QE

2019

Q.E. is an exciting bidding board game where players play as central banks during a financial crisis. They must balance economic strategies to win, while avoiding the risk of printing too much money.

45
minutes

3 - 5
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

QE, standing for Quantitative Easing, is an innovative and engaging board game that takes you into the world of high-stakes economics. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, you and your fellow players take on the role of national central banks, using your financial prowess to bail out companies and stimulate the economy.

The game’s theme and setting are intricately woven into the gameplay. In the midst of a global recession, you’re tasked with the responsibility of keeping your nation’s economy afloat. The consequences of your decisions ripple throughout the game, creating a fascinating balance between risk and reward.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

QE (Quantitative Easing), a bidding and auction game by Gavin Birnbaum, has a variety of components that contribute to the gameplay. Here’s a breakdown of the components and their functions:

1. Game Board: The game board represents the world economy. It’s divided into several sections, each representing a different country (USA, EU, China, Japan, and UK).

Function: Players place their bought tiles on their respective country section on the board. It helps track of each player’s investments throughout the game.

2. Company Tiles: These are 36 tiles, each representing a different company.

Function: Players bid on these tiles during the game. The tiles have different industries and countries, affecting the scoring at the end of the game.

3. Bid Tiles: These are small, whiteboard-like tiles where players write their bids. Each player has their own color.

Function: Players use these to secretly write their bids during the auction phase. The player with the highest bid wins the company tile but also increases their spending.

4. Dry Erase Markers: The game includes a set of dry erase markers, one for each player.

Function: Players use these markers to write their bids on their respective bid tiles.

5. National Scoring Markers: These markers match the players’ colors.

Function: These markers are used to track the scoring on the game board. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins unless they’ve spent the most money.

6. Industry Bonus Tokens: These tokens represent the different industries present in the company tiles.

Function: At the end of the game, players receive extra points for each industry they dominate. The player with the most tiles of a specific industry gets the corresponding Industry Bonus Token.

7. Central Bank Screen: These are screens in each player’s color.

Function: Players use these to hide their bid tiles and spending from the other players. Only the player who’s spent the most money reveals their total at the end of the game.

Each component of QE is interconnected, creating a game of strategy, bidding, and economic balancing. Players must carefully manage their spending while bidding competitively to win valuable company tiles and dominate industries.

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

QE or Quantitative Easing is a unique auction-based board game that revolves around the concept of economic policies and strategies. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Setting Up the Board

Firstly, place the game board in the center of the table so that it is easily accessible to all players. The board is used to track the scores and bidding outcomes.

Step 2: Player Roles

Each player represents a national bank. The game does not have specific roles for each player beyond this. The aim of every player is to make strategic decisions to help their nation’s economy.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player receives a whiteboard marker and a whiteboard paddle. This is used to secretly write down their bids during the auction phase. There is no limit to the amount a player can bid.

Step 4: Industry Tiles

Shuffle the industry tiles and place them in a pile face down. These tiles represent companies that players can buy during the game. These companies are from different industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.

Step 5: Random Elements

Industry Tiles: These are drawn randomly from the pile during each round. This adds an element of unpredictability to the game.
Auction: The outcome of the auction is unpredictable as it depends on the strategies of the players and their bidding amounts.

Step 6: Starting the Game

Choose a player to go first. This player will turn over the top industry tile from the pile and start the first auction. From there, the game proceeds clockwise.

Remember, the key to winning QE is not just outbidding your opponents to acquire companies, but also managing your bids wisely to avoid inflating your currency.

Game flow Round and round we go

QE, or Quantitative Easing, is a unique auction-style board game where players represent nations during the financial crisis of 2008. The game is structured in a series of rounds, each consisting of several phases. Here’s how the game unfolds:

1. Preparation Phase:

Each player receives a dry erase marker and a small bidding board.
The game tiles are shuffled, and one tile is drawn and placed in the center of the table.

2. Bidding Phase:

Starting with the player who has the ‘Banker’ tile, each player writes a bid on their board. The bid represents the amount of ‘money’ the player is willing to spend to win the tile. The catch is that there is no limit to the amount a player can bid.
Once every player has written down their bid, they reveal them simultaneously. The player who bid the highest amount wins the tile and places it in front of them. All bids are then erased.

