The Big Cheese

About this board game

The Big Cheese is an auction game for 3–6 players that plays in about 30 minutes. Players bid from their pools of worker rats to gain control of corporate projects.

Each auction puts worker rats at the heart of the decision-making. The player with the winning bid assigns those workers to the chosen project, then watches the project develop as workers are removed over time.

At the start of each turn, one worker is removed from every project. A project is complete once all of its workers have been removed. Numbered projects keep their value uncertain until completion, when a die roll determines how much they are worth.

• Numbered projects: Their value is determined by a die roll only when they are completed.
• Veto: A special project that allows an action during the game.
• The Big Cheese: Another special project with its own in-game action.

The Big Cheese includes two scoring schemes. One is used with a single six-sided die, while the other is used with a set of seven polyhedral dice, giving the game two different approaches to scoring.

With its compact format and focus on bidding, project timing, and uncertain rewards, The Big Cheese delivers a concentrated auction experience. It is part of the Hip Pocket Games series and was listed in GAMES Magazine’s GAMES 100 in 1999.