Concept for a Board Game: "Class Struggle"

Concept for a board game: “Class Struggle”

 

Overview

 

Class Struggle is a board game for 3-8 players aged 10 and up.

This game was designed as part of the portfolio I designed when I applied to the Level Design program at Le Campus ADN, a school of videogame development in Montréal, Québec.

Included gameplay types:

  • Navigating board with dice roll

  • Collecting + trading resources

  • Buying up properties (board spaces)

  • Leveling up and down (multiple levels of play)

  • Random events

  • Dice battles

Principal design influences:

  • Monopoly

  • Ratrace

  • Settlers of Catan

  • Risk

  • Ticket to Ride

 

Class struggle is a game about trade, resource management, and navigating social classes (leveling up and down). It is similar to the classic board game Ratrace, but adds the mechanics of owning certain territory on the board (Monopoly). There is no cash in the game and resources are represented by tradable cards (Catan, Ticket to Ride). Players are encouraged to make deals with each-other to get ahead.

The principal design goal was to develop a board game that contains the most fun features of the games listed above while also providing a slightly more nuanced simulation of the modern economy. Social commentary was not the primary goal but remains an important theme due to the design inspirations. This is meant to be an updated answer to Ratrace and Monopoly that provides a wider range of gameplay and better represents the things people can do in the modern economy.

Players can experience capitalism from various different perspectives, as workers, owners, investors and public figures. A single player may pass through various roles during a single game. Sometimes fortunes are determined by forethought and planning. Sometimes they are determined by the quality of deals struck. And sometimes they are decided by the roll of the dice.

Full rules are available below. (Warning! Wall of text ahead!)

 

RULES

 
 

Recommended for players aged 10 and older. 3-8 Players.

The game board is composed of three rings of squares forming three different play areas or “Classes”: a Lower (outer) ring, Middle ring and Upper (or centre) ring. Similar to the classic game Ratrace, players must remain on the same ring and proceed clockwise around the board. When certain conditions are met players may “rank up” (or down) causing them to shift to the next ring above or below them.

Players roll two dice to determine who goes first (highest roll wins) and play continues clockwise after the first player’s turn. All players begin as members of the Lower Class and begin on the “Market Start” space.

The object of the game is to make it to the Upper Class and to accumulate enough Advanced Resource cards to satisfy the Victory Conditions.

On each turn, each player must roll both dice. Players move clockwise around the board. Players may only interact once with the square they land on and - if they are in the Middle or Upper Class - only once with any other (single) adjacent square in the next Class down. Players may interact with these squares in whichever order they choose.

 
 

CONTENTS

 
 
 
 

MATERIALS REQUIRED

 

  • One (1) game board

  • Minimum two (2) dice (more might make play easier)

  • Eight (8) Pawns of various colours, 1 per player.

  • Twenty (20) miniature flags per player (matching colour of pawn) to mark squares each player owns

  • One hundred (100) Power resource Cards

  • Eighty (80) cards of each type of Basic resource (Oil, Steel, Uranium, Rare Metal)

  • Sixty (60) cards of each type of Intermediate resource (Microchips, Munitions, Widgets)

  • Forty (40) cards of each type of Advanced resource (Computers, Weapons, Automobiles)

  • Twenty (20) Lower Class Mystery Cards (see below for what should be written on the cards)

  • Twenty (20) Middle Class Mystery Cards (see below for what should be written on the cards)

  • Twenty (20) Upper Class Mystery Cards (see below for what should be written on the cards)

  • Ten (10) State Event Cards (see below for what should be written on the cards)

  • Fifteen (15) World Event Cards (see below for what should be written on the cards)

  • Thirty-two (32) IOU Slips (eight of each Basic resource type)

 
 

PART I - LOWER CLASS PLAY

 
 

The Lower Class ring contains many Basic Resource squares, two Market squares and two Mystery Card squares. Players take turns rolling both dice and moving clockwise around the lower ring.

 

BASIC RESOURCES

  • Oil

  • Steel

  • Uranium

  • Rare Metal

Class Struggle Basic Resources
 

When a Lower Class player lands on a Basic Resource square they may interact with the square in only one of two ways:

1. The player may “work” at this industry square and will get paid with one (1) resource card matching the industry they landed on. This includes Oil Power plants which pay 1 Power. If the square is owned then the owner also receives one (1) card of the same type. Note that a Lower Class player may not refuse to work to deny the owner their share of the income. Work happens automatically if you cannot or choose not to buy the square.

2. If the player has accumulated three (3) cards of the same resource they landed on (and the square is unowned) they may spend those three cards to buy out the property instead of working there. Once purchased, the player marks the square with a flag of their colour. The property can no longer be bought by other players however other players may still work there. If the same player later returns to a resource square they already own they may work there once again and will receive two (2) resource cards (one as worker pay and one as owner pay). Players may sell any Basic Resource square that they own back to the bank at any time, however the bank will only pay one (1) resource card (or 1/3 of the original investment). It might be prudent to make a deal with another player before selling to the bank as they might be willing to pay more.

 

MYSTERY CARD SQUARES

When a player lands on a Mystery Card square they must draw a card from the deck matching their class and act accordingly. Many cards may force the player to pay a penalty to the bank. Players are authorized to trade with the bank / Market whenever they have a debt like this to pay. Note that there are three decks, one for each class. After use, cards are returned to the bottom of the deck.

 

MARKET SQUARES

When a player lands on a Market square they are allowed to trade Basic Resources with the bank. Players can always trade resource cards among themselves as long as trade involves the person whose turn it is. Trade with the “bank” or “Market” can only happen on these Market squares (except for selling squares back to the bank). Only the person who landed there may trade with the bank. Players must turn in four (4) of the Basic Resource cards of the same type in order to purchase just one (1) of whichever Basic Resource they require (except power, power may never be traded at these Market squares. It is a “Special” not “Basic” resource.)

