Objective of the Game:
Black Friday is an economic board game where players aim to earn the most money by intelligently buying and selling stocks. The objective is to have the highest net worth at the end of the game by optimally leveraging the stock market movements.
Game Components:
- 1 Game board
- Various stock cards in five colors (black, blue, red, green, yellow)
- 5 stock market boards in the same colors
- Player tokens for each player
- Banknotes of various denominations
- Silver and Gold (as commodity cards)
- 1 Event track
- Game markers and special figures
Setup:
- Place the game board in the center of the table.
- Place the different stock market boards according to colors on the game board.
- Prepare banknotes, silver cards, and gold cards nearby.
- Each player receives a starting amount of money and a player token, which is placed on the 0 of the wealth track.
- Shuffle and distribute the stock cards according to instructions on the stock market boards.
Gameplay:
The game proceeds in a series of rounds where players take turns performing actions. A round consists of the following phases:
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Buy Stocks: Players can buy stocks. The price of each stock depends on how many stocks of the same color have been purchased before. The more that have been bought, the higher the price.
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Sell Stocks: Here, players can sell stocks to generate cash. It's vital to strategically choose the timing of selling, as stock values can fluctuate.
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Acquire Commodities: Silver and gold can also be acquired on the market. They serve as a "safe haven" for wealth, especially when a crash is anticipated.
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Advance Event Track: After each player's turn, the event marker moves forward on the event track, which can trigger certain market events.
Special Features and Strategies:
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Market Crash: A key element of the game is market events, especially crashes. When the event marker reaches specific points, certain stock prices can collapse, possibly leading to significant losses.
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Diversification: As in the real stock market, it's wise to diversify your portfolio to minimize risk.
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Timing the Sale: Timing is everything! By observing market movements and the event track, players can gauge the best time to sell stocks for profit or to avoid losses.
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Commodities: Silver and gold are good investments in uncertain times as they are relatively crisis-proof.
End of the Game:
The game ends when the event marker reaches the end of the event track. Players then calculate their total net worth (cash plus the value of stocks and commodities). The player with the highest net worth wins the game.
Enjoy the ups and downs of the market while playing!
