Furnace

2020

Immerse yourself in 'Furnace', a dynamic Eurogame where you build your industrial empire, outbid rivals, manage resources, and strive to amass the most wealth!

60
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

Furnace is a captivating and immersive board game set in the era of the early industrial revolution. This unique game transports players back in time, placing them in the roles of 19th-century capitalists building their industrial corporations.

The theme of ‘Furnace’ is deeply rooted in the industrial age, with elements of capitalism and industry interwoven throughout the game. The game board is adorned with beautifully illustrated factories, warehouses, and other industrial landscapes, truly immersing players in the setting.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Furnace is an engaging and strategic board game that involves industrial-themed competition among 2 to 4 players. Here are the components of Furnace and how they interact within the game:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the central area where players will bid for company cards and take actions. It is divided into several sections to accommodate the company cards, discs, and player markers. It is also where players can view the available actions and the current game round.

2. Company Cards:

These cards represent different companies that players can bid on. Each company card offers unique abilities or resources that can be used to generate points. They are divided into 4 decks, each representing a different game round.

3. Discs:

Each player gets 4 discs, numbered 1 to 4, which are used for bidding on company cards. The number on the disc represents the strength of the bid. If a player’s bid is outbid, they are compensated with the benefits printed on the company card times the value of the disc they used.

4. Player Boards:

Each player has a player board where they place their acquired company cards and manage their resources. It serves as the personal area for each player to strategize and plan their actions.

5. Resource Tokens:

These are the tokens representing the various resources in the game: coal, oil, iron, and money. Players collect these resources by winning company cards or as compensation for losing bids. These resources are used to activate company cards and generate points.

6. Conversion Tokens:

These tokens are used to mark the conversion actions on the player boards. When a player decides to convert resources using their company cards, they place a conversion token on the corresponding spot to track this.

7. Player Markers:

These are tokens that each player uses to keep track of their score on the game board. They are moved around as players gain points throughout the game.

8. Starting Player Marker:

This marker indicates which player begins the bidding phase each round. The starting player changes each round, moving clockwise around the table.

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

Furnace is an engaging and thrilling board game that requires strategic planning and wise decision-making. This guide will lead you through the steps of setting up the game.

Firstly, let’s address the Player Roles:

Each player assumes the role of 19th-century capitalists building their industrial corporations.
Players will bid for companies, extract resources, produce goods, and sell them to gain the most profit.

Now let’s move onto the Board Placement:

Place the main game board in the center of the play area. This board will hold the four decks of cards and the round marker.
Each player should take a player board and place it in front of them. The player board represents their personal industrial empire.

Next, the Initial Resources:

Each player should take a disc of their chosen color. This will represent their company.
Each player also receives three bidding tokens numbered 1, 3, and 4, along with a starting capital of $30.
The resource cubes (coal, oil, iron, and gold) are placed near the game board within reach of all players.

Lastly, about the Random Elements:

Shuffle the company cards and deal four to each space on the game board. There should be four piles of four cards each.
Randomly determine the first player. This player will take the first turn in the bidding phase.

Once all these steps are completed, you are ready to start playing Furnace!

Game flow Round and round we go

Furnace is a strategic board game that takes place over 4 rounds, each round is divided into 3 main phases: the Auction Phase, the Processing Phase, and the Clean-up Phase. Players are industrial magnates in the 19th century, aiming to develop their enterprise and generate the most profit.

Auction Phase:

During the Auction Phase, players bid on different cards by placing their numbered discs on them. These cards represent factories, upgrades, or resources that can be added to a player’s industrial empire.
Each player has 4 discs for bidding, numbered from 1 to 4. The number on the disc represents both the player’s bid for the card and the amount of compensation they will receive if they do not win the auction.
Each card can hold only one disc from each player, but it can hold discs from different players. The player with the highest bid at the end of the Auction Phase wins the card.
If a player does not win a card, they receive compensation based on the number on their disc. This compensation could be in the form of coal, metal, or oil.

Processing Phase:

The Processing Phase is when players use their factories to convert resources into profit. Players can process their resources in any order they choose, but each factory can only be used once per round.
Some factories have an upgrade slot which can be used to enhance the factory’s production. Upgraded factories can produce more resources or convert them into higher profits.
It’s important to note that any unprocessed resources at the end of the round do not carry over to the next round. Therefore, strategic resource management is key in this phase.

Clean-up Phase:

During the Clean-up Phase, all used factories are refreshed for the next round. Unused resources are discarded, and bidding discs are returned to the players.
The cards used for the auction in this round are also discarded and replaced with new ones for the next round.
Once the Clean-up Phase is completed, a new round begins with the Auction Phase. The game ends after the fourth round’s Clean-up Phase.

At the end of the game, the player with the most profit wins. This requires strategic bidding, clever resource management, and timely factory upgrades throughout the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Furnace is an engaging board game of industrial capitalism, where each player’s turn is crucial to their strategy. A typical turn in Furnace involves various actions and strategic choices.

Bidding Phase

The first part of a player’s turn is the Bidding Phase. During this phase, players can:

Place a Disk on a Company Card: Each player has four disks to bid with. These disks are numbered 1-4 and the number is the player’s bid. The players place their disks on the company cards they wish to acquire.
Strategic Choices: Players must consider the value of the company cards and bid strategically. They must account for their opponents’ bids and try to outbid them without overpaying.

Bidding Restrictions

There are certain restrictions during the Bidding Phase:

Each company card can only have one disk from each player.
Players cannot place a disk on a card if the same numbered disk from another player is already there.

