Last Will

2011

In Last Will, it's a race to waste a fortune! Compete to spend your uncle's millions, buy luxury properties, host lavish events, and become the rightful heir!

75
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Last Will is an intriguing and immersive board game that transports players into a unique, whimsical setting. In this game, you find yourself in an old Victorian era full of rich, eccentric uncles who have left you with their massive inheritance. But here’s the catch: to inherit your uncle’s fortunes, you must demonstrate your ability to spend money faster than your relatives. The one who manages to squander the inheritance the quickest wins!

The uniqueness of Last Will lies in its refreshing twist on traditional board game objectives. Instead of accumulating wealth, players must strategize to lose it all, which makes for a fascinating and entertaining game experience.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Last Will is a popular board game that combines strategy and luck. The game comes with several components, each having a unique role in the gameplay:

1. Game Board: This is the central part of the game where players interact. The game board is divided into various sections each representing a different location where players can spend their wealth.

2. Player Boards: Each player gets a personal board. This is where players plan their actions and keep track of their cards and resources.

3. Player Markers: These are colored markers that represent each player on the game board. They are used to denote a player’s position and movements on the board.

4. Deck of Cards: The game includes a deck of cards consisting of various types of cards such as property cards, event cards, and companion cards. Each type of card allows players to spend their wealth in different ways.

Property Cards: These cards represent properties that players can buy to spend their wealth. The aim is to buy properties and run them down to reduce their overall wealth.
Event Cards: These cards represent various events like parties or dinners that players can organize to spend money. They are a key way of spending wealth quickly.
Companion Cards: These cards represent people that players can invite to their events to increase the cost and hence spend more wealth.

5. Action Tiles: These tiles are used to determine the number of actions a player can take in their turn. The number on the tile denotes the number of actions.

6. Last Will Tokens: These tokens represent the player’s remaining wealth. The aim of the game is to get rid of all your Last Will tokens (wealth) as quickly as possible.

7. Error Tokens: These tokens are used to penalize players for mistakes or illegal moves. Each error token reduces the player’s wealth, which can be a strategic move in the game.

In Last Will, players use their player markers to move around the game board, buying properties, organizing events, and inviting companions to spend their wealth. The deck of cards provides various options for spending wealth, and the action tiles determine how many actions a player can take in a turn. The player who manages to spend all their Last Will tokens first wins the game.

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

‘Last Will’ is a strategy board game in which players take on the role of relatives of a wealthy benefactor. The goal is to spend all your money and declare bankruptcy as quickly as possible to inherit the benefactor’s wealth. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player chooses a gentleman and takes the corresponding player board. The player board will help you keep track of your actions and expenses throughout the game.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the main game board in the center of the table. It’s divided into several parts: the market, where you can hire helpers and plan events; the planning board, where you’ll decide on your activities for the day; and the property market, where you can buy and sell properties.

Step 3: Preparing the Deck

Shuffle the property cards and place them on the property market. Then, shuffle the helper and event cards together and place them on the market.

Step 4: Initial Resources

Each player starts with a set amount of money, determined by the number of players (for example, in a 2-player game, each player starts with 120 pounds). The rest of the money forms the bank. Each player also receives two helpers and two event cards from the deck.

Step 5: Random Elements

The random elements of the game are introduced through the helper and event cards. When drawn, these cards can change your strategy or introduce new opportunities. Each round, new cards are drawn and placed on the market, making each game unique.

Step 6: Setup Completion

Your setup is now complete! You are ready to start planning your actions, buying properties, hiring helpers, and throwing events to spend all your money and win the game!

Game flow Round and round we go

Last Will is a strategic board game where players are trying to spend all their money as quickly as possible. The overall structure of the game is divided into rounds, each of which consists of several phases. The game ends when at least one player goes bankrupt, and the player with the least amount of money wins.

Setup Phase: First, each player begins with a set amount of money. The game board is set up with property cards, companion cards, and event cards placed in their respective slots. Players are given their player boards and markers.