The Market squares in the Middle and Upper rings have better exchange rates, they are marked “3:1” and “2:1” respectively and require only three or two of the same Basic Resource to be turned in to buy one Basic Resource of the player’s choice. Note that this exchange rate applies only to BASIC Resources, not Intermediate or Advanced Resources. Those may not be exchanged or purchased at any Market square however they can be Liquidated (sold). When a player sells an Advanced or Intermediate resource they get back all the resources that normally go into producing it according to the formula stated on the board (except power).

For example, selling a Widget card to the bank will yield two Steel resource cards but not the 1 Power that is also normally required to make the widget. When selling Advanced resources the player may choose whether to receive Intermediate resources back or whether to liquidate those too and receive everything in Basic Resources. For example, liquidating an Automobile should normally produce 1 Widget, 1 Steel and 1 Oil but the player may choose to liquidate the Widget as well to receive 3 Steel cards and 1 Oil card.

 

LEVELLING UP (OR DOWN!)

Members of the Lower and Middle classes should try to purchase as many of the Basic Resource squares as possible.

As soon as a Lower Class player owns three (3) Basic Resource squares they immediately rank up to Middle Class and must move inwards to the Middle ring. Note: You must maintain your holdings to remain in the Middle Class. If for any reason a Middle Class player is forced to sell a Basic Resource square and ends up with only 2 or fewer then they immediately rank down back to the Lower Class.

When ranking up or down, players must move to the nearest square, usually the square immediately adjacent. If a player ranks up on any of the three squares at the corner of the board they must proceed to the corner square of the next ring up (Market or Mystery Card). When ranking down players also keep to the nearest adjacent square EXCEPT when ranking down from a corner in which case the player must move to the corner of the ring below, NOT to either of the adjacent squares.

Red arrows show how players should move when ranking down.

Green arrows show how players should move when ranking up.

 

Players may NOT interact with the square they move to when they rank up or down. Players also do NOT receive a passive dividend if they end up adjacent to a lower-ranked industry they own. (Ex: the Player purchases a Lower or Middle Class industry and moves up a Class. They are now adjacent to the industry they just bought. Normally they would get a passive dividend for landing there but not in this case.

Middle Class players rank up to the Upper Class as soon as they own at least two (2) Intermediate Resource squares AND four (4) Basic Resource squares. Upper Class players must maintain this level as well or else rank back down to the Middle (or Lower) Class.

Is it possible to rank ALL the way down from Upper to Lower Class? Yes it is!
Remember that three (3) Basic Resource squares are required to maintain Middle Class status so if an Upper Class player sells too many Basic Resource squares and ends up with too few they will be sent ALL the way back to the Lower Class. Note that this is still not equivalent to Bankruptcy and the player is allowed to keep what they have left after paying their debt.
The player also does not return to the Lower Class “Start” square but instead moves to the nearest (most adjacent) Lower Class square (imagine that the player moves to the adjacent Middle Class square and then from there moves to the adjacent Lower Class square. Note that the reverse if also possible: Players who somehow acquire enough squares (perhaps through trade with other players) can hypothetically rank all the way up from Lower to Upper Class

What about Mystery Cards?
Some Mystery Cards instruct the player to keep the card until a specific moment when it can be played. Players may keep Mystery cards obtained in other classes when ranking up or down (unless the card states otherwise). There is always a chance the card will help you or that you will return to the class where you drew the Mystery Card and be able to use it then. Some cards do instruct you not to keep them if they cannot be used immediately (use it or lose it).

 

BANKRUPTCY

All of the above, including ranking down is different from Bankruptcy. When a player sells off a business and is forced to rank down they may retain ownership of other squares and keep the cards that remain in their hand. This is not the case with Bankruptcy. If a player’s assets are truly not enough to cover a debt (even if they sell all properties) then they are bankrupt and must return to the “Start” space in the Lower Ring.

When a player goes bankrupt they must give up everything they have (including Power and Mystery Cards!) and restart the game with nothing. Note: this is NOT like Monopoly. Bankrupt players are never eliminated from the game, no matter how many times they go bankrupt!

Is ranking down preferable to Bankruptcy?
Yes, absolutely. When ranking down players may retain whatever cards remain in their hand (after paying their debt) as well as ownership over any squares they were not forced to sell. These may be of significant value. The best example is Power. In most cases Power cannot be used to pay debts, nor can it be traded to the bank for Basic resources. However it is still useful and can of course be traded to other players, so ranking down even with only one Power card in your hand is still preferable to Bankruptcy. Furthermore, some Mystery Cards instruct the player to keep them until the moment that they can be used. These can be kept when ranking up or down but NOT when you are Bankrupt (return them to the bottom of the appropriate deck).

 
 

PART II - MIDDLE CLASS PLAY

 
 

Middle Class players have a number of unique squares to land on and can still interact with squares in the Lower Ring in some circumstances. The Middle Ring contains several Intermediate Resource squares which function a little differently than the Lower Ring / Basic Resources.

Middle Class players may no longer “work” at Basic Resource squares (Lower Ring) but may still buy them. When landing on any square in the Middle Ring a Middle Class player may purchase the adjacent Lower Ring Basic Resource square if it is unowned. Note that only one may be purchased per turn so no double-dipping on the corner squares (which have 2 Basic Resource squares adjacent). Middle Class players also receive “Dividends” when they land adjacent to a Lower Ring resource they already own. The dividend is only one (1) resource card.

But wait! I got two cards for landing on my own factory in the Lower Class, now I get only one?

Yes because now you are not working there as a labourer anymore. You’re simply collecting the income, the owners’ share, not the worker’s share. If a Lower Class player lands on your factory and works there you will receive one card as usual (even if you’re not there) so this is actually an extra bonus for landing on (or near) your own factory. Think of this as if you were promoted from being a labourer in your factory to a manager. Maybe the work you do as manager does make the factory more efficient (hence the bonus) but the factory still requires labour as an input, and all the more so since you got promoted and can no longer provide it.

 

INTERMEDIATE AND SPECIAL RESOURCES

 

Intermediate Resources

  • Munitions

  • Microchips

  • Widgets

 

Special Resource

  • Power

 
 

Unlike Basic Resources, Intermediate, Advanced and Special Resource squares don’t automatically produce resources when a Middle Class player lands on them (except Oil Power plants, see Dividends below). These squares require you to provide Basic and Special Resources as inputs before they will produce anything. You must invest, the input resources required in order to “buy” the output resource. All Intermediate resources require 2 Basic Resources plus one unit of power.

