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1968 / 1971 ACQUIRE Vintage Bookshelf Board Game High Adventure In the World of High Finance COMPLETE!

HOW TO PLAY ACQUIRE

The main object of ACQUIRE is to become the wealthiest player by the end of the game. This is done by forming hotel chains and ob-taining free blocks of stock, shrewdly buying the right stock at the right time, merging chains to obtain capital and adding hotels to the chains in which you have controlling interest to increase their value.

Number of players: 2 to 6.

TERMS

Active Chain chain on board

Board playing board

Chain two or more hotels on adjoining squares (not diagonally)

Chainmaker player creating chain

Chain Marker colored tile placed on one of hotels on board to

designate a chain

Defunct Chain an open chain which has been taken over by a larger chain as a result of a merger

Founder's Bonus one free block of stock in new chain awarded

chainmaker

Hotel-black playing tile

Majority Holder's Bonus lump sum paid two largest shareholders in a chain which has just been made defunct or in an active chain

at end of game Merger two or more chains connected in one play

Mergermaker player causing a merger

Open Chain chain of 10 or less hotels

Permanently Unplayable Tile chains hotel which would merge two safe

Safe Chain chain of 11 or more hotels

Shareholder player owning stock

Stock Certificate one block of stock (25 per chain)

Stock Market tray containing money, stock certificates and chain

markers Temporarily Unplayable Tile hotel which would create an eighth

chain

SETUP

Place board in center of table and cluster hotels (black tiles) face down around it. Each player receives an Information Card and $6,000 in the following denominations:

4-$1,000 bills.

3-$500 bills

5-$100 bills

To determine who plays first, each player draws one hotel and places it in its matching square on board. (If two or more hotels are placed adjacent to each other at this time, they do not create a chain.) Player placing lowest number starts. In case of tie for low number, letter nearest beginning of alphabet starts. (For example, 2-8 would beat 2-E or 3-A.) Each player draws six hotels from cluster on table and stands them in a row facing him.

PLAY

Each player's turn consists of:

1. Placing one of his hotels on its matching square on board. If this hotel creates a chain or causes a merger, all transactions connected with Creating Chains or Merging Chains are completed before player's turn continues,

2. Buying Stock. If, after placing his hotel, there one or more hotel chains on board, player may, if he wishes, buy stock in one or more of them. (See Buying Stock.)

3. Drawing another hotel to replace the one played.

Play rotates clockwise.

UNPLAYABLE TILES. At the end of his turn, a player who has any permanently unplayable tiles (hotels which would merge two or more safe chains) may set them aside (out of the game) and draw new ones to replace them. A player may not replace any temporarily unplayable tiles (hotels which would create an eighth chain). If all six of his hotels are unplayable, he is prohibited from playing a tile but may, if he wishes, buy stock during that turn.

CREATING CHAINS

When a player places a hotel next to one already on board (rank or file not diagonally), he creates a chain. For example, hotels 1-A and 2-8 are on board but do not form a chain as they adjoin diag-onally (not rank or file). Among his six hotels, player has 2-C and 1-8. He places 2-C, creating a two-hotel chain. (If he had placed 1-B, he would have created a three-hotel chain.) On his next turn, he places 1-8, expanding the chain to four hotels. (If, during the setup, two or more hotels were placed adjacent to each other, player adding another adjacent hotel creates the chain.)

Chainmaker chooses name of chain from the seven listed on Infor-mation Card, takes chain marker of corresponding color from Stock Market and places it atop one hotel in chain. He then receives Founder's Bonus of one free block of stock in that chain. (If, as occasionally happens late in game, Stock Market has no available stock in that chain, Founder's Bonus is not issued.)

A maximum of seven chains may be on board at one time, Any hotel which would create an eighth chain may not be placed.

MERGING CHAINS

When a player places a hotel adjacent to two (or more) chains, he has caused a merger. Chain with greater number of hotels takes over the other. If chains are same size before merging hotel was placed, merger-maker chooses which chain takes over. Chain marker of defunct chain is removed and returned to Stock Market. (If more than two chains are merged by one hotel, see Multiple Mergers.)

