Finans

Finans Rulebook

Table of Contents

1 game board
2 dice
6 playing pieces
21 shares
20 property cards
12 bonds
21 Financial News cards
42 Market Tip cards
6 Registration Certificates
6 Loan Certificates
8 industries (black)
15 buildings (red) (2 of each in reserve)
Money (Crowns) in different denominations

Setting Up the Game

a) Carefully separate the cards, and divide them into separate piles. Shuffle the Financial News cards and the Market Tip cards, and put them face down on the game board on the marked spaces.

b) Choose one of the players to act as a banker; the banker's task is to handle the bank (the banker does not have to participate in the game). The banker sorts out different bills and puts them in the six angled compartments in the plastic insert (except the 1.000.000 Cr. bill). The banker then gives each player 75,000 Cr. in suitable denominations.

c) The players choose one playing piece each, and put them on the Bank Exit space (square 1). Everybody throws the dice; highest total starts, the turn order is clockwise.

Rules

Movement

The playing pieces are moved clockwise around the board. Players not owning a car throw one die each move. Players owning a car throw two dice. Exception: Inside the Bank (squares 34-46) everybody throws one die, including car-owners.

The number rolled on the die or the dice is the number of squares a player moves each turn. Exception: Everybody has to stop on square 34 (Bank Entrance space) and square 1 (Bank Exit space), even if the number rolled is higher.

Buying a Car

Each time it is a player's turn, but before the die is thrown, he or she can buy a car for 50.000 Cr. As proof of the purchase the player receives a Car Registration Certificate.

Car-owners throw two dice on each move, except in the Bank. Players are not permitted to own more than one car at a time. Buying and selling cars between players is not allowed.

Each time it is a player's turn, before or after his throw, he or she can sell the car back to the Bank for 25.000 Cr.

Buying Properties and Shares

A player is only permitted to buy properties and shares in the Branch of the Bank (square 11) or in the Bank headquarters (squares 35-46). Buying is only permitted when it is your turn, and before the die is thrown.

You can only buy 1 property and/or 1 share at a time. Note that you can buy every time it is your turn, even if you did so on your previous turn, provided that you have money and still are on one of the above-mentioned squares.

Building on Property

You can only build on property when you are on square 17 or on square 40 (Construction Co., Inc.), or if you own the Market Tip card that allows you to build whenever you like. You can build only when it is your turn, and before the die is thrown.

You decide yourself which property or properties you want to build on (you do not have to own all properties in a group). You can build on any number of properties you choose in the same move.

The prices of industries and buildings are shown on the property cards. When you have paid the Bank you receive either an industry (black; on squares 26, 27, 29, 30, 32 and 33) or a building (red; remaining properties) to put on the square.

Once a property is built on, you cannot take the building away and get the money back from the bank.

Rent

If your playing piece lands on a property that you yourself own, or if the property is unsold, nothing happens.

If you land on a property (built-on or not built-on) which is owned by another player you have to pay rent to him or her. The amount of rent is shown on the corresponding property card.

Note: If the property owner forgets to claim rent before the next player has thrown the die, he or she does not receive the rent.

Mortgaging Property

If you own property that you can mortgage, you can do so anytime it is your turn (before or after your throw). You can mortgage one or more properties at the same time. You then receive the money from the Bank, and, as proof of the mortgaging, turn the property card or cards face down.

No rent is paid on mortgaged property.

You can redeem a mortgaged property anytime it is your turn, but only before you throw the die. When redeeming a mortgaged property, you pay the mortgaging value plus 10%.

Mortgaging on properties between players is not allowed.

Repurchasing Properties

Anytime it is your turn (before or after your throw), you can let the Bank repurchase one or more of your properties and/or shares. The repurchasing value is shown on the property cards or the shares respectively. A mortgaged property cannot be repurchased, it has to be redeemed first.

Bank Loans

Anytime it is your turn (before or after your throw, but not on square 43), you are allowed to take one or more loans in the Bank. Each loan is for 50.000 Cr. You cannot have more than three loans at any time. The Bank cannot give more than six loans in all.

If you have one or more loans, you must pay interest (5.000 Cr. per loan) each time you land on square 1.

Voluntary repayment of a loan is allowed anytime it is your turn (before or after your throw). If you land on square 43 you must pay back one loan (if you have any), and you must also pay 5,000 Cr. interest on the loan you pay back. Note that you cannot take a new loan when on square 43*

Buying Bonds

If you land on square 45 or 46 you can buy one bond (any number you choose) of those remaining in the Bank. If you draw a Financial News card which says "The Big Bond Sweepstakes" you are allowed to buy one bond yourself, and then the other players, in turn, may buy one bond each.

