Rollout: The Game of the Risk-Takers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Game Board and Playing Equipment
• Starting the Game
• The Order of Play
  • Setting Up
  • Overview
• Stage 1 — Pay Salaries, Loans and Dividends
• Stage 2 — Rollout
  • Step A — Check the Hex
  • Step B — Set Budgets
  • Step C — Show Product Cards and Pay for the Advertising Blitz
  • Step D — Roll the Dice and Move Up the Sales Track
  • Step E — Collect Profits from the Bank
  • Step F — Adjust Stock Market Prices
  • Reaching the Gold Coast
• Stage 3 — Sell Shares
  • How to Sell Shares
• Stage 4 — Buy Shares
  • How to Buy Shares from the Bank
  • How to Bid for the Shares
  • How to Buy Shares from the Other Players
• Stage 5 — Build or Sell Stores
  • How to Build Stores
  • The Cost
  • How to Sell Stores to the Bank
• Stage 6 — Research and Develop New Products
• End of Cycle, Go Back to Stage 1
• Other Rules of Play
  • Borrowing Money
  • Bankruptcy
  • Stock Raids
  • Stock Call
  • Takeovers
  • Buying Stores
  • Buying and Selling Product Cards and Products
• Ending, and Winning the Game
• Cash Out
  • Share Value
  • Cash Out Value
• Optional Rule
  • Ten Block Play (The Long Game)

Object of the Game

Your objective in Rollout is, simply, to make more money than anyone else.

Game Board and Playing Equipment

On the map are six companies based in major cities. They are Simcor — New York, Camcon — Cape Town, Pedrasca — Sao Paulo, Bermax — Brussels, Razno — Leningrad, Ibuki — Tokyo.

At the top of the board is the Sales Track, a multi-colored scale. This is where you compete for product sales. Positioned underneath the Sales Track is the Sales Index. It shows how many units of a product have been sold. At the left is Square One — the starting point for selling a new product. At the right is the Gold Coast. This is your product goal — it represents more sales therefore the players who reach it make more money.

Square One and the Gold Coast reflect the life cycle of a product, i.e., new (Square One), or established, (Gold Coast).

At the Stock Market — the colored scale at the bottom of the board — players buy or sell Company shares. Below the Stock Market is the Price Index which shows the current buy and sell price for each Company's stock in millions of dollars.

The High Flyer, the square to the left of the Stock Market, is the lowest market price ($1 million). The Blue Chip (at right) is the highest market price ($2.5 billion). A high-risk stock is a High Flyer and a low-risk stock is a Blue Chip.

Dividends Due is the index below the Price Index at the Stock Market. It tells you how much Dividend to pay each turn.

The Hex is the light green chart on the left side of the board. This shows you which product is in demand. The Share Register is also on the left. Here, you keep a record of share transactions.

The Bank is to the right. Record all Bank Loans here.

Meters or cubes come in six different colors. Match the color of the meter to the color of the Company. Use them to record Market position, Share price, Bank Loans and Share holdings. These meters also represent Stores when placed on the map.

The 55 card deck consists of 18 Radio, 18 Television and 18 Computer Product Cards and a trademark card which is out of play. Each card shows type of product (for example, Radio) and Product Quality rating. Q1 is the lowest and Q18 is the highest rating.

Set your budgets and make a record of your plans on the Boardroom Pad during Stages 2, 4 and 5. (The printed pamphlet reads "Stages 2. 4 and 5.")

Pencils (six) are provided.

Dice (four) are used to determine how many products you sold in the Sales Track.

Starting the Game

All players start at Stage 1. All must do Stages 1 and 2, then may choose any of the remaining four Stages: they must be played in sequence.

The Chairman asks who wants to play Stage 3 — Sell Shares. If two or more players choose this Stage, the Chairman rolls a die to see who plays first. Each player is given a number: the Chairman is number one; the player on his left is number two, etc. When the Chairman rolls the die, the number that turns up determines who plays first. If a two turns up the player to the Chairman's left plays first. Play continues clockwise. If the player on the Chairman's left does not want to play that Stage, then the next player to his left who does want to play would be first. If less than six players are in the game, keep rolling the die until a player's number turns up.