When landing on an Intermediate Resource you may only purchase one (1) resource card even if you have enough resources to buy more. Also, just like the Basic Resource squares, you may purchase Intermediate Resource squares only by spending three (3) of their output products (“Investing” in the industry does not grant you ownership of the square). Again, like the Basic Resources, Intermediate Resource factories secretly produce two (2) output resources when someone invests there (the formula on the board is a useful lie). One output resource is the owner’s share and will go to the owner if the factory is owned.

This means that it is possible to double your income by landing on an Intermediate Resource square that you already own. The formulae on the board are correct from a non-owner perspective: they show the cards that must be paid by an investor to buy a single unit of the output resource which also happens to be the same value the bank will pay when liquidating (except power). This can be thought of as the “face value” of the Intermediate Resources as compared to the basic Resources. When you invest in a factory you own the return is twice as good and you effectively obtain each output resource for half of it’s face value cost (Basic resources, not power).

 

Why Power is Special

Power is not a Basic or Intermediate resource. This is meant to represent the real-world difficulty of storing electricity. The Bank or Market stores lots of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced goods so you can always exchange your Basic resources and sell your more advanced resources at a Market square. The same is not true of Power. It can never be traded to the bank or Market, only to other players. You can neither buy resources from the bank by turning in Power cards, nor do you receive any power from the bank / Market when you sell Intermediate / Advanced resources.

Some important points to remember about the Power Special resource:

  • Power may NOT be traded to or from the Market on Market squares.

  • You do NOT receive any Power back from the Market when liquidating Intermediate or Advanced resources (even though Power is required to make them).

  • Power may NOT be borrowed from the Debt Trap bank.

  • What you CAN do with Power:

    • Trade it with other players

    • Use it at Intermediate / Advanced resource squares to produce output goods

    • Purchase Oil Power plant squares (costs three Power cards, note that Advanced Power plants cannot be purchased this way!)

 

DIVIDENDS

When you own industries (Power plants and resource squares) you are entitled to two kinds of dividends Active and Passive.

Active dividends represent the owner’s share of the profits / outputs of the Resource square when the square is productive. Active dividends are earned when any player interacts with a square you own. This includes working at Lower Class industries and purchasing resources or Power from Intermediate and Advanced resource squares and Power plants. The dividend is always one (1) card of the type the square normally produces (output resource, ex: Power for Power plants). When you land on or adjacent to a square you own and you interact with it you receive the cards you normally would have if you did not own the square, plus one extra output resource as an Active dividend. For example, when purchasing Widgets from your own factory you pay 2 Steel and 1 Power as normal but you receive two Widgets instead of one (customer’s share plus active dividend for the owner).

Once you reach the Middle and Upper Classes your lower-ranked industries will produce Passive Dividends. Passive Dividends are essentially a bonus for landing adjacent to a square you own in the next ring down from your current Class. Note that you never earn an Active and Passive dividend from the same square at the same time. They are exclusive and you can only get one or the other when you land at your own square. This is referred to as the “no double-dipping” rule (see below). A Passive dividend is only paid to you when cannot, or choose not to interact with your own square. This includes Power plants and Intermediate resource squares. Middle and Upper Class players have the option to buy resources from adjacent factories in the next Class down.

Industries in your current Class ring do not pay any passive dividends when you land on them but industries you own in the next Class ring down that you land adjacent to, do pay (if you don’t interact). Industries that you own in your current Class ring only pay you a dividend when someone (including you) buys output resources from them (Active dividends only).

When you are in the Middle Class you always receive a passive dividend for landing next to a Basic resource square that you own because you are no longer allowed to interact normally (work) at that square.
This is not true of Power plants because you still have the option of buying Power from your own plant (and receiving the Active dividend as its owner). Think of the Passive dividend as a guarantee that you will get at least 1 bonus resource for landing at a square you own. If you choose to act as a customer at your own business you still get a bonus for being the owner (active dividend) but you forgo the passive dividend. You don’t get both bonuses at the same time. This is referred to as the no-double-dipping rule (see below).

 

No Double-Dipping Rule

You do not receive a Passive dividend if you choose to interact with your own factory (and get the Active dividend instead).

The no double-dipping rule is the answer to the question of what happens when you land adjacent to your own industry and do business with that industry. This game has two principles regarding dividends. One states that you should get a bonus just for landing adjacent to yourself (Passive). The other states that you should get a bonus whenever anyone works or buys at an industry square that you own (Active). This may lead us to believe that we are entitled to both dividends when we land next to our own factory and buy resources from it. In the case of an oil power plant, the player might expect to come away with 4 units of power instead of only 2 for a normal customer (2 card bonus).

While it would not be very disruptive to allow this for the Oil Power plants, it has a significant impact on the Intermediate and Advanced resources. These resources are designed to be costly to obtain, however once these squares are owned (especially by higher-ranked players) they start providing their owner with lots of resources free of charge. Profits from other players’ transactions and Passive dividends will come frequently enough. This game is difficult and creates a little bit of artificial scarcity buy simply stating that you cannot receive an Active and a Passive dividend from the same square on the turn. Purchasing resources simply waives your right to the passive dividend for that turn.

This might also be considered realistic. After all, where are the Passive dividends supposed to be coming from? When you have the resources you should be investing in your factory and not getting out the maximum you possibly can as a form of savings or long-term investment (forfeiting the Passive dividend). that way when you show up at your own square without the resources in hand to invest, your past savings cover you and you still don’t leave empty handed. We felt that this was a good compromise balancing the player’s right to some kind of bonus with the need to be realistic about how many free Intermediate and Advanced resources should be pumped into circulation.

Think of it this way: You landed adjacent to your own Oil Power plant. Great! Collect 1 free Power card as a dividend immediately. Now you still have the option to buy 2 more Power for 1 Oil as usual but you are not obliged to do so. If you choose to buy more Power, the dividend you already received was an Active dividend because someone bought from your Power Plant. If you choose not to buy additional power then the dividend you received was a Passive dividend for landing at your own square. It doesn’t really matter what you call it, the important thing is that you only get one (1) free bonus card when you land on (or adjacent to) yourself, never two.