Each bond costs 500 Cr. A winning bond must be returned to the Bank. Trading with bonds between players is not allowed.

Financial News Cards

If you land on any of these two squares, or if you receive a Market Tip card that says so, you draw a new Financial News card, (the top-most card). The text on the Financial News card concerns all players, unless stated otherwise. The text is read out loud.

If the text says that the card is valid until further notice, it must remain face up until the next Financial News card is drawn. If not, all the players follow the instructions, and the card is then returned to the bottom of the pile, face down.

Market Tip Cards

If you land on a Market Tip square, you draw the top card in that pile. The instructions on the card must be followed immediately, unless otherwise stated. The card is then returned to the bottom of the pile, face down.

Bank Entrance Square

You must always stop on this square (nr. 34) even if the number rolled on the die or dice is higher. When you have landed here you immediately throw both dice (regardless of whether you own a car or not) to decide the size of the bonus. The Bank then pays out 5000 Cr. per pip on the dice.

When the Financial News card with the text "Good Times" is face up, the bonus is doubled. When "Bad Times" is face up, only the die with the lowest number is counted.

Bank Exit Square

You must always stop on this square (nr. 1), even if the number rolled on the die is higher. When you land here you must draw a Market Tip card and follow the instructions.

If you land on a square which says you get share dividends, or if you draw a Market Tip card or a Financial News card that says so, the Bank pays out dividends on the shares you own. This sum is shown on each share.

If you land on square 41, or if you draw a Market Tip card which says so, you must pay your opponents dividends with 20% on their shares in those company groups where you, yourself, have one or more properties.

There are seven company groups on the game board (the Crafts House, the Service Company, the Business Centre, the Financial Trust, the Technics Enterprise, the Chemistry Corporation and the Industrial Group). Each company group consists of two or three properties of the same colour, and as many shares as properties.

Example: Player A owns one property in the Crafts House, one property in the Financial Trust, and two properties in the Technics Enterprise. A lands on square 41 and must therefore pay his opponents dividends with 20% of their share capital in the above-mentioned company groups.

Player B owns two 50.000 Cr. shares in the Crafts House, and the 100.000 Cr. share in the Technics Enterprise (he also has other shares in company groups where A does not have property, but in this case he does not get dividends on those). In the company groups where A has property, B has a total share capital of 200,000 Cr. A must then give B 20% of that capital, which in this example amounts to 40.000 Cr.

Player C owns the two 75.000 Cr. shares in the Financial Trust, and one 75.000 Cr. share in the Technics Enterprise. C receives 20% of 225.000 Cr., which amounts to 45.000 Cr. A pays this sum to C.

Note that this paying of dividends between players only concerns those company groups in which the paying player has got one or more properties, and the receiving players have one or more shares.

Square 46

If the Financial News card with the text "Good Times" lies face up and you land on square 46, the square is valid for all players (in turn order, starting with yourself).

Bond Sweepstakes

The Big Bond Sweepstakes takes place when any of the two Financial News cards with this text is drawn. The Small Bond Sweepstakes takes place each time a player lands on square 45.

The prizes in the Big Sweepstakes are 100.000 Cr., 50.000 Cr. and 25.000 Cr. The prizes in the Small Sweepstakes are 50.000 Cr., 25.000 Cr. and 15.000 Cr.

When bonds have been purchased according to the rules, the banker conducts the sweepstakes "drawing" by throwing both dice. The top prize goes to the bond with the same number as the total of the dice. Second prize goes to the bond with the same number as the higher of the two dice. Third prize goes to the bond with the same number as the lower of the two dice. If you roll doubles, third prize goes to the bond with the number that is one lower than one of the dice.

Example: If double 4's are thrown, the bonds with numbers 8, 4 and 3 (in this order), win. If two 1's are thrown, bond number 12 wins third prize.

A winning bond is immediately returned to the bank.

Jail

If you land on the jail square (nr. 24) you throw one die. If the die shows 1 or 2 you miss the next turn. If it shows 3 or 4 you miss the next two turns. If it shows 5 or 6, you miss the next three turns.

If you land on the square "Go directly to jail" (nr. 37), you immediately throw one die. If it shows 3 or higher, the square is not valid. If it shows 1 or 2, you must immediately move your playing piece to the jail square (nr. 24), and, as mentioned above, throw one die to determine how many turns you miss.

Exception: If you come directly from jail (without having passed square 1), square 37 is not valid, but if you have left the jail and passed square 1, square 37 is acted upon as above.

You can collect rents and share dividends, and participate in bond sweepstakes as usual, even if you are in jail.

