I picked up this gem at a rummage sale and I have to say that this game was very similar to monopoly. Not in a bad way but in a good way. I got the canadian version so that was nice to see canadian businesses on the game board.

all in all i would say it is a very fun game to play with anyone

Perhaps it is a little harsh to pick on a new user. It does help if you read some reviews before writing one, though. Your statement is small enough for a comment on your personal record about the game (at the bottom of the game's web page). Reviews should be longer, not least because they are worth geekgold (not that you necessarily know that).

This game is like Monopoly in that you buy spaces on the board Companies and Advertising in this case. Companies earn the owner a fee whenever someone lands on them (including himself!). Advertising telports the piece landing on it to a Company of the owner's choice- you negotiate a fee from that Company owner. Other forms of property include Life Insurance (costs 200,000, worth 1,000,000 when the game ends, but 10,000 if you have to sell it in between, Treasury Bonds (which pay out regularly) and Business Insurance.

Business Insurance is needed because of the Bankruptcy Rule. Roll a 12 on the 2 dice used for movement, and you lose everything, cash, assets, the works. Unless you have Business Insurance, in which case you only lose your Insurance Policy.

The Game comes in three rule varieties, the more complex ones adding in Politics to the Economic aspects of the base game. The Prime Minister is elected by die roll...and he and his government control taxation, ministerial salaries, and the direction of the economy. A special Inflation Marker rests on a space in an inner track, and the PM can turn the arrow either way. The arrow's movement is more or less random and causes prices to rise (and fall, but they rise above the start of the game level), and taxes to be collected, wages to be paid, bonds to pay out and elections to be held (roll those dice again).

The Advanced Game is marred by the great influence accruing to someone who buys up Treasury Bonds. The Treasury funds are seperate from the Bank. If the Treasury goes bankrupt everyone loses. (If the Bank goes bankrupt the game is ended and winner determined). The Treasury starts with 30 Bonds, worth 100,000. People can buy Bonds at effectively any time (Due to the movement system, which is a lot more flexible than Monopoly). Bonds pay interest of 100,000 whenever the Inflation Marker lands on Bonds, and this interest can be paid in the form of more Bonds. The Treasury gains from Taxes, but it also has to payu Governement Salaries. If the Opposition holds enough Bonds, it can hold tne Government to Ransom. If the Government has enough Bonds, it will hold the new Government to Ransom when power changes plans. This can lead to some pretty dull games, but is easily fixed (Treat Treasury Bankruptcy as Bank Bankruptcy, or alternative rule that when the Treasurry goes bankrupt all bonds are valueless and are returned to the treasury.)

The Game as a whole is still rather random for my tastes, though it made for a very entertaining 12th Birthday Party.

I always remember how clever and innovative I thought the arrow marker for inflation was when I first played this game. I wonder if anything similar has been used in the more modern games? It would be interesting to know, but I can't think of anything right now. There are those that come close, but nothing that allows a player to put some control into the direction of the overall economy in this fashion whilst allowing external or uncontrollable elements to affect it.

I also remember how powerful an advertising strategy was; if you bought up most of the advertising on the board you could move almost anywhere in your turn, with the exception of a few dice rolls which would put you somewhere you didn't want to be.

This must be the Game of The Decade.