This procedure continues for each remaining Stage throughout the game.

The Order of Play

Setting Up

Appointments: Appoint one player Chairman. It's his job to ensure that players quickly follow the "Order of Play" shown on the board.

Appoint a second player Banker. He is responsible for making sure all payments are made to the Bank and he oversees all Bank Loans and stock transactions. He also ensures that all Sales Track and Stock Market meters are moved correctly.

The Hex: Take one colored cube (from any player) and put it on the Hex marked "Radios".

Money: Give each player $7 billion in cash (two $50 million notes, four $100 million, five $500 million and four $1 billion). The rest of the cash goes to the Bank.

Product Cards: Sort the deck of Product Cards into three piles: Radios, Televisions, and Computers. Shuffle the pile of Radio cards and deal each player one card face down. Repeat this procedure for Televisions and Computers. The remaining cards are shuffled together and placed face down on the board.

Choose a Company: Each player now rolls a die. The player with the highest number has first choice of which Company he would like to own. Continue clockwise until each player has selected a Company.

Boardroom Pad and Pencils: Each player starts with one sheet from the Boardroom Pad and a pencil.

Colored Meters: Each player takes all of the meters in his Company's color. Place one meter in the Sales Track on Square One. Place one meter in the Stock Market (on your color) at the $500 million point of the Price Index.

Stores: Each player puts one meter on the map on top of their Company location. This cube (or meter) represents a Store.

Overview

• (Each player must do Stages 1 and 2.)
• Stage 1 — Pay Salaries, Loans and Dividends
• Stage 2 — Rollout
• (Players may do any of the remaining four Stages, or pass.)
• Stage 3 — Sell Shares
• Stage 4 — Buy Shares
• Stage 5 — Build or Sell Stores
• Stage 6 — Research and Develop New Products
• (End of cycle: go back to Stage 1.)

Stage 1 — Pay Salaries, Loans and Dividends

First, pay salaries to the Bank: $100 million for each Store on the world map.

If players do not pay their Stores' salaries, they must remove them from the Board. Those players without Stores cannot play Stage 2.

Dividends are paid to shareholders, as recorded on the Share Register. The amount paid is determined by the Dividends Due Index (below the Stock Market). You must pay the Dividend opposite the current Stock Market price for your Company. Each player pays a Dividend for each of the 10 shares in his Company.

For example: At the start of the game, the Bank owns all 10 shares in each Company. The opening Stock Market price for each of its shares is $500 million and the opening Dividend Due is $50 million per share. On each player's first turn therefore, the players must pay a $50 million Dividend for each of their 10 shares to the Bank, making a total of $500 million. Later in the game (when players own shares in other companies), the C.E.O. of each Company must pay Dividends to all of his shareholders.

Missed Dividends: If a player does not pay his Dividends, then his Stock Market meter is moved five squares to the left. Not paying Dividends also limits his choices for that turn. He may play Stages 2, 3 and 6. He may not play Stage 4. During Stage 5, he cannot build any Stores, although he is still allowed to sell them.

Stage 2 — Rollout

Rollout describes the competition at the Sales Track. This is where players sell their products to generate cash.

All players must do the following steps.

Step A — Check the Hex

One of the players (any) rolls a die to see whether Radios, Televisions or Computers are in demand. If a 1 or a 2 turns up, Radios are in demand, a 3 or 4, Televisions, and a 5 or 6, Computers. If a 4 is rolled, for example, the Hex meter or cube is placed on Televisions.

Until one or more of the players reaches the Gold Coast this is the only product that may be sold at the Sales Track. This may take several turns. Players will not "Check the Hex" again until one or more of them makes it to the Gold Coast.

Step B — Set Budgets

Each player sets the budget for his Advertising Blitz and the price for his Product (secretly circling one number for each budget on his Boardroom Pad).

Step C — Show Product Cards and Pay for the Advertising Blitz

Each player reveals his Product Card and the budgets on his Boardroom Pad. The money he budgeted for the Advertising Blitz is now paid to the Bank.

