So in the spirit as such, I will be uploading as much of the original 1957 edition of the Nancy Drew Board Game as I can, so others can print out and use it to play. This edition of the game has been out of print for years. 

(for obvious reasons I must say) This is uploaded for personal use and is not to be used for monetary gain. Copyright “The Nancy Drew Mystery Game” Parker Brothers 1957

Enjoy Clue Crew. 

Nancy Drew Board Game Locations (1957 Parker Brothers)