Objective
Tulip Bubble is an economic simulation board game set during the Dutch tulip mania's golden age. Players take on the role of merchants trying to earn the most profit from buying and selling tulips before the market crashes and the tulip bubble bursts.
Number of Players and Setup
- Number of Players: 3 - 5
- Components:
- Various tulip cards with different values
- Money cards in various denominations
- Event cards
-
A round tracker
-
Each player receives a set of money cards totaling 10 Guilders.
- Tulip cards are shuffled and stacked face down.
- Event cards are shuffled to create an event card deck.
- Place the round tracker on the first round.
- Each player draws 3 tulip cards randomly as starting capital.
Gameplay
The game is played over several rounds, each consisting of the following phases:
1. Event Phase:
- Draw a card from the event deck and follow the instructions. These cards affect the market and can drastically change tulip prices.
2. Auction Phase:
- Players bid in turns for available tulip cards from an open display.
- The starting player bids first, and others can raise the bid or pass.
3. Market Phase:
- Players trade their tulip cards and may exchange or sell cards among themselves or to the market.
- Market prices may change depending on the event cards drawn or trades made.
4. Round End:
- Check if the set number of rounds is finished or if the market crashes. The game ends when a specific number of rounds is reached, or the bubble bursts.
End of Game and Scoring
- The game ends when either a predetermined number of rounds is completed, or the tulip bubble bursts.
- Players calculate the value of their tulip cards and remaining money.
- The player with the highest total of money and tulip value wins.
Strategy Tips
- Market Observation: Always pay attention to event cards and calculate risk. Prices can rise or fall unexpectedly.
- Smart Trading: Trade potent tulip cards early to get the best price and avoid negative price shifts.
- Wise Bidding: Think carefully about how much you bid to avoid spending unnecessarily.
Tulip Bubble is a game that promotes strategic thinking and risk management, giving insight into economic dynamics.