Note: If a player does not have a Product Card for the product in demand and/or does not pay for his Advertising Blitz, he cannot roll any dice at Step D and must move his Sales Track meter back to Square One. His share price drops five squares for not having a Product Card and/or another five squares if he does not pay for the Advertising Blitz.

Step D — Roll the Dice and Move Up the Sales Track

The Free Roll: Each player rolls one die. He moves his Sales Track meter one square to the right for each point on the die.

The Bonus Roll: This may allow some players to roll again in one or more of the following categories, therefore moving further up the Sales Track:

• The player with the best Product Card (highest Q number) rolls one die.
• The player with the largest Advertising Blitz rolls one die.
• The player with the lowest price rolls one die.
• The player with the most Stores rolls two dice.

If two or more players tie for any of the above, the players who are tied all roll.

Step E — Collect Profits from the Bank

Each player takes his profits from the Bank. The profits earned are based on the number of units sold (Sales Index) times the price budgeted on the Boardroom Pad. For example, if a player's Sales Track meter reached the 20 million point of the Sales Index and he budgeted a price of 30 dollars, then he would receive $600 million from the Bank.

Step F — Adjust Stock Market Prices

The player(s) who leads in the Sales Track moves his Stock Market meter up five squares to the right. The player(s) who is farthest behind in the Sales Track moves his Stock Market meter down five squares to the left. (In a tie, all tied players move to right or left). There is no change to the Stock Market prices of other players. If no one reaches the Gold Coast, go on to Stage 3.

Reaching the Gold Coast

The first players to reach the Gold Coast on the same turn leave their Sales Track meters there. They will collect $500 million from the Bank on each subsequent Stage 2 during Step E. Players may have more than one meter on the Gold Coast and collect money for each.

When players reach the Gold Coast they move their Stock Market meters up (five squares to the right). They also place another meter on Square One so that they can compete at the Sales Track on the next Rollout.

Players who do not reach the Gold Coast must move their Stock Market meters down (five squares to the left) and their Sales Track meters back to Square One. All players return the Product Card they were using to the deck.

Now go on to Stage 3.

Stage 3 — Sell Shares

(when you need money or want to make a profit)

At the start of the game the Bank owns all shares. Since players do not own shares, they cannot sell them. However, as the game progresses and players buy shares during Stage 4, they may sell them on any subsequent Stage 3.

How to Sell Shares

A player may sell his shares to the Bank or to other players. He may sell all, some, or none of his shares in one or more Companies.

Selling Shares to the Bank: If a player sells two of his shares to the Bank he must remove the corresponding two colored meters from the Share Register. The two empty squares show that the Bank now owns those two shares.

Next, he collects his money from the Bank. (i.e. If the shares are trading at the $400 million point of the Price Index, he would receive $800 million from the Bank for two shares.)

Selling Shares to the Other Players: A player may sell his shares to other players for any terms on which he can obtain agreement. The buyer replaces the seller's Share Register meters with his own to show that he is now the owner.

The Stock Market meter of the Company affected is moved to the square opposite the price for which its shares were sold.

Stage 4 — Buy Shares

(when you want to takeover a Company or to drive share prices up)

Each turn, the Chairman rolls a die to determine which shares the Bank sells first. If a two turns up, the player to the left of the Chairman is the first to have his Company's shares sold by the Bank. Once those shares are bought by one of the players, play continues clockwise.

Each time a share is purchased, its Stock Market meter is moved to the square opposite the purchase price.

How to Buy Shares from the Bank

Each turn, the Bank sells two shares in each player's Company, starting with the player whose number turned up on the die roll.

All players may bid for these shares — the highest bid takes the shares. The player who buys places two of his colored meters on the Share Register to show that he owns those two shares.

The Stock Market meter of the Company affected is moved to the square opposite the purchase price. If the two shares were bought for $500 million each, the player who purchased them must pay $1 billion to the Bank.

How to Bid for the Shares

There are two ways to do this — Open Bids and Secret Bids.

Open Bid: When a player wants to buy the two shares from the Bank, he must offer the current market price for each share. Other players who also want the shares must bid a higher price. Players may only bid prices appearing on the Price Index and the highest bidder of course buys the shares.

The Company's Stock Market meter is then moved to the square opposite the purchase price.

If