3. Banker Phase:

The player who won the bidding phase becomes the new Banker. They are responsible for drawing the next tile from the deck and placing it in the center of the table.

4. Repeating Rounds:

Steps 2 and 3 are repeated until all tiles in the deck are claimed. This means the game lasts for as many rounds as there are tiles in the deck.

5. Scoring Phase:

At the end of the game, each player adds up the victory points on their won tiles. However, the player who spent the most money during the game is eliminated, representing the economic consequences of reckless spending.
The remaining player with the highest total of victory points is declared the winner.

In QE, players must strategically balance their spending, trying to outbid their opponents without overspending and risking elimination during the scoring phase. This presents an engaging challenge of risk-versus-reward.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In QE (Quantitative Easing), a player’s turn can involve multiple actions and strategic choices that impact the outcome of the game. The game is centred around the theme of economic strategy, with players representing different nations during a financial crisis.

Bidding

The core action of each player’s turn in QE is the bidding phase. The active player designs an industry tile and then all players, including the active player, secretly write down their bids. The goal is to win the tile by bidding the highest amount.

Strategic Consideration: Players must balance their desire for a tile against the risk of overspending. The player who spends the most by the end of the game will be automatically disqualified, regardless of how many tiles they’ve won.

Winning the Bid

The player who bid the highest amount wins the tile and reveals their bid to all players. This bid sets a new minimum for future bids. However, the amount of money bid is not tracked, adding an additional layer of strategy.

Strategic Consideration: Players must remember the highest bid revealed and consider this when planning their own bidding strategy. It’s important to keep track of the approximate total bid by each player to avoid disqualification.

Receiving Industry Tiles

Upon winning a bid, players receive the industry tile and place it in their tableau. Tiles grant players special abilities or bonus points at the end of the game. The type of tile won can influence a player’s strategy.

Strategic Consideration: Players should consider the benefits offered by each tile and how they align with their overall strategy. For example, some tiles may offer immediate benefits, while others may provide end-game bonuses.

Passing the Lead

Once the winning bid is revealed and the tile is claimed, the lead passes to the next player clockwise, who then designs a new industry tile for bidding.

Strategic Consideration: The player in the lead can control the pace of the game and influence the types of industries available for bidding. This can be used strategically to steer the game towards their strengths.

Ending the Game

The game ends after a certain number of rounds (based on the player count) are completed. Players then tally their scores, but the player who spent the most money is disqualified. The remaining player with the highest score wins.

Strategic Consideration: Players need to strategically manage their spending throughout the game to avoid disqualification, while also striving to earn points. This brings a crucial balance between risk and reward in the gameplay.

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

The game of ‘QE’ or ‘Quantitative Easing’ ends after a predetermined number of rounds, typically equal to the number of players. Each round represents a year, and at the end of this period, the economy crashes and the game concludes. The victory conditions in QE are unique as the player who has spent the most money during the game is automatically disqualified.

Victory Conditions:

The victory in QE is determined based on the total points that a player has at the end of the game. The points are calculated using the following criteria:

Industries: At the end of the game, players receive points for the industries they’ve purchased throughout the game. These points vary depending on the industry type.
Complete Sets: Players can gain additional points for having complete sets of industries. A complete set is one of each of the four different industries.
National Tiles: Players can also gain points from national tiles. These tiles give points to the players who have spent the most and the second most on industries from that nation.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Before the final scoring, players must follow these steps:

Reveal their total spending: Each player must reveal how much money they have spent throughout the game. The player who has spent the most is immediately out of the game.
Calculate Industry points: Players add up the points from the industries they’ve purchased.
Calculate Complete Set points: Points are added for each complete set of industries a player has.
Calculate National Tile points: The points from national tiles are added to the total score based on the spending on industries from that nation.

The player with the highest total points, who has not spent the most money, is declared the winner of the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘QE’, scoring is an important aspect. This game is unique because there’s no limit to the amount of money you can bid. However, the player who spends the most money during the game will be eliminated at the end. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

1. Scoring Company Cards:

At the end of the game, each player adds up the value of the Company Cards they won during the auctions. The value of each card is indicated in the top left corner of the card. This will be your base score.

2. Scoring Industry Bonus:

Players also score bonus points based on the industries they control. Each Company Card has one or two industries indicated by the icons on the card. The player with the most icons of a single industry gets a bonus equal to the highest visible number in that industry’s column on the scoreboard.