Planning Phase: During the planning phase, players decide on their plan for the round. This is done by placing their errand boy on the order of play track on the game board. The order of play track determines the number of actions a player can take, the number of cards they may draw, and the number of helpers they may employ.

Actions are used to play cards from a player’s hand.
Card Draw allows a player to draw cards from the deck.
Helpers are additional characters a player may hire to assist them in spending their money.

Action Phase: During the action phase, players take turns performing their actions. Actions can include purchasing properties, attending events, taking trips, dining at expensive restaurants, or hiring helpers. Most actions cost money, which helps players achieve their goal of going bankrupt.

Reset Phase: In the reset phase, the game board is reset for the next round. All used cards are discarded, and new cards are drawn to replace them. The errand boys on the order of play track are returned to their owners.

End of Game: The game ends when at least one player has spent all their money and declares bankruptcy. At this point, all players count the money they have left, including the value of any properties they own. The player with the least amount of money is the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game Last Will, each player’s turn consists of several strategic actions. The order and decisions made during these actions can greatly impact the overall gameplay. Below is a detailed list of these actions:

Planning Phase: At the beginning of the turn, each player will select a planning marker. This will determine the number of actions they can take during the turn, the number of cards they will draw, and their turn order. The fewer actions chosen, the earlier the player will go in the turn order, and the more cards they will draw.
Card Drawing: After all players have selected their planning markers, they will draw cards based on the number indicated on their marker. These cards can be from either the property or the event deck, and they can greatly affect a player’s strategy.
Turn Order Determination: Players’ turn order is determined by their chosen planning marker. Those with fewer actions go earlier. This can impact the availability of board actions and card choices.
Action Phase: During their turn, players can take a number of actions as indicated by their planning marker. These actions can include playing cards from their hand, using the abilities of cards already in play, or using the actions available on the game board. Strategic use of these actions is key to depleting one’s funds as quickly as possible.
- Playing Cards: Players may play property or event cards from their hand. Property cards are a good way to lose money, as they often require upkeep or can be sold for less than their purchase price. Event cards can trigger a variety of effects, including directly losing money or modifying the impact of other cards.
- Using Card Abilities: Many cards have abilities that can be used during a player’s action phase. These abilities can further aid in the goal of losing money quickly. However, players must be mindful of the cost (in actions) to use these abilities.
- Using Board Actions: The game board provides a number of actions that can be used to lose money, such as dining at an expensive restaurant or taking a carriage ride. These actions are limited, and players must compete for their use.
End of Turn: At the end of a player’s turn, they must feed any animals they own, maintain any properties they have, and discard down to their hand limit (usually two cards).

By strategically choosing planning markers, drawing and playing cards, and using actions, players in Last Will aim to lose their fortune as quickly as possible. The player who achieves this first is the winner.

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

In the board game ‘Last Will’, the game ends when either a player has managed to spend all of their fortune and is left with no properties, or when there are not enough event cards to fill the board at the beginning of a round. Once the game ends, there’s a final scoring to determine the winner.

Victory Conditions:

To win the game, a player must be the first to spend all of their money and have no properties remaining. In the case where no player has managed to spend all their money by the end of the game, the player with the least money and properties is declared the winner.

Final Scoring:

Properties: At the end of the game, the remaining value of any properties still owned by the players is added back to their fortunes. Properties that are not fully depreciated are considered at their current value.
Money: Players count the money they have left. This includes both the money in their cash box and any unused money on their player boards.
Companions and Helpers: Any companions or helpers that a player still has on their board at the end of the game count as extra money. This is added to the player’s remaining money.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before the final scoring, players must take a few actions:

Final Expenses: Players can spend money on their final turn. They can also use action cards, helpers, or companions to further decrease their fortunes.
Selling Properties: Players have the option to sell any remaining properties on their final turn. The selling price is equal to the current value of the property.
Depreciating Properties: If a player has any property cards left, they can depreciate these properties one last time before final scoring.

