Order of the Gilded Compass is a dice placement game for 2-5 players. In this game, each player will take on the role of a treasure hunter seeking invitation to join the most prestigious of archaeological secret societies. Players will scour the globe to unearth fantastic and valuable artifacts. By assigning their archaeologist dice to the right locations at the right time, players acquire treasure maps and specialists to follow them, dive for sunken treasure, acquire rare finds at the auction house, and even enlist the help of the Illuminati. The player who has the most treasure at the end of the game will earn an invitation to The Order of the Gilded Compass and wins.

Order of the Gilded Compass uses a variable set-up in order to provide fresh and interesting game play experiences. Every game has five locations in play to which players may assign their dice for various kinds of treasures and bonuses, and the game includes nine different buildings to allow for many unique combinations.