Bankruptcy

If you cannot fulfill your liabilities, in spite of bank loans and mortgaging and/or repurchasing, you are bankrupt and out of the game. All your shares, properties, etc. are returned to the Bank. If you have built-on properties, the buildings are also returned to the Bank.

Company Groups

One complete company group consists of all properties of the same colour, plus those shares that belong to the company group. It does not matter if the properties are built on or not.

There are seven company groups on the game board (see Share Dividends Between Players). There are always as many shares as properties within a company group.

If you own a complete company group (all shares and all properties of the group) you are allowed to double the rents.

The easiest way to acquire a complete company group is to buy all those properties and shares from the Bank. However, most of the time, the shares and the properties are owned by several players.

In this case, in order to buy the complete company group and gain control of it to double the rents, you must a) have at least one property or one share of the group and b) call a board meeting.

Note that on some of the Market Tip cards it says that they are not valid for property and/or shares that are part of a company group. This refers to properties and shares that are part of a complete company group - if you have a complete company group, the properties and shares in it are immune to, for instance, forced transactions.

Board Meetings

You can call a board meeting if you are in the head office of the Bank (squares 35-46) and if it is your turn, but before you have thrown the die. Then you say, for example: "I hereby call a board meeting of the Technics Enterprise".

Then, first of all, you put up as much money as the total value (cost value) of the opponents' shares and properties in this company group (including any buildings).

Second, you put up additional money, a sum that is evenly divisible by 10.000 Cr. (minimum 20.000 Cr., maximum 120.000 Cr.). This money is called the Procurement fee.

Then, third and last, you throw both dice. If you throw a total equal to or lower than the procurement fee divided with 10.000 Cr., you have taken control of the board meeting and take over the opponents' shares and properties against paying their cost values. 30.000 Cr. of the procurement fee goes to the Bank, and the rest is divided equally between the players that lost their shares and properties to you.

If you throw higher than the procurement fee divided by 10.000 Cr., the take-over bid is a failure. Your opponents keep their shares and properties, and the procurement fee goes to the Bank.

Example: A owns the 75.000 Cr. share plus the Furniture Store and the Grocery Shop in the Business Centre. B owns the Bookshop (built-on property) and one of the 50.000 Cr. shares. C owns the other 50.000 Cr. share. A wants to take over the company group, and calls a board meeting while he is in the Bank. He then first puts up the total value of B's and C's assets in the Business Centre, which in this case amount to 20.000 + 20.000 + 50.000 + 50.000 = 140.000 Cr. Then he puts up the Procurement fee. Let us assume that he puts up 80.000 Cr. Finally, A throws both dice. If A throws 9 or higher, the take-over is a failure, B and C keep their properties and shares, A keeps his 140.000 Cr., but the procurement fee of 80,000 Cr, goes to the Bank. If A throws 8 or lower, the take-over is a success. A takes over B's property + building + share in the Business Centre, and pays him 90.000 Cr.. A also takes over C's share, and pays him 50,000 Cr.. 30.000 Cr. of the procurement fee goes to the Bank, and the remaining 50.000 Cr. is shared equally between B and C. From now on, A, who owns the whole of the Business Centre, can double the rents there. Note that B or C, in the same way, could have taken over the company group, if they could have put up enough money and if they had been successful when throwing the dice.

If you put up 120.000 Cr. for a procurement fee, you do not have to throw the dice - they cannot show more than a total 12. The take-over of the company group is, in this case, always a success. But, you cannot always afford to put up 120.000 Cr, for a procurement fee - sometimes you have to take a chance to beat the other players to it.

Obviously, before you call a board meeting, you can in the same move, mortgage property and/or let the Bank repurchase property or shares, and/or take one or more loans in the Bank, all in order to have enough cash before the board meeting.

Who Wins?

The player who first can show one million Crowns (1.000.000 Cr.) in cash, and, at the same time, owns at least two complete company groups, has won the game.

It is obviously permitted to sell or mortgage to be able to scrape together that million - but you must have at least two company groups left.

If all the other players go bankrupt, the last remaining player wins the game.

Some Strategic Advice

Unlike "that other business game", you have to plan your business strategy from the start in Finance. Should you invest mostly in properties or mostly in shares? Is it good tactics to buy your way into other players' company groups? Which ones? Should your investments be spread out or purposefully be put into one or two company groups? How much cash do you need on hand, and how much should be invested in shares and properties to return a profit? Is it worthwhile to take a loan to raise more capital? How big a procurement fee should you put up when trying to take over a company group? The more money you put up, the bigger your chance of taking control, but at the same time your opponents get more money as well.

Luck is useful even in this game - but in the long run luck is not that important. In the end, it depends on how smartly you handle your investments, if you want to win in Finance. Good luck?