Stockpile

2015

Experience the exciting world of stock trading with Stockpile! Use insider information, bid on stockpiles, manage risks and maximize profits to win.

45
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

‘Stockpile’ is an engaging and thrilling board game that plunges you into the exhilarating world of the stock market. As a player, you take on the role of a stock market investor attempting to amass wealth by buying stocks low, selling high, and leveraging insider information. The game is set against the backdrop of the bustling and volatile stock market, offering players an immersive and exciting gaming experience.

The core mechanics of ‘Stockpile’ revolve around stock auctioning, bidding, and market manipulation. In essence, the game is a strategic blend of risk and reward, where players must decide when to buy stocks, when to sell, and how much to bid on stockpiles. The game is further enriched by the element of ‘insider information’, which adds a layer of intrigue and suspense to the gameplay.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Stockpile is a fast-paced, economic board game that combines the traditional stock holding strategy with several additional elements. It is designed for 2-5 players. This guide will provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to set up the game.

Step 1: Setting Up the Game Board

Place the game board in the middle of the table where all players can reach it. The board contains the stock market on one side and the bidding spaces on the other.

Step 2: Preparing the Stock Cards

Shuffle all the company cards and place them face down on the corresponding spaces on the board. Each player will receive a random company card at the start of the game.

Step 3: Preparing the Stockpile Cards

Shuffle the stockpile cards and place them face down on the designated space on the board. Draw the top six cards and place them face up in the appropriate spaces on the board.

Step 4: Setting Up the Stock Market

Place the stock market indicator tokens on the starting spaces of the stock market tracks. The starting spaces are marked with a star.

Step 5: Distributing Starting Resources

Each player receives $20,000 in money cards and one random company card. The company card represents a stock that the player owns. Each player also receives a player aid card.

Step 6: Random Elements

The game includes several random elements to simulate the unpredictability of the stock market. The stockpile cards that are drawn each turn and the company cards that are received at the start of the game are examples of this randomness.

Step 7: Determining the Starting Player

The player who most recently checked the stock market becomes the starting player and takes the first player marker.

Step 8: Beginning the Game

Each player will take turns in clockwise order. The game starts with the first player and proceeds around the table. Each player’s turn consists of two phases: the Action Phase and the Buy Phase. The Action Phase allows players to manipulate the stock market, while the Buy Phase allows players to acquire new stocks.

Now you’re all set and ready to start playing Stockpile!

Game flow Round and round we go

Stockpile is an economic board game that revolves around the stock market. The game is played in a series of rounds, each broken down into different phases. Here is a detailed breakdown of the structure of a game of Stockpile.

Setup Phase:

Stock Cards: Each player is dealt a stock card which represents their initial investment. They also receive a corresponding stockpile card.
Starting Money: In addition to the initial stock, each player starts with $20,000 in currency cards.
Forecast Cards: Six Forecast cards are shuffled and placed facedown next to the game board.

Round Structure: Each round of the game is divided into six phases:

Information Phase: In this phase, each player privately views one Forecast card. This card will influence the market fluctuation in the upcoming Market Phase.
Supply Phase: Players receive Stockpile cards which contain stocks and other items. Players then decide how to distribute these cards into piles on the game board, creating the ‘stockpiles’ for this round.
Demand Phase: Players take turns bidding on the stockpiles created in the Supply Phase. The highest bidder pays their bid to the bank and claims the stockpile.
Actions Phase: Players can play Action cards from their stockpiles to influence the game. These actions can include things like manipulating stock prices or trading stocks.
Market Phase: The Forecast cards are revealed and the market fluctuates according to the cards. Stocks could rise, fall, or even go bankrupt based on the revealed cards.
End of Round Phase: This phase involves cleanup for the next round. Players discard down to their maximum hand size, used Forecast cards are discarded, and the first player marker is passed to the next player.

These rounds continue until all the Forecast cards have been used, marking the end of the game. At this point, players reveal their stocks, add up their total wealth (including cash on hand), and the player with the highest total is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In ‘Stockpile’, a financial board game, players act as stock market investors at the end of the 20th century hoping to strike it rich. Each player’s turn during the game consists of several phases. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

Information Phase

Each player receives a private piece of information about how one stock’s value will change at the end of the round.

Supply Phase

Players receive two Company Cards and two Trading Cards. Each player places one Company Card and one Trading Card face-down on their personal Stockpile. The remaining cards are placed on the Central Stockpile. This phase involves a lot of strategic choices, as players decide which cards to keep and which to give away, based on their private information.

Demand Phase

Players take turns bidding on the Central Stockpile. The player who bids the highest pays their bid to the bank and adds the Central Stockpile to their personal stockpile. This phase involves strategic bidding, as players try to acquire the most valuable stocks without paying too much.

Action Phase

Players have the option to sell any number of shares in any company they own. The shares are sold at the current market price. Players can also use any action cards they have acquired. This phase involves strategic timing, as players try to sell their shares at the peak price.

Market Phase

The market reacts to the trades. Stocks go up or down based on the Forecast Cards that were dealt at the start of the round. This phase is unpredictable and can dramatically change the outcome of the game.

End of Turn

The round ends and the player to the left of the start player becomes the new start player. This continues until the game ends, which happens when the Stock Market reaches the end of its track.