 

Landing on Middle Class Corner Squares

When a Middle Class player lands on a corner square (Mystery Card or Market) they are adjacent to two Lower Class industries (an Oil Power plant and either Uranium or Rare Metal). The rules above apply. If the player owns both adjacent industries but does not interact with them, they will receive a Passive dividend from each, thus technically collecting two Passive dividends on the same turn. In fact if the player owns both adjacent squares they will always get a dividend from each, even if they choose to buy Power, they just don’t get to double-dip on their Power plant and we would call the bonus received from the Power plant an Active dividend, instead of Passive.

This does not preclude interacting with either one (and only one) of those industries, for example the player may interact with the Oil power plant to buy it or buy power from it and still receive a Passive dividend from the Uranium / Rare Metal space (if they already own it). The no double-dipping rule refers only to the industry they are choosing to interact with.

There is a related principle in this game that on each turn after you roll the dice you are entitled to interact only once with the square you land on and only once with another (single) adjacent square in the next Class down. This means that on corner squares the player may not interact with both adjacent squares, only one, so they cannot buy both of them at once. They may either buy the Oil Power plant OR buy Power from the plant OR buy the Uranium / Rare Metal resource square.

Don’t forget that the player may also interact with the square they landed on and that interactions can be done in whatever order the player chooses. In other words, if the player lands on a Market (corner) square they may trade with the Market first and then interact with one of the adjacent squares on the same turn. Likewise if the player lands on a Mystery Card square (also corner) they must draw a Mystery card but they are allowed to interact with one of the adjacent squares, or collect passive dividends, first if they so choose.

 

POWER PLANTS

All Intermediate and Advanced resources require power to be produced. In the Lower Class, Power may be earned by working and owning Oil Power plants which cost three (3) power cards to buy. Middle Class players may purchase unowned Oil Power plants when they are adjacent to them (on Market and Mystery Card Squares) and may also invest in them, purchasing two (2) Power cards in exchange for one (1) Oil card. As usual, if the power plant has an owner it produces one (1) extra Power card for its owner.

 

Oil Power vs All Other Power Plants

Oil Power is different from all other types of power in the game because the plants are cheaper to buy and are more numerous. Oil Plants cost three (3) Power cards whereas all other plants (Advanced Power Plants) cost five (5) units of Steel to purchase. Advanced Power plants include Hydro Plants, which convert Steel into Power, Nuclear Plants which convert Uranium into Power and Green Power plants which convert Rare Metal into Power. Note that while Advanced Power plants cost 5 units of Steel to buy, their face value is only 2 units of Steel. This is what the bank will pay for them if you choose to sell the square later.

As usual, owning these plants gives the owner a one (1) Power card dividend when anyone buys power. Because Oil power plants are in the Lower ring, the rule on Dividends above applies and Middle Class players may collect one (1) Power card as a Passive dividend instead of buying power with Oil when they land adjacent to an Oil Power plant they own.

 

DEBT TRAP SQUARES

Debt Traps are banks that force you to borrow money from them. When you land on a Debt Trap for the first time you MUST choose one Basic resource to “borrow” 2 units of. You may not borrow Power, only Basic resources (Oil, Steel, Rare Metal, Uranium). The borrower must take an IOU slip from the bank to help remember which resource they borrowed. The loan must be repaid in full the next time the player lands on any Debt Trap square. Interest is 50%: the player must repay 3 cards of whichever Basic resource they borrowed.

 

But I don’t have the resources to pay!
You have options.
A Debt Trap square works as a Market Square, but only for the purposes of repaying the loan. You may not engage in trade with the Market when you are first borrowing the resources nor can you trade with the Market if you have the resources needed to repay the loan.

Other Basic resources can be converted into whatever you borrowed at the standard rate of 3:1 (however you might want to see if any of your opponents will give you a better deal). Intermediate and Advanced resources can be liquidated and, finally, when desperate, industry squares can be sold off. Remember that you need to own at least three (3) Lower class industries to remain in the Middle class so be careful what you sell.

If somehow the sum of all your assets cannot pay your debt and selling all industries does not raise enough of the required resources, you are bankrupt. You lose all cards in your hand and must return to the Lower Class Market (Start) square.

Is ranking down better than declaring bankruptcy?
Yes, it absolutely is.
Remember that when ranking down you are not stripped of your remaining possessions. While it sucks to go back to the Lower Class it is better to go back there with some cards in hand and an industry or two versus nothing at all, which is what you get if you go bankrupt.

Can I buy Debt Traps? Not Yet. See the section on Upper Class actions below.

 
 

CLASS STRUGGLE

 

A Class Struggle is a dice battle in which all members of one class act as a team to attack another class. When a Middle Class player lands on a Class Struggle space they get to choose which class the Middle Class will struggle against.

All players roll either one or two dice with the higher-class members rolling two each and the lower-class members rolling one each. The class with the highest cumulative total wins. Ties favour the defending class. This makes it harder for the Middle Class to struggle against the Upper Class compared with the Lower Class.

While it is safer for the Middle to attack the Lower Class, the rewards for winning are poorer. Rewards for winning Class Struggles are tied to the penalties that the losing side pays and the penalties are higher for higher classes. Each member of the winning class receives prizes of their choice equivalent to what each member of the losing class has to give up.

  • When Lower Class Loses:

    • Each Lower Class player must pay 1 Basic resource card of their choice to the bank

    • Winning class members each take 1 Basic resource card of their choice from the bank

  • When Middle Class Loses:

    • Each Middle Class player must pay 1 Intermediate resource or equivalent (2 Basic) of their choice to the bank

    • Winning class members each take 1 Intermediate resource or equivalent (2 Basic) of their choice from the bank

  • When Upper Class Loses:

    • Each Upper Class player must pay 1 Advanced resource card or equivalent (2 Intermediate, 4 Basic) of their choice to the bank

    • Winning class members each take 1 Advanced resource or equivalent (2 Intermediate, 4 Basic) of their choice from the bank

Note that these prizes are not paid between the players but are paid to and from the bank. Losing class members are allowed to trade with bank / Market only for the purposes of paying the penalty. In the event that a player in the losing class cannot pay, the prizes for the winning side are not affected. The winning side always gets their reward from the bank and any losers who cannot pay are bankrupt.