Resolution Phase

After all players have placed their disks, the Resolution Phase begins. During this phase:

The player with the highest bid on a company card wins that card.
Players who did not win the card receive compensation based on the value of their disk. This can be in the form of resources or actions, depending on the company card.
If there is a tie for the highest bid, no one wins the card and it is removed from the game for that round.

Operational Phase

The final phase is the Operational Phase. Here, players can:

Activate Company Cards: Players can use the companies they won to produce resources, convert resources, or gain bonus actions. The order in which the companies are activated can significantly affect the player’s strategy.
Strategic Choices: Players must consider their resources and the demands of their companies. They must plan their activations to maximize their gains.

Overall, a player’s turn in Furnace involves strategic bidding, smart use of resources, and clever activation of company cards. Each decision can greatly affect the outcome of the game.

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

Furnace is an engaging engine-building and resource management board game. The game is played over four rounds, after which the game ends and players proceed to the final scoring.

End of the Game:
After the fourth round of bidding, processing, and optional conversion is complete, the game of Furnace comes to an end. Players then proceed to calculate their scores.

Scoring:
In Furnace, players earn points through the successful management and conversion of resources. Points are not tracked throughout the game, but are calculated at the end during final scoring. Here are the key areas where players earn points:

Capital: Each player receives 1 point for every 10 capital they have at the end of the game.
Resources: Players receive points for their remaining resources (coal, iron, oil). The exact points depend on the conversion rates of their enterprises.
Enterprise Cards: Points are scored based on the specific conditions listed on each player’s activated Enterprise Cards.

Before final scoring, players have the opportunity to convert their resources into capital using the conversion rates on their activated enterprise cards. This is an optional action, but it can significantly impact the final scores as capital can directly contribute to points.

Victory Conditions:
The player with the highest number of points at the end of the game is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining capital wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most total resources (coal, iron, oil) wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Furnace’, players accumulate points through a variety of actions. The game is designed to reward strategic decision-making and careful resource management, and as such, the scoring system reflects these principles.

Scoring During the Game:

Company Cards: Players may earn points by acquiring and activating company cards. These cards can generate points directly, or by converting resources into points.
Resource Conversion: Many company cards allow players to convert resources such as coal, oil, and iron into points. The rate of conversion varies depending on the card.

Scoring at the End of the Game:

Unused Resources: At the end of the game, players can convert any unused resources into points, typically at a rate of 1 point for every 2 resources.
Company Cards: Some company cards have end-game scoring conditions that can provide additional points.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the game provides a series of tie-breaking rules to determine the winner:

The player with the most remaining resources wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most company cards wins.
If a tie persists, the player who went earlier in the turn order wins.

This scoring system, combined with the game’s auction and resource management mechanics, provides a deep and challenging gameplay experience that rewards strategic thinking and careful planning.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Furnace is a unique engine-building board game that involves bidding and resource management. While the game rules are quite straightforward, there are a few special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that can significantly impact gameplay.

1. Bidding Tokens:

No two bidding tokens of the same value can be placed on the same card. If a player has already placed a token of a certain value on a card, no other player can place a token of the same value on that card.
Players cannot increase their bid on a card after their token has been placed. Once a player has placed a token on a card, they cannot later add more to that bid or move the token to another card. Each bid is final.

2. Distribution of Cards:

No compensation for lost bids: If a player loses a bid for a card, they do not receive any compensation. The losing token is simply returned to the player.
Only the highest bidder gets the card: Even if multiple players have bidding tokens on a card, only the highest bidder will receive the card. Other players receive compensation depending upon the value of their bidding tokens.

3. Processing Stages:

Processing actions must be done in order: During the processing stage, players must process their actions in the order they appear on the card. They cannot choose to skip an action and come back to it later.
No partial processing: If a player cannot complete an action due to a lack of resources, they cannot partially process the action. They must be able to complete the entire action or skip it.

4. End of Game Scoring:

Unused resources do not count towards final scoring: At the end of the game, only the resources converted into points count towards a player’s final score. Any unused resources are not counted.
Ties are broken by the total value of bidding tokens: In the event of a tie, the player with the highest total value of their bidding tokens is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player who bid last in the final round is the winner.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

The board game ‘Furnace’ is an intense and strategic bidding game where players take on the roles of 19th-century capitalists building their industrial corporations and aspiring to make as much money as they can by purchasing companies, extracting resources, and processing goods. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies

Assess the Board: Always remember to assess the board and plan your strategies according to the companies available on the board. The value of the companies can vary greatly depending on the other companies present.
Balance your Investments: Don’t put all your disks in one sector. Diversify your investments across various sectors to maximize your profits.
Use Compensation Wisely: Don’t underestimate the power of compensation. It can provide you with valuable resources, especially in the early stages of the game.

Beginner Tips

Understand the Game Mechanics: Spend some time to understand the game mechanics, especially the bidding and compensation mechanisms. This will help you make informed decisions during the game.
Start Small: In the beginning, focus on acquiring smaller companies. They usually cost less and can provide you with a steady stream of resources.
Know When to Bid High: Don’t be afraid to bid high when you really want a company. However, make sure you have a strategy in place to make the most out of that company.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overbidding: Overbidding can leave you with less disks to bid on other companies. Always bid strategically and consider the potential return on investment.
Ignoring Compensation: Many beginners ignore the compensation they receive when they lose a bid. Remember, compensation can be a game-changer when used wisely.
Not Diversifying Investments: Investing all your disks in one sector can be risky. Diversify your investments to spread the risk.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Plan Ahead: Always try to plan your moves ahead of time. Consider what companies you want to acquire and how you can use them to maximize your profits.
Adapt to the Game: The game can change quickly, so be ready to adapt your strategies according to the current situation.
Learn from Mistakes: Each game is a learning experience. Learn from your mistakes and try to improve your strategies in future games.