Understanding these phases and making strategic choices throughout can highly influence the success of a player in the ‘Stockpile’ game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Stockpile is an economic board game that revolves around the stock market. The game ends when all the Stockpile cards have been played, which signals that the game has reached its final round. It is at this point that players must take certain actions to prepare for final scoring.

The final round of Stockpile has several important steps that must be followed:

Trading Phase: During this phase, players can buy and sell stocks just like they would during a normal round. However, it’s crucial to strategize carefully, as this is the last opportunity to adjust the stocks in your portfolio.
Reveal Phase: All players must reveal their Forecast cards. This will determine the final market conditions for each stock.
Market Phase: The market adjusts according to the revealed Forecast cards. Stocks may rise or fall in value, or even go bankrupt, based on these final market conditions.
Bankruptcy: If any companies go bankrupt during the Market Phase, any players holding stock in those companies must immediately discard those stocks. They are worth zero dollars during final scoring.

Once these steps have been completed, players move on to the final scoring. This is where victory conditions come into play. The player with the most valuable portfolio at the end of the game is the winner. The value of a player’s portfolio is calculated as follows:

Stocks: The value of each stock in a player’s portfolio is equal to its final market price. A player adds up the total value of all their stocks to get their stock value.
Dividends: Players receive cash during the game in the form of dividends. The total amount of cash a player has at the end of the game is their dividend value.
Portfolio Value: A player’s portfolio value is the sum of their stock value and their dividend value. This is the player’s final score.

The player with the highest portfolio value is the winner of the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most cash (dividend value) is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Stockpile is an economic board game that revolves around the stock market. The game is played over several rounds, and the objective is to earn the most money by buying and selling stocks at the most opportune times. At the end of the game, the player with the highest total assets (money and stock value) is declared the winner. The scoring system is straightforward and is primarily based on the accumulation of assets.

Scoring Breakdown:

Stock Value: Each player’s stock value is calculated by multiplying the number of shares they own in each company by the company’s final stock price. The stock price is dependent on the actions taken during the game and can fluctuate from round to round.
Cash: All of the cash that a player has at the end of the game is added to their total score. This includes money earned from selling stocks as well as any remaining cash on hand.

Tie-breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the tie-breaking rules are applied in the following order:

Most Stocks: The player who owns the most total stocks (across all companies) wins the tie.
Most Cash: If the tie persists, the player with the most cash on hand wins.
Random Selection: If the tie still can’t be broken, the winner is determined by a random method such as flipping a coin or drawing straws.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Stockpile is an economic board game that involves strategy, prediction, and a bit of luck. While the basic rules are easy to understand, there are some special rules and exceptions that need to be kept in mind. Here are some important clarifications:

Insider Information Cards:

Only the player who possesses an insider information card knows which company’s stock is going to rise or fall at the end of that round.
Insider information cards must be kept secret from other players until the end of the round.

Trading and Auction Phase:

During the trading phase, players cannot trade the stocks with each other. They can only trade with the bank.
In the auction phase, if there is a tie bid, the player who is earliest in the turn order wins the bid.

End of Game:

The game ends after all the rounds are over, but if a player goes bankrupt (i.e., has no money and cannot sell enough stocks to get money), the game ends immediately.

Selling Stocks:

Players can sell their stocks only at the beginning of their turn during the action phase.
Players can sell multiple stocks at once, but all stocks of the same company must be sold at the same time.

Bankrupt Rule:

If a player goes bankrupt, they must sell all their stocks before declaring bankruptcy.
If they still cannot pay off their debts after selling all their stocks, they are out of the game.

Dividend Cards:

If a dividend card is drawn, only the players who own stock in that company receive dividends.
If a player owns more than one stock in that company, they receive dividends for each stock they own.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies

Market Manipulation: Skilled players can manipulate the market to their advantage. Pay close attention to the likely actions of your competitors, and adjust your own strategy accordingly. If you know a stock is going to crash, sell it off before it does. Conversely, if a stock is going to boom, buy as much as you can.
Information is Power: The key to success in Stockpile is information. The more you know about the market, the better your chances of winning. Use insider information to your advantage and try to predict what your opponents are going to do.
Portfolio Diversification: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s important to diversify your portfolio to mitigate risk. Spread your investments over several companies.

Beginner Tips

Learn the Market: Getting to know the market is crucial in Stockpile. At the beginning of the game, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the different companies and their starting prices.
Start Small: As a beginner, it’s best to start small and gradually increase your investments as you become more comfortable with the market. Don’t rush into big investments right away.
Keep an Eye on the Competition: Pay close attention to what other players are doing. If they are buying a lot of a certain stock, it might be a good idea to do the same.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Investing Blindly: Never invest in a stock without knowing its potential. Always use the information available to you to make informed decisions.
Rushing Investments: Patience is key in Stockpile. Don’t rush into investments without considering the potential consequences. Take your time to assess the market and make wise decisions.
Ignoring the Competition: Ignoring what other players are doing is a common mistake. Always keep an eye on your competitors and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Use Insider Information Wisely: Use insider information to your advantage, but be careful not to reveal too much about your own hand.
Manage Your Money: Keep a close eye on your cash reserves. It’s important to have enough money to participate in auctions and to be able to pay for unexpected expenses.
Plan Ahead: Try to plan your moves ahead of time. This will allow you to react more quickly to changes in the market and to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.