Why aren’t there any Class Struggle squares in the other rings?

Class action is rare in the Lower Class but it can happen.
When all members of the Lower Class land on the same square they can start a Class Struggle against the Middle or Upper class but there must be at least two players in the Lower Class. Note that no matter who the Lower Class attacks, the defending class gets more dice per person than the Lower Class. It will usually be prudent to select the class with fewer opponents or otherwise to always attack the Upper Class. Remember that rewards are determined based on the losing side’s penalty, so the rewards for beating the Upper Class are better than beating the Middle and depending on the number of players the risk of losing might be similar. The last player to land on the square (where all other class members must be present) gets to choose which class the Lower Class will struggle against.

The Upper Class engages in Class Struggle through government action. Class Struggles are launched by the Upper class only when a player lands on the State Events square and draws an appropriate card. Some State Event cards give the Upper Class an opportunity to pre-emptively pay a reduced penalty to protect themselves from a Class Struggle.

What if there are no other classes to struggle against?

When all players are together in the same class (either Lower or Middle) and a Class Struggle is triggered, the game is in a state of “Utopia” and all players receive a bonus of their choice equivalent to what they would have lost if their class had just lost a Class Struggle (1 Intermediate resource for each Middle Class player or 1 Basic for each Lower Class player). Note that this does not happen if all players are in the Upper Class. If all players are in the Upper Class and a State Event card is drawn which might trigger a Class Struggle the proposal is automatically defeated and the card must be returned to the State Events deck. See the State Events section for more details.

 
 

PART III - UPPER CLASS PLAY

 

Like the Middle Ring before it the Upper Ring contains a number of unique squares. Upper Class players should try to stockpile as many Advanced Resource cards as they can. As soon as you enter the Upper Class you are eligible to win if you have enough resource cards to satisfy the Victory Conditions below.

Upper Class players can no longer interact directly with the Lower Class squares but may continue to own them. Some Mystery Cards and World Events will cause Lower Class industries to produce dividends for their owners. As usual, if/when there is worker or purchasing activity at those industries, they will still pay active dividends to their owners.

 

VICTORY CONDITIONS

As soon as an Upper Class player accumulates enough Advanced Resource cards to satisfy ANY of these conditions they win the game. The number of cards needed scales up the more players are in the game, so a minimum is provided for play with only 3 players.

You may win the game at any time, including the end of your turn or during someone else’s turn.
It doesn’t matter how you obtained the required cards, you win as soon as you have them in your hand. You could have simply purchased the last card you needed from a factory to win at the end of your turn. Hypothetically another player may offer you a trade on their turn or trigger an event that results in you obtaining the last card you need for victory in which case you might win on someone else’s turn.

 

Standard Victory Conditions

  • Economic Victory - Accumulate 4 Automobile Cards per player in the game (Minimum 15)

  • Military Victory - Accumulate 3 Weapon Cards per player in the game (Minimum 10)

  • Scientific Victory - Accumulate 3 Computer Cards per player in the game (Minimum 10)

Advanced players may wish to include the following Advanced Victory Conditions (“Coup Victories”) to make play more interesting. For beginners we recommend sticking to the three basic Victory types listed above.

 

Advanced Victory Conditions

  • Military-Industrial Complex Coup - Accumulate 3 Automobile cards AND 1 Weapon card for each player in the game (No Minimum, ex. for 3 players: 9 Automobiles + 3 Weapons)

  • Technology Company Cartel Coup - Accumulate 2 Automobile cards AND 2 Computer cards for each player in the game (No Minimum, ex. for 3 players: 6 Automobiles + 6 Computers)

  • Deep State Coup - Accumulate 2 Computer cards AND 2 Weapon cards per player in the game (No Minimum, ex. for 3 players: 6 Computers + 6 Weapons)

 

ADVANCED RESOURCES

  • Weapons

  • Computers

  • Automobiles

Upper Class players need to accumulate Advanced resources to win the game. The production of these resources is similar to Intermediate resources but is a little more complex. Rather than simply using Basic resources, Advanced resources are created by combining one Intermediate resource with two more Basic resources (and Power).

The Market and bank consider one Advanced resource to be equivalent to two Intermediate resources or four Basic resources only for the purposes of debt repayment. When liquidating Advanced resources Upper Class players are not allowed to collect two Intermediate resources but may only collect the exact resources that are used to make the goods (1 Intermediate + 2 Basic, no Power). For purposes of debt repayment an Upper Class player may pay two Intermediate resources if they have no Advanced resources. They may also use any other equivalent combination (1 Intermediate + 2 Basics, 4 Basics) but must always try to pay with the most Advanced resources (and the fewest number of resource cards) they have available.

Just like in all other classes Advanced industries cost three (3) units of their output resource to purchase and provide an Active dividend of 1 Advanced resource card to their owner whenever someone buys resources from them (including the owner). This means that just like with Intermediate industries, the owner gets two output cards instead of one when buying from their own factory. As stated in the dividends section, there are never any Passive dividends from Advanced industries.

 

UNIQUE UPPER CLASS ACTIONS

Market - The Basic exchange rate improves to 2:1 but still only applies to Basic Resources. Upper Class players may pay 2 of the same Basic resource for 1 Basic of their choice and can liquidate Advanced and Intermediate resources down to Basic resources as normal.

 

Debt Trap Ownership

Upper Class players can no longer borrow from the Debt Traps when they land adjacent to them. They can however buy the Debt Trap itself for five (5) Oil resource cards. This is analogous to the Advanced Power plants (which cost 5 Steel), the face value for selling a Debt Trap back to the Bank is only two (2) Oil Resource cards.

