Acquire

Acquire game

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Acquire game play

Acquire is a strategic board game designed by Sid Sackson and first published in 1964. It involves players buying and trading stock in hotel chains that are being developed on the game board, with the goal of amassing the greatest wealth. The game combines elements of luck and strategy, as players must navigate the ever-changing landscape of mergers and acquisitions to emerge victorious.

Gameplay

In Acquire, the game board represents a cityscape where hotel chains can be founded and expanded. Each player starts with a set of tiles representing building lots in the city and a certain amount of cash. On their turn, a player places a tile onto the board and has the option to buy up to three stocks in any of the hotel chains on the board. When tiles are placed adjacent to each other, they form a hotel chain, and the player who founded the chain receives a bonus.

As the game progresses, chains can merge when they become adjacent, leading to a strategic battle over which chains will dominate the board. Players with stocks in the merging chains receive payouts, and the player with the majority stock in the acquired chain can receive a significant bonus. The game ends when all the chains on the board reach a certain size or there are no more legal moves left. Players then sell their stocks back at the final values, and the player with the most money wins.

Strategy

The strategy in Acquire involves careful consideration of which stocks to buy, when to merge hotel chains, and how to manage one's cash. Players must anticipate their opponents' moves and strategically decide whether to grow certain chains or force mergers. Timing is crucial, as the value of stocks can change dramatically after a merger.

Reception

Since its release, Acquire has been praised for its deep strategic gameplay and has become a classic in the board game genre. It has undergone several editions and reprints, with changes to the game board, tile design, and stock certificates, but the core mechanics have remained largely the same. Acquire has a dedicated fan base and has influenced the design of many other board games.

Legacy

Acquire's impact on the board game industry is significant, with many modern games drawing inspiration from its mechanics of economic competition and strategic investment. It is often cited as one of the greatest board games of all time and continues to be played and enjoyed by enthusiasts around the world.