3. Scoring National Bonus:

There is a national bonus for players who win the most companies in their home nation. The national bonus is equal to the highest visible number in the nation’s column on the scoreboard.

4. Elimination of the Highest Spender:

After the points have been calculated, each player reveals the total amount of money they spent during the game. The player who spent the most money is eliminated from the game, regardless of how many points they scored.

Tie-Breakers:

In case of a tie, the game has specific tie-breaking rules. If two or more players tie for the most industries or companies within their home nation, the tied player who spent less money wins the bonus. In case of a tie in the final score, the player who spent less money wins the game.

Remember, in ‘QE’, money is unlimited but spend wisely because the biggest spender will be out of the game. It’s a game where you have to balance between spending to gain control and saving to avoid elimination.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

In the board game QE (Quantitative Easing), there are a few special rules and exceptions that players need to be aware of. It’s a bidding game where the players are national central banks trying to stimulate their economies after the 2008 economic crisis. The twist in the game is that players can bid any amount they want. However, the player who spends the most by the end of the game will be eliminated.

1. Unlimited Bidding:

The key rule in QE that sets it apart from other auction games is that you can bid any amount you want. There’s no limit to how much you can spend, which means you have the power to shape the economy of the game.

2. The Zero Bid:

Another special rule in QE is the zero bid. A player can bid zero on a company, but if any other player bids on that company, the zero bid is immediately out of the running. This allows players to potentially acquire companies without spending anything, but it carries a risk.

3. No Ties:

If there is a tie in the bidding, the tied bids are nullified and those players can bid again. This rule ensures there will always be a clear winner for each company.

4. Rule of Elimination:

The player who spends the most in total at the end of the game is immediately eliminated. Even though you can bid as much as you want, you have to be careful not to spend too much or you’re out of the game. This rule adds a layer of strategy and risk to the game.

5. Scoring:

At the end of the game, the player with the highest total assets (not including cash) is the winner. This includes the value of the companies they’ve won, along with any bonuses from industry majorities and national tiles.

6. Rule Clarifications:

Bidding Amounts: The amounts you bid are kept secret from the other players, which adds a level of intrigue and strategy to the game.
Revealing Bids: Bids are only revealed after all players have bid. The highest bid wins, but remember that the player who has spent the most overall by the end of the game will be eliminated.
Industry Majorities: Bonuses are awarded to players who have the majority in each of the five industries. In the case of a tie, all tied players receive the bonus.

Remember, QE is a game of economic strategy. While you have the power to bid as much as you want, you must also manage your spending wisely to avoid elimination.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

The key to winning in ‘QE’ is to balance your spending wisely. Here are some strategies to consider:

Bid high early: Early in the game, it’s common for players to be conservative with their bids. Take advantage of this by bidding high to secure valuable companies.
Track competitors’ spending: Try to keep a mental note of how much your competitors are spending. This will help you estimate their total expenditure and adjust your bids accordingly.
Adopt a flexible strategy: Be ready to change your game strategy based on the companies available for auction and the spending habits of your opponents.

Beginner Tips:

If you are new to ‘QE’, here are some tips to get you started:

Start small: During the first few rounds, keep your bids relatively low to get a feel for the game’s economy.
Avoid outbidding yourself: Remember, you can’t see other players’ bids. Try not to increase your own bid unless you’re sure it’s necessary.
Use the ‘free bid’ wisely: You can bid £0 once per game. Use this option strategically to save money for future auctions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Avoid these common mistakes to improve your chances of winning:

Spending too much, too early: High bids in the early rounds can leave you short of cash in the later stages of the game.
Underestimating the competition: Don’t assume that other players are bidding low. They may be spending more than you think.
Forgetting the end goal: Winning the most companies doesn’t guarantee victory. Remember, the player who spends the most money overall loses the game.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Here are some ways to optimize your gameplay for a more enjoyable experience:

Use a bid tracker: Keep track of your bids and total expenditure. This can help you manage your money more effectively.
Practice bluffing: ‘QE’ is a game of deception. Learn to bluff effectively to throw off your opponents and secure valuable companies at a lower cost.
Understand the value of each company: Not all companies are equal. Some are more valuable than others. Understand the value of each company to make informed bidding decisions.

QE