Crisis

From the publisher:

Crisis is a modern game with many innovations like a virtual, generic map, no general certificate or money limits, rounds instead of operating rounds and stock rounds, structure purchases, and signals but without some traditional elements like off-board connections, terrain difficulties, small cities, empty big cities, or privates. This gives the game a new feeling already on the surface. Square tiles are used to simulate subways in a downtown megalopolis.

While once 1830 could be called the premier game of stock manipulation and 1841 is the game with the greatest speed of technological development, now Crisis is the toughest, most complex, and most unpredictable game of business strategy. Measuring complexity is hard but years of testing have produced counter-strategies for every strategy and not enabled me to foresee just one round, what is possible in 1830 or 1841.

So what makes Crisis so tough? First of all, companies can purchase unlimited numbers of foreign shares. This creates complex combines. Second, companies are forced to own more and more foreign shares, what makes good shares scarce. This is an extra duty besides buying a train. Third, foreign assets may only be bought from the or as a director. Fourth, all shareholders can be responsible for under-endowed companies while some might avoid supports and let the director lose his shares even though having supported. Fifth, other shares in such companies may not be given away and can cause more supports. Sixth, half the companies have only certificates that already allow a director change. Seventh, trading many old or new certificates quickly restructures combines, depletes companies, or inflates money. Eighth, the stock market and the round order, which involves players and companies, are particularly flexible. To conclude, dividends are paid only to owned foreign shares.

While the game has a balanced start and good route construction remains important, it becomes more and more essential to excel at wheeling and dealing. Clearly, Crisis is the game of devious business manipulations.