Note that ownership of Debt Traps is restricted to members of the Upper Class only and owning a Debt Trap does not automatically keep you in the Upper Class. If a member of the Upper Class sells off too many Basic or Intermediate industries and ranks down to Middle or Lower class then they must immediately sell the Debt Trap to the bank for face value or to another Upper Class player.

 

Debt Traps produce dividends for their owner in 2 different ways:

1. Passive Dividend: When landing adjacent to a Debt Trap you own, receive one (1) Oil resource card as a passive dividend.

2. Active Dividend: When a Middle Class player lands on a Debt Trap and successfully repays their loan in full, the owner of the Debt Trap receives one Basic resource card of whichever type was just repaid as a dividend.
Think of this as the profit margin on the loan: The original 2 basic resources that the Middle Class player borrowed go back into the Debt Trap to be loaned out again while the third card (the interest on the loan) gets paid to the owner, if there is one, and to the bank if there is not.
Note that this dividend is only paid to the owner at the moment that a loan is successfully paid in full. If a Middle Class player lands on a Debt Trap and goes bankrupt (cards and assets are not enough to repay the loan) then the owner of the Debt Trap gets no dividend, no matter how close the bankrupt player was to repaying the loan.
Think of this as the bank or Debt Trap requiring all its capital back before paying a dividend: The bank will keep the first 2 Basic resource cards repaid plus all “fractional” or “partial” repayment and will not pay a dividend to the owner until it has received three full and matching cards of whatever was owed to it. For this reason, the owner of a Debt Trap might be well advised to offer trades to a victim who has landed on their Debt Trap square and cannot quite repay the loan.

 

Interacting with Middle Class Squares

Upper Class players may still interact with Middle Class industries as normal (including Power plants) when they land adjacent to them. the only difference compared with Middle Class play is that these industries now provide Passive dividends in accordance with the Dividend rule stated in the Middle Class section. For example, if you land adjacent to a Microchips square you may still invest Basic resources to produce Microchips and when doing this the factory will still produce an extra Active dividend resource for its owner.

When you land adjacent to an Intermediate industry that you own, you may invest as normal and receive 2 resource cards as normal. However if you can’t or don’t want to in invest the Basic resources / power to run the factory you will still receive a one-card Passive dividend for landing next to the lower-ranked square you own. The dividend, as always, is paid in the square’s regular output resource. This is the only case where Intermediate resources can be produced without someone providing the input resources.

Remember that the above does not apply to Advanced Resource factories (Computers, Weapons, Automobiles). These factories never pay Passive dividends to their owners, only Active dividends when someone buys resources from them.

This is analogous to play in the Middle Class: Middle Class members get free Passive dividends when they land next to Lower Class industries they own but they must buy / invest resources in Middle Class industries (or own the industries) to get Intermediate resources out. Likewise, Upper Class players get a free Passive dividend when landing next to Middle Class industries they own but not when landing on Upper Class / Advanced industries that they own.

Advanced industries only ever produce resources when someone provides the input resources at that square. The theoretical output is doubled once someone buys the square because the owner collects a normal Active dividend whenever someone buys / invests at their factory, just like Intermediate industries.

 

GREEN POWER PLANT

The Green Power plant is an Advanced Power Plant like the Hydro and Nuclear plants. It follows the same rules as the other Advanced Power plants, costing five (5) Steel to purchase and having a face value of two (2) Steel cards. The major difference is that because this plant is in the Upper Class ring it will never produce a Passive dividend for its owner.

In accordance with the rules above, Upper Class members receive a one-card Passive dividend if they land next to a Power plant they own in the Middle Class ring (if they choose not to engage as a customer and buy Power) but this does not happen here. The owner still gets a one-card bonus (Active dividend) whenever someone buys power from the Green Power plant (including the owner) but there is no guaranteed bonus just for landing on it. This is similar to the Advanced Industry squares. Someone must buy power from it for the owner to get a dividend.

 

AUCTION SQUARE

When an Upper Class player lands on the Auction square they must choose an unowned Lower Class square (includes Oil Power plants) and begin an auction for it. The player who landed on the square starts the bidding. Bidding may start as low as a single Basic resource card but note that all bids must be denominated in the same kind of Basic resource cards that are normally required to buy the square (Oil for Oil, Steel for Steel, Power for Oil Power Plants, etc.

The player who landed on the Auction square may have the first bid and the bidding proceeds clockwise with all Middle and Upper Class players allowed to bid. Bidders cannot match and must instead beat the previous bid. Once an auction has started no one may trade with the bank or with each other and may only use the cards already in their hand.

If the player who landed on the square does not have any Basic resources to bid they must still select a Lower Class square to start the auction and the next player to their left may start the bidding as low as one resource card. If no players have the required cards or are unwilling then all may choose not to bid and the auction ends without the property being sold.

When there are no more unowned Basic Resource squares in the Lower Ring, then the player who landed on the Auction space must choose any unowned industry in the Middle Ring (including Power plants but NOT including Debt Traps). The bidding must always take place with the same resource cards that would normally be used to buy the factory (Steel for Advanced Power plants and Intermediate Resources for Intermediate squares) and players may not trade last-minute with each-other or the bank to try to get the required resources.

Debt Traps and Upper Ring industries may not be purchased at Auction. If there are no Lower or Middle class industries left unowned then the Auction square functions as a regular Market square and the player who landed there may trade with other players or the bank / Market as usual (at the Upper Class rate of 2:1).

Can I auction off my properties at the Auction square?
Yes, but only if there are no more unowned properties to start an auction for. Keep in mind that you are always allowed to trade with other players if it is your turn. You don’t need to be on the Auction square to sell your properties to other players so in theory you may organize an informal auction of your properties whenever you like. However, if you land on the Auction square and there are still Lower or Middle Class industries up for grabs then you must proceed to hold an auction for one of them and as stated above you are prohibited from trading with other players until the auction is over.

The Upper Class Auction square is adjacent to a Middle Class Widgets resource

What about the Widgets industry square adjacent to the Auction space?
Can I interact with it before the auction?
Yes. The game rule that you are allowed to interact with the squares you land on or are adjacent to in any order you choose still holds true. You are allowed to buy the Widget factory normally or purchase Widgets from it before holding an auction if you so choose. However, the Auction square still prohibits you from any trading from the moment you land on it until the auction is over.

