Galactic Magnate - Documentation - Game rules

This document contains description of the rules of Galactic Magnate game.

The board

Galactic Magnate is played on square-shaped board. The four sides of the board are divided into locations. On each of the four sides, there are nine locations, and additionally, on each of four edges of the board there is one edge location.

Players

The game is played by 2 to 5 players. Each player is represented with his character. On start of the game, each player chooses one character from following list: worker, soldier, scientist, adventurer, politician, businessman, merchant, lunatic, spy, commoner, builder, thief, cheater, philosopher, nutty. Each player must choose a different character.

Cash

This is the amount of money that a player is having. If cash is negative, then a player is in debt.

Game start

On start of the game, each player is given money. The amount of money depends on number of players in the game. This is summarized in following table:

Number of players	Cash on start
2	3900
3	3400
4	2900
5	2400

Each player's character is placed on the start location, which is the bottom left edge location. The playing order is determined randomly.

Turns

The players play in turns, one by one, by the playing order. When last players finished his turn, then the first player plays again, and then others by the playing order. This cycle is repeated until game ends. The turn consists of rolls. The first roll starts when the turn starts. The turn ends when a roll ends if a player is not entitled to roll again.

Roll

When a player's roll starts, he has the option to roll the dice. The game is played using two six-sided dice, each side numbered from one to six. When player rolls the dice, then his character moves in clockwise direction by the number of locations determined by the sum of the numbers given by the dice. When character stops moving, depending on location where he stopped, various actions can take place. After all specified actions have completed, or if there were no specified actions, the roll ends.

Properties

Some of the locations can be bought by players, they are called properties. On the start of the game the properties are not owned by any player. The properties at least have following attributes: minimum price, mortgage value, color.

Beginning an auction

If a player's character stops on a property, and if he has enough money, he is presented with a choice whether to do nothing or to start an auction. If he chooses to do nothing, his roll ends. If he chooses to start an auction, then he is called the middleman for the duration of the auction. When auction starts, the middleman offers starting bid for the property where he stopped. The starting bid equals minimum price of the property.

Auctioning

All players participate in the auction. The player who offers most money becomes the owner of property that is being auctioned. The middleman receives 20% of the final bid, even if he won the auction. When auction completes, the middleman returns to start location, and this ends his turn.

Salary

Whenever a player's character passes in clockwise direction over start location, he receives a salary. The salary is always equal for all players. In the beginning of the game it is set depending on number of players, according to the following table:

Number of players	Starting salary
2	280
3	300
4	320
5	340

The salary changes during the game, as a result of progress, meteor showers and recession. During the game it should slowly decrease.

Economic collapse

When salary reaches 0, economy collapses. Then, when passing over start, players have to pay 300 for expanses. Expense amount continues to change as a result of progress, recession and meteor showers.

Debt

Each property has a mortgage value. The sum of mortgage values of all locations that a player owns is called credit. The player's debt can never exceed his credit. Interest has to be paid on debt every time a player passes over the start location in clockwise direction. The interest is 20% of player's debt, where debt is calculated before receiving the salary.

Dormitory

Dormitory is the upper left edge location. If character stops moving on dormitory, no special action is taken.

Meteor Shower

Meteor Shower is the upper right edge location. When a character stops on Meteor Shower, the salary for all players is reduced by 10.

Prison

Prison is the lower right edge location. When a player lands there, his turn ends, and he skips his turn three times afterwards. While in prison, the player can't collect fees form monopolies or utilities, and he doesn't receive money from extractors.

Bonus

Bonus is the seventh location counting after start. When a character stop on bonus location, the salary is reduced by 10 and all players are awarded bonus money, according to the following table:

Number of alive players	Bonus money
2	500
3	370
4	300
5	260

Fortune

There are four fortune locations, one on each side of the board. When a player lands there, a random event happens. There are two kinds of random events, with and without choice. The random event without choice simply executes his action. The random event with choice gives player a choice whether he wants nothing to happen, or he wants the selected random event to happen. The list of random events is summarized in a table available here: (to be added).

Paying for services

When a player lands on other player's property, he may have to pay fee for the services. The exact amount he has to pay is explained below. The amount a player has to pay is subtracted from his cash and given to property owner.

Monopolies

Monopoly is a special set of properties. There are eight monopolies in the game, two on each side of the board. When a player owns all locations of a monopoly, then he can upgrade that monopoly. Each monopoly has a price of upgrades. Monopolies can be upgraded only when it is owner's turn to roll the dice. They can be upgraded for a maximum of five times. The number of upgrades is called a level of monopoly. The upgrades can be sold at any time for half of their price. When a player's character stops on other player's monopoly and if monopoly is upgraded at least once, he has to pay fee to the owner for services. The exact amount is different for each monopoly and depends on level of the monopoly. The prices are summarized in a table available here (to be added).

Utilities

The utilities are special kind of properties. There are four utilities, one on each side of the board. When a player's character stops at other player's utility, he has to pay the fee. The fee amount depends on number of utilities in owner's possession. It is summarized in following table:

Number of utilities in players possession	Fee
1	50
2	70
3	100
4	150

Extractors

The extractors are special kind of properties. There are four extractors one in the middle of each side of the board. When a player's character stops at extractor, the owner of extractor receives the profit. The profit depends on number of extractors in his possession. It is summarized in following table:

Number of extractors in players possession	Profit
1	90
2	70
3	130
4	150

Bankruptcy

When a player is required to pay, and if that would make his debt higher than credit, then he has to sell upgrades of monopolies in his possession until he has enough cash to pay. If he cannot sell any upgrades, or if he cannot make enough money by selling upgrades, then a player is bankrupt. The bankrupt player then resigns.

Resigning

When a player resigns, all his upgrades are sold automatically, and all money that he can afford, the difference between his credit and debt are used to pay the pending bills, if any. All his properties are afterwards owned by no one. The player is then removed from the game, becoming a dead player. When one player resigns, all other players receive 500 and salary is reduced by 20.

Goal of the game

A player wins the game when all other players have resigned.

Doubles

After rolling the dice, if both dice show same number then player has got doubles. Then, he moves his character as usual, but after his roll finishes he can roll again. If a player gets doubles three times in a row, then he goes to prison. While going to prison, the player must do it in such way that he does not pass over start location.

Player auctions

A player can offer his properties on auction when it is his turn to roll the dice. He is then called initiator. If monopolies of any properties offered on auction are upgraded, the upgrades are automatically sold. All players participate in player auctions. Initiator offers the starting bid, at 300. When auction ends, the initiator receives 80% of the final bid. The remaining 20% is lost; it is a provision for auctioning house.

Trading

The players can trade properties for properties, or money, or both. The trading is conducted in two stages. First, the trade is offered by player A to another player B. The player A can recall the trade at any time. The player B can reject the trade at any time, or accept it when it is his turn to roll the dice. When a trade is accepted, if monopolies of any properties that are part of the trade are upgraded, the upgrades are automatically sold, and their former owner receives the money. The trade can not be conducted after economic collapse if either trading player is in debt.