IMHO, this game is best played with 3-4 players. With just 2, not much interaction, and with 5+, there's a lot of waiting (waiting for their turns, it's better to split the 5+ games in two game sessions).
And this is one session report from one of my play :
we played a 4 player games, one of the player got a job as a Janitor. The one who got the Doctor job laugh at him
. Why ? the Janitor has a minimum salary and the Doctor has a high salary. But that's only in the beginning. After the play began, the Doctor realized that he had a high income but had a high expenses too, it means it's more difficult to meet the condition to get out of the Rat Race (passive income must be higher than expenses).
Of course, the Doctor had high income, it mean more cash on hand and he could take the big deal if he wanted to. Then, the game went on. That was the first play for the Janitor player, so when in his first turn he drew a small deal card and got a very cheap stocks offer that only he could buy, he bought as much as he can, he even took a big loan from the bank ! Everyone just smiled at him, boy boy boy, he put all his egg in one basket.
But then while in somebody else's turn, that player who got the turn drew a small deal card, and read the text that the same stocks that the Janitor player bought has gone up in the sky !! The janitor player then sold all of his stocks, and had a LOT of cash in hand !!
When the Janitor player turn came, he drew one big deal card, bought a block of apartments (I rather forget about what he bought), the next turn he went out of the Rat Race (because the property he bought has a big passive income, bigger than his low expense as a janitor).
That's it. The janitor get out of the Rat Race in just 3 turns, and everyone think "is this a bug ?". I don't know, but I have experienced this condition twice (a Janitor get out of the Rat Race quick, in 3-4 turns, this can only happen because his starting expense is so low).
Well, I just accept the fact that in real life this condition can happend too. When someone in a not-so-good position, and has a lot of guts and takes a big change (sometimes it costs all of his money !), and he succeed, he can flip over his life in a short time ! (or winning a reality show maybe
) With the right groups, and the right condition (as a tool for learning the asset/passive income), this game can be a good/great experience.
But again, if you don't like the concept/idea of Kiyokasi's books, then you will dislike this game (and the price too !).
(see my Review)
Jack
My free games site : www.geocities.com/islandofd
Posted Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:24 am