A chain containing 11 or more hotels is safe and cannot be taken over by another chain. A player may not place a hotel which would merge two safe chains. A safe chain may take over an open chain (one with 10 or less hotels).

MAJORITY HOLDER'S BONUS. At merger time, Stock Market pays compensatory bonuses to two largest shareholders in defunct chain. (see Information Card Majority Holder's Bonus, First and Second). In case of tie for largest shareholder, first and second Bonuses are combined and divided equally between tying shareholders; if Bonuses do not divide equally into even $100 amounts, tying players receive the next greater amount. In case of tie for second largest shareholder, second Bonus is divided equally between tying players, If only one player holds stock in defunct chain, he receives both Bonuses.

DISPOSAL OF STOCK AT TIME OF MERGER. After Majority Holder's Bonuses have been paid, each player, starting with merger-maker and continuing clockwise, handles his stock in the defunct chain in one more of the following ways:

1. Hold: Stock may be held in expectation of starting another chain with that name.

2. Sell: Stock may be sold to Stock Market at price determined by number of hotels in defunct chain before merger.

3. Trade: Stock may be traded on basis of two blocks of defunct stock for one block of controlling chain's stock. (If Stock Market has no re-maining blocks of controlling chain's stock, players may not trade.)

MULTIPLE MERGERS. When multiple mergers (mergers of more than two chains) occur, larger chain takes over smaller chains simul-taneously. Multiple merger is then handled as individual mergers. Majority Holder's Bonuses are paid for larger of defunct chains and players dispose of their stock in this chain. Then smaller defunct chain is handled in same manner. In case of tie, mergermaker chooses defunct chain to be handled first. Bonuses and stock prices are deter-mined by number of hotels in defunct chain before merger.

BUYING STOCK

Any player, immediately after placing his hotel, may buy stock in any active chain up to a maximum of three blocks in any one turn. If he is unable to place any of his hotels (see Unplayable Tiles), he may still buy stock. His purchase may be in one, two or three chains. Price per block varies with number of hotels in chain (see Information Card).

A player who runs out of money cannot buy stock but must place a hotel if he is able. He cannot raise money by selling stock except during disposal period after a merger.

Trading and selling of stock between players is not permitted since all transactions are with Stock Market, When all stock of one chain has been sold, players wishing to purchase stock must do so in other active chains,

At any time, player may ask how much stock remains in Stock Market for a particular chain.

ENDING THE GAME

Game ends when one player, during his turn, announces that either all chains on board are safe or that one chain contains 41 or more hotels. (A player does not have to announce that the game is over if it is to his advantage to continue playing.) After announcing that the game is over, player may finish his turn.

Majority Holder's Bonuses are paid for all active chains, All players sell their stock to Stock Market, (Stock in a chain that is not on board is worthless.) Player with the most money is the winner.

SPECIAL RULES FOR TWO PLAYERS

When two play, game follows rules for regular ACQUIRE until a merger is made. At this time, Stock Market is considered to own stock in defunct chain for purposes of determining Majority Holder's Bonuses. A hotel is drawn from cluster on table to determine how much stock in defunct chain is "owned" by Market. (If 9-F is drawn, Stock Market is said to own 9 blocks of defunct chain's stock.)

Majority Holder's Bonuses are paid to two largest shareholders. (If one player has 11 blocks, the other has 5 and the Stock Market "owns" 9, player with 11 blocks receives first Bonus and second Bonus is retained by Stock Market.) Both players then dispose of their stock in defunct chain in usual manner. Before mergermaker completes his turn, hotel drawn for Stock Market is placed on board. Unless another merger is created, play continues in normal fashion. If Stock Market's hotel causes a merger, Stock Market again com-petes for Bonuses and, after disposal of stock, new hotel is placed on board. If it is unplayable, it is set aside and is out of the game. If it would create a chain, it is placed but no chain is formed until a player adds another hotel. (This player then receives the Founder's Bonus.)

At end of game, Stock Market again competes for Majority Hold-er's Bonuses for each active chain. At this time Stock Market's hotels are not placed on board but are simply set aside. Players sell their stock to Stock Market and player with most money is the winner,