Once these actions have been completed, the final scoring can take place to determine the winner of the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In Last Will, the objective is not to gain points, but instead to lose them. More specifically, your goal is to spend all of your money as quickly as possible. The player who manages to go bankrupt first, or the player with the least amount of money when the game ends, is declared the winner.

Scoring in Last Will

In the game of Last Will, the scoring system is based on your remaining wealth at the end of the game. Each player starts with a certain amount of money based on the number of players:

2 players: £70
3 players: £60
4 players: £50
5 players: £40

This money includes cash on hand, property value and any costs required to maintain the properties. The player who manages to spend all of these resources first and declare bankruptcy is the winner.

If no player goes bankrupt, the game ends after a predetermined number of rounds. At this point, the player with the least amount of money left wins the game.

Tie-breaking Rules in Last Will

If two or more players tie for the least money at the end of the game, there are specific tie-breaking rules to determine the winner:

The player with the fewest properties wins.
If there’s still a tie, the player with the fewest helpers (cards that provide special abilities) wins.
If a tie still persists, the player who is earlier in the player order (starting from the first player) wins.

Remember, the goal of Last Will is to spend as freely and as foolishly as possible – a refreshing twist on traditional game economics!

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Last Will is a board game where the objective is to spend all your money the fastest. The game requires strategic planning, decision making, and a bit of luck. However, there are some special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of:

1. Card Limits:

Property Cards: There is no limit to the number of property cards a player can have. However, players cannot sell a property on the same turn they bought it. They must wait until their next turn.
Event Cards: Players can only play one event card per round, unless they have a special card or companion that allows them to play more.

2. Board Spaces:

Planning Spaces: If a player places a worker on a planning space, they must immediately draw the number of cards indicated, but they do not have to play them right away.
Market Spaces: A player can only place a worker on a market space if they intend to buy or sell a property. They cannot use this space just to block other players.

3. Companion Cards:

Companion cards are only used if a player is planning an activity that requires them. They cannot be used for any other purpose.
If a player does not have the necessary companion, they cannot plan the activity.

4. Turn Order:

Turn order is determined by the number of errand boys a player has. The player with the most errand boys goes first. If there is a tie, the player closest to the start player in clockwise order goes first.

5. Game End:

The game ends immediately when a player declares bankruptcy (runs out of money) at the start of a round. All other players get one final turn before the game ends.
If no player has declared bankruptcy by the end of the seventh round, the game ends and the player with the least amount of money wins.

Understanding these special rules and exceptions can greatly enhance your playing experience and strategic planning in the game of Last Will.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Last Will is a tactical board game where the goal is to spend all your money as fast as possible. The following content will cover advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

In ‘Last Will’, it is crucial to plan your turn ahead. Try to predict what the other players might do and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Try to have a balance of properties and events. Properties can devalue over time, while events can have a high cost but are a one-time expense.
Look for card combinations that can result in massive expenses. For example, combining the ‘Old Friend’ card with expensive events can drain your funds quickly.

Beginner Tips:

Pay attention to the number of actions you have left. It can be easy to lose track and miss opportunities to spend money.
Try to use all your white-bordered cards as quickly as possible. They are not worth anything at the end of the game.
Don’t forget to adjust your property values at the end of each round. Properties devalue over time and can help you lose money faster.

Common Mistakes:

A common mistake in ‘Last Will’ is not planning ahead. You should always be thinking about your next move and how you can spend as much money as possible.
Another mistake is holding onto cards for too long. If a card isn’t helping you lose money, it’s probably time to get rid of it.
Not using all your actions is another common mistake. Every action is an opportunity to spend money, so make sure you use them all.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Optimizing gameplay in ‘Last Will’ involves maximizing your spending each round. Try to spend as much money as possible, as quickly as possible.
Keep an eye on the other players’ boards. If you see someone is about to run out of money, you might need to change your strategy to spend faster.
Always keep your end goal in mind. Remember, the goal of the game is to lose all your money. If a move doesn’t help you towards that goal, it’s probably not the best move.