Normally, when an Upper Class player lands adjacent to a Middle Class industry, they would have the option of trading with other players, selling properties to the bank or trading resources with the Market (if they’re on a Market square) before interacting with that Middle Class square. These options are not available on the Auction space (unless there are no more unowned properties in which case the Auction square is a Market square). This means you can interact with that Widget square only if you already had the required resources before you landed on the Auction square. Alternatively, you may simply wait until the auction is over when the prohibition on trading is lifted and you may trade and interact with the Widgets square.

What if that Widgets square is the last unsold property?
Then you have the option to buy it normally and avoid an auction (if you already have the resources to buy it). This is the only case where an auction can be avoided without all properties being owned at the time you land on the square.
Can I trade with the Market after buying that property?
No. Sorry, you must wait until the next time you land on it. The Auction square does not magically transform into a Market square the second the last property is sold. The status of the square is decided at the moment a player lands on it. If there are unsold properties at that moment then there will be an auction (unless that Widgets space is the only one and the player buys it).

The square does not magically transform back into an Auction square either. Let’s imagine that a player lands on it and at that moment all properties are owned. If the player who landed there decides to sell a property back to the bank for some reason there will not be an auction for the property they sold until the next time someone lands there. For the purposes of that player’s turn it remains a Market square because that’s what it was when they landed on it. That player should be able to trade with the Market even after selling a property back to the bank.

 

STATE EVENTS

When an Upper Class player lands on this space they must draw a card from the State Events card pile. Most State events involve relations between the Upper Class and other classes however these cards simulate political or legal proposals that would be enacted by the state if passed. When a player lands here they must read the card aloud. Most cards have benefits and/or drawbacks for all members of the Upper class.

Proposals on the cards don’t happen automatically. All members of the Upper Class only get to vote on whether to allow the event on the card to take place and a simple majority (51%) must agree for the event to take place. If a majority of the Upper Class does not agree then then nothing happens and the card is returned to the bottom for the State Events pile. If there is only one player in the Upper Class then they may decide unilaterally to accept or reject the proposal on the card. If there are 2 members then they must both agree as a 1-1 split is not a majority. Likewise if there are 4 Upper Class players, at least three must agree as a 2-2 split is not a majority.

Some State Event cards allow the Upper Class to instigate a Class Struggle against one of the lower classes or even to proactively protect themselves against attacks from the lower classes.

 

WORLD EVENTS

World events are different from State events because the Upper Class does not have the ability to accept or refuse. The event written on the card happens immediately. A player that lands here must read the card aloud carefully as most World Event cards affect all classes or all players on the board.

 

GOLDEN RULES

  • Have Fun! :)

  • Be civil to your opponents - The game is easier and more fun if you are able to trade and discuss with your opponents and will take longer if everyone trades only with the bank

 
 

PART IV - CARDS

 

LOWER CLASS MYSTERY CARDS

Holiday Bonus (x6)
Your good work has been rewarded.
Receive 1 Basic resource card of your choice.
(Steel, Oil, Uranium, Rare Metal)

 

Resorting to Theft (x4)
Desperate times have forced you to steal to survive.
Steal 1 card from any opponent.

Guard Dog (x4)
Keep this card until another player attempts to steal a card from you. You may then play this card to avoid getting robbed. This card must then be returned to the bottom of the Lower Class Mystery Card deck.
Note: This card only protects you against theft by other players, not the bank. This card will not protect you against Class Struggles or other events where you might be asked to pay resources to the bank.

Speeding Ticket (x3)
You were caught speeding on the way to work. Pay 1 Basic resource card of your choice. If you do not have any Basic resource cards you are authorized to trade with the bank / Market to sell property or liquidate Intermediate / Advanced resource cards. If you still cannot pay you are bankrupt (lose all cards, property and IOUs and return to “Start”.

Gold Rush! (x2)
Proceed to the next Rare Metal square. You may work there (and collect 1 Rare Metal card) or buy it (if unowned) before ending your turn.

May Day (x1)
Workers have organized and convinced the government to raise the minimum wage.
All Lower Class players receive 2 Basic resource cards of their choice.

 

MIDDLE CLASS MYSTERY CARDS

Economic Stimulus (x3)
You’ve received a free subsidy from the government to help your business through tough times.
Receive 1 Intermediate resource card of your choice.

 

Insider Trading (x4)
You got in on a good investment early thanks to some (illegal) insider information.
Steal 1 card from any Middle or Upper Class opponent.

Debt Consolidation (x3)
Your bank has agreed to restructure your debt.
Any debt you owe the Debt Trap bank is forgiven: if you have an IOU, return it to the bank without paying.
If you do not have an IOU, keep this card until you land on Debt Trap. You may then borrow your chosen resources as usual then play this card to avoid getting the IOU. You will not have to repay that loan. Return this card to the Middle Class Mystery deck after use.

Steelmaking Boom (x2)
Steel Mills have had an excellent year.
All players receive 1 Steel resource card for each Steel resource square they own.

Oil Liberated! (x2)
Our nation’s brave soldiers have liberated valuable resources from the enemy.
All players receive 1 Oil resource card for each Oil Resource square they own.

Business Fails (x3)
One of your businesses has failed leaving nothing behind but debt.
Pay 1 Intermediate resource card to the bank. If you do not have any Intermediate resource cards you may pay 2 Basic resource cards of your choice. If you don’t have enough Basic resources you may sell property or advanced resources to cover this debt. If you cannot pay in full you are bankrupt.

Past Due (x3)
Proceed to the nearest Debt Trap square. You must interact with that square and no others before ending your turn (no interaction with adjacent squares).

 

UPPER CLASS MYSTERY CARDS

Lawsuit (x4)
Your lawyers have an opportunity to seek punitive damages from a rival party.
Steal 1 card from any Upper Class opponent. If there are no other Upper Class players this card has no effect and you may not keep it.

