Corporate Times

Corporate Times is a financially themed strategic game. The game mechanics are a combination of worker placement and resource management, with a high level of player agency and involvement. The game gives a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the business world that affects us all by revealing the powers that drive the markets and the whole economy. A dominant element of the business world is buying and selling stocks and assets, but the politic forces, the media and the banks will make this world much more challenging to navigate.

Corporate Times provides a deep yet easy-to-understand, entertaining insight of the modern business world and the powers which control it: politics, the media, and the banks. The media controls the news and decides on the agenda, including what to promote and what to hide from the public. Politics can strengthen the influence of your corporation on the economy. The Banks oversee the monetary flow and transactions and controlling them allows better funding options. Each player builds his/her own corporation, navigating through the economy’s rules, and dealing with the 3 forces. The players need to use their assets, money and influence for one goal – to take over the economy.

Your purpose is to dominate the nation's economy by accumulating 20 influence points. The board game simulates the economy of the state, divided into 11 different markets. Each market is constructed of a few market shares, open for investments by the players’ corporation. The participants set up a mega corporation that will attempt to dominate the state economy. Points are accumulated by the purchase of market shares and the use of news cards. Every market share has a value in influence points and income and can be purchased in cash by a bank loan, in a bidding war or by striking a deal between players. News cards are opened at the beginning of every turn and influence the game strategy.

The income and the influence points score of each player are marked on score tracks on the game board. After the purchase of a market share, the player will advance on these tracks according to the income and influence points attributed to the specific share. The news cards also have direct influence on the income and might inforce you to change your immediate investment plans and long-term strategy.