US20120018952A1

US20120018952A1 - card game combining elements of economics with elements of politics

Info

Publication number: US20120018952A1
Application number: US12/842,894
Authority: US
Inventors: Henri Hein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-07-23
Filing date: 2010-07-23
Publication date: 2012-01-26

Abstract

A card game where players start and grow businesses, simulating that aspect of the economy involving public and pre-public companies. The game can be played by two or more players, with an upper limit constrained only by time. Cards represent opportunities available to each player. Opportunities can be of an economical kind, such as recruiting talent or investing in infrastructure. Opportunities can also be political, or regulatory, such as securing a government contract or product approval. Money, valuations and ownership are represented by different types of tokens. External factors, such as recessions, inflation, and elections, are actuated through special event cards, or notes on other cards, or a combination thereof.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a card game where players start and grow businesses, simulating that aspect of the economy involving public and pre-public companies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To start a business in the real world takes a combination of ideas, opportunities and action. A card game lends itself well to simulate the latter two of this process. Cards, as shuffled in a deck, represent opportunities. As players draw cards from the deck, this represents the opportunities available to the business leader. Playing a given card represents the action a leader took in following up on such an opportunity.
Having the opportunity is not always enough. Sometimes additional resources are required to execute on it. For instance, an opportunity may arise to take over a local business, but money will be needed to acquire licenses and fund initial operation. Such resources can be represented by different types of tokens, each indicating a unit of currency, credit, a favor, or any other element necessary to complete an action.
People differ in the viewpoints on how businesses are operated, granted licenses, regulated and ruled on. Some has a public-interest view, where everybody acts only in accordance with proper codes and for the common good. At the other extreme, some has a cynical view where nobody will act without an external incentive leading to personal gain. The latter extreme are sometimes depicted for satirical purposes. The current invention can be used to simulate the range of these viewpoints, and this description shall not be construed to advance any one.
In the embodiment of this invention, there are four kinds of tokens, divided into chips and markers, used to represent money, political favor, value, and ownership, respectively,
Cards can also be used to simulate unexpected events. A business can do well, until a recession hits. An entrepreneur may save up money for a new venture, only to discover that inflation has wiped out some of it. The current invention includes the element of unexpected events, represented either as separate cards, or notes on existing cards, or a combination. In the embodiment, a combination of these is used to execute various types of events. The flow of events is also used to simulate the boom and bust cycle of the economy.
The concept of an unexpected event can also be used to end the game, using an “End Game” event. Typically, card games, are over when the bottom of the deck is reached, or a condition obtains. Players can thus predict fairly accurately when the game ends. Using an “End Game” event to end the game introduces some uncertainty. It also allows for variable-length games, where an “End Game” event at top part of the deck will result in a short game, whereas placing it at or near the bottom leads to a longer game.
The preferred embodiment illustrates the use of the invention to simulate starting and advancing businesses in a large national economy, such as that of the USA. The invention can also be used to simulate the same process in a local economy, or an international economy where the businesses are all multinational. It can also be used to simulate the same process in a specific industry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sample action card from the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sample company card from the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sample event card from the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 4 is the same sample card shown in FIG. 3, with tokens illustrated on it as they would be placed during game play.

FIG. 5 is a sample “End Game” card from the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top view, showing a possible layout during game play.

FIG. 7 shows examples of political cards from the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the game structure of the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of adjusting the number of value tokens on a company from a game operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a sample action card. The action card has a title 1 and a description 2. It also has a cost to play 3, denoting the tokens required to play this card. When players perform an action by playing the card, the number of tokens, in this case 1$, must be paid back to the public pool, often called “the bank.”
FIG. 2 shows a sample company card. In the embodiment, all companies are fictitious. Each company has a name 4 and a sector 5. The sector is a way to group companies together. In the embodiment, companies also has properties 6 and powers 7, creating some distinction between the companies. A graphic 8 helps players to visually tell the companies apart during play. Though the embodiment depicts companies, the invention can include any economic entity, including charitable organizations, non-profit entities, NGOs, etc.
FIG. 3 shows an event card from the embodiment. An event has a title 9 and a description 10. Along with the title and description, a graphic 11 identifies the card as an event card.
FIG. 4 shows the same company card from FIG. 2, as seen from its title 14. Here, tokens are shown on the card to illustrate how evaluation and ownership is tracked. Two value tokens 15 are placed on this card. As events or actions improve or diminish the evaluation of a company, value tokens are placed on the company card, in the case of improvement, or value tokens are removed from the card, in the case of a decrease. Optionally, specific rules apply if a value token must be removed from a company that has none. In the embodiment, these are called the “bankruptcy rules,” and leads to the company card being placed back in the company card pile.
The figure also shows markers from two different players. Each player uses markers of a given color. Here, one player uses black markers 16, another player uses white markers 17. Each marker corresponds to a block of shares, each block consisting of an unspecified number of individual shares. It will be understood that the player represented by the black markers has two blocks of shares in this sample, while the player with the white markers has three blocks of shares. In the rules for the embodiment, it is specified that each marker can be bought or sold for a number of dollar-tokens equal to the number of value tokens on the company card, or two for one in the case of a company card with no value tokens.
FIG. 5 shows the sample “End Game” 12 event card. As previously described, this can be placed somewhere in the deck of action cards depending on how long a game the players wish to play. The game ends when a player draws the “End Game” card, with optional variations 13. For instance, the embodiment stipulates that one last round is played after the “End Game” card is revealed.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a hypothetical game in progress. For simplicity, only two players are shown, though the game can be played with any number of players, constrained only by time and physical components. In the following, the two players are referred to as the “top” and “bottom” player, respectively.
In the embodiment, companies are considered “private” until it has undergone an Initial Public Offering (IPO) process. This is indicated during play by placement of the companies. Thus, the player represented at the top of the figure has one company (“Trade Corp”) in the private section 18 and two companies (“Nuts and Bolts, Inc,” “Pharm, Inc”) in the public section 19. The other player has two companies (“Shoppers, Inc,” “Computer Corp”) in the private section 21 and one company (“Oil Corp”) in the public section 20. The pile of company cards is shown 22 with the top card (“The Drill Corp”) showing face-up. The action card pile is shown with the cards being face down 23. When a player starts a new company, the top card from the company pile is placed into the private section in front of that player.
Each player also has a number of tokens representing their assets available for investing or playing action cards. The top player has two asset tokens 24 and the bottom player has three asset tokens 25.
FIG. 7 shows some samples of cards relating to the political aspect of the embodiment. One card 26 is used by players to attempt influence through a Political Action Committee. This card is an example of an action where additional funds can be applied to increase the potency of the action 27. In the embodiment, it is also possible for players to run for political office 28. In the case of an election event 29, such offices are either retired, or must be regained through special actions. Elections have additional impact on the standing of each player 30, representing a changing political landscape. This sample shows an additional effect 31 denoted through extra notes on the card. In the embodiment, these notes are unrelated to the other aspects of the card.
FIG. 8 shows a flowchart for setting up and playing a game. Players will shuffle the company cards 32 and the action cards 33. In the embodiment, the action deck includes events. The players each get starting cards and tokens 34. The first player takes a turn at play 35. At the end of each turn, the player draws a card 36. If the card is an action card, the player adds it to his or her hand 38. If the card is an event 40, this is executed immediately. If the event is the “End Game” event 41, the game ends 42. If the card was not the “End Game” event—i.e., it was not an event card, or it was an event card other than the “End Game” event—play continues with the next player 39. Winning is determined by the aggregate value of the companies each player started.
FIG. 9 shows a flowchart for adjusting the number of value tokens on a company during a game operation, where a game operation is defined as either an action, an event, or some other operation performed by a player. Only actions or events have the ability to adjust value tokens, so other operations, such as trading stock, is not shown.
Most operations would not lead to an adjustment 43, 44, 45. The value tokens are adjusted depending on the particular event, or whether an action targets that company. If a value token is added, this ends the process 46. If a value token is to be removed, and there are any value tokens on the company already, a value token is removed 48. If there are no value tokens to remove, then the separate bankruptcy process is followed 47. For simplicity, the chart assumes only one value token is added or removed 49. Events or actions can result in adjusting value tokens up or down by more than one.

Claims

1. A method for playing a business card game, played by a plurality of players, where cards are used to represent economic entities, each card representing a unique entity, with value tokens placed on a card indicating the strength of the entity that card represents, the game comprising the steps of:

shuffling the cards representing the economic entities;

determine the number of entities each player should start with;

determine how the game will end;

distributing the predetermined number of cards to each player; placing the rest of the cards in a common pile;

the plurality of players taking turns manipulating the value tokens on the entity cards in play, each turn allowing a player to perform actions manipulating tokens in play or bringing new tokens into play; and

determining a winner at game's end, wherein the winner is the player with the most number of value tokens on the entities in front of that player.

2. The method in claim 1, where additional attributes on the card is used to divide economic entities into identifiable groups.

3. The method in claim 1, where entities can be either public or private, its status as public or private indicated with a marker or its placement.

4. The method in claim 1, where ownership tokens are used by to indicate each player's stock ownership in the economic entity the card represents.

5. The method in claim 4, where asset tokens are used to represent wealth available to each player.

6. The method in claim 5, where players are allowed to buy and sell ownership tokens in order to acquire asset tokens.

7. The method in claim 5, where action cards are used by players to further manipulate the value tokens on the entities in play, further comprising the steps of:

shuffling all action cards in a pile;

distribute a predetermined number of action cards to each player;

placing the remaining action cards in a common pile, face down; and

allowing the players to use and acquire the action cards during play, each card requiring a plurality of asset tokens to play.

8. The method in claim 7, where some of the action cards may result in players acquiring a plurality of political tokens, and some of the action cards costing political tokens to play.

9. The method in claim 8, where event cards are further added to the pile of action cards, each event card, when drawn from the pile, providing an unexpected adjustment either to value tokens on entities, or asset tokens belonging to players, or political tokens belonging to players.

10. The method in claim 8, where players may hold political office, each office acquired through the playing of the requisite action card, the holding of office resulting in the gain of political tokens.

11. The method in claim 8, where players are allowed to trade with each other.

12. The method in claim 8, where entities have powers allowing players to perform actions without playing a card, each power requiring its own predetermined number of tokens to invoke.

13. The method in claim 9, where one of the event cards is an “End Game” event, providing a surprise timing to the ending of the game, and allowing players to adjust the length of the game.

14. The method in claim 9, where offices are ended through a matching event.