 

Manufacturing Boom! (x3)
Secondary Industries have had a very good year.
All players receive 1 resource card for each Intermediate resource square they own (Includes Microchips, Munitions and Widgets, does not include Power plants).

Wild Speculation (x5)
If you have any Basic, Intermediate or Advanced resource cards in your hand (excludes Special resource Power) you must select between 1 and 3 cards to wager. Roll two dice to determine the outcome: Roll a 7 to triple your money (keep wager and receive 2 identical cards per card wagered). Roll a 6 or 8 to double your money (keep wager and receive 1 identical card per card wagered). Roll anything else (1-5, 9-12) and lose you wager completely.

Corporate Bankruptcy (x1)
One of your largest companies is failing and needs immediate and expensive restructuring.
You must pay the bank 1 Basic resource card of your choice for each Basic resource square you own AND pay 1 Intermediate resource card of your choice for each Intermediate resource square you own.
Note: The amount of this debt is determined at the moment you draw this card. You may interact with the bank / Market for the purposes of paying this debt (ex: to sell a resource square to the bank) but selling resource squares will NOT reduce the total amount you have to pay.

Run for Public Office (x2)
Proceed to the “State Events” square and draw a card. You may interact with the adjacent square or collect a passive dividend (if you are the owner) before ending your turn.

Globetrotter (x2)
Proceed to the “World Events” square and draw a card. You may interact with the adjacent square or collect a passive dividend (if you are the owner) before ending your turn.

Hedge Fund (x3)
Keep this card until the next time you draw a “Wild Speculation” card. You may then wager and roll as usual. If your speculation is successful (you roll 6-8) you may continue to keep this card. If your speculation is unsuccessful you may play this card to save the cards you wagered. (You still don’t make any extra money from the wager. Sorry.)

 

STATE EVENT CARDS

Regressive Taxation (x2)
Proposal: Increase sales tax or other flat taxes
Effect if passed: Starts a Class Struggle against the Lower Class

“Progressive” Taxation (x2)
Proposal: Increase income tax or other payroll taxes
Effect if passed: Starts a Class Struggle against the Middle Class

 

Public Healthcare (x1)
Proposal: Increase public spending on healthcare
Effects if passed: Protects the Upper Class from the Lower Class one time
1. All Upper Class members immediately pay 1 Intermediate resource card or 2 Basic resources of their choice to the bank.
2. All Lower Class members immediately receive 1 Basic resource of their choice from the bank.
3. The next time the Lower Class wins a Class Struggle against the Upper Class, the Lower Class will not win any prizes and the Upper Class will not pay any penalties, however this card will be used up and must then be returned to the State Events deck.
If passed, leave this card in the middle of the board until it is used up.

Public Education (x1)
Proposal: Increase public spending on education
Effects if passed: Protects the Upper Class from the Middle Class one time
1. All Upper Class members immediately pay 1 Intermediate resource card or 2 Basic resources of their choice to the bank.
2. All Middle Class members immediately receive 1 Basic resource of their choice from the bank.
3. The next time the Middle Class wins a Class Struggle against the Upper Class, the Middle Class will not win any prizes and the Upper Class will not pay any penalties, however this card will be used up and must then be returned to the State Events deck.
If passed, leave this card in the middle of the board until it is used up.

Corporate Welfare (x2)
Proposal: Reward our most profitable companies with a free subsidy they don’t even need
Effect if passed: All Advanced Resource squares pay a special dividend to their owners (one resource card matching their usual output, does not include power plants).

Corporate Tax Relief (x2)
Proposal: Cut corporate taxes across the board
Effect if passed: All Intermediate Resource squares pay a special dividend to their owners (one resource card matching their usual output, does not include power plants).

 

WORLD EVENT CARDS

Climate Change Conference (x1)
Our nation has committed itself publicly to a greener energy future.
Immediate effects:

1. Green Energy Subsidies: All players receive one (1) free Power card. Players who own Advanced Power plants (all plants except Oil Power) receive an additional one (1) Power card for every Advanced Power plant they own.

 

2. Polluters must pay for retrofits: All players who own Oil Power plants must pay 1 Basic resource of their choice to the bank for each Oil Power plant they own.

Useful Invention (x3)
A scientific advance has made the entire world economy more efficient.
Immediate effect: All players receive one (1) free Oil card AND one (1) free Steel card.

Natural Disaster! (x2)
Our nation has been hit by a powerful natural disaster. Emergency government funds do not cover all of the damages.
Immediate effect: All players lose 1 Basic resource of their choice.

Mission Accomplished! (x2)
Our nation has completely conquered an enemy country. Our companies now have privileged access to their natural resources.
Immediate effect: All players receive two (2) Oil cards for each Oil resource square they own and one (1) Uranium card for each Uranium resource square they own.

Stock Market Crash! (x1)
In a stunning crash, a huge portion of the nation’s wealth has been erased from the market in a single day.
Immediate effects:
1. All Upper Class players lose one (1) Advanced resource card of their choice, or equivalent (2 Intermediate, 4 Basic).
2. All Middle Class players lose one (1) Intermediate resource card of their choice, or equivalent (2 Basic).
3. All Lower Class players lose one (1) Basic resource card of their choice.

Terrorist Attack! (x1)
Our nation has been attacked by radicals from an enemy country. Our leaders vow revenge and are preparing for war.
Immediate effect: All players must immediately sell all Weapons and Munitions to the bank at a reduced price. The bank will pay two (2) Oil and one (1) Steel for each Weapon card and two (2) Oil for each Munitions card.

Cyber Warfare (x1)
A hostile country has attacked and disabled some of our country’s infrastructure through a cyber attack. The government is now scrambling to build up our cyber warfare capabilities.
Immediate effect: All players must immediately sell all Computers and Microchips to the bank at a reduced price. The bank will pay two (2) Steel and one (1) Oil for each Computer card and two (2) Steel for each Microchip card.

Commodity Boom (x4)
Worldwide demand has fueled a huge increase in the production of basic materials.
Immediate effect: All Basic resource squares pay a special dividend of one (1) Basic resource card of their usual output to their owners (Steel, Oil, Uranium, Rare Metal).

 
 

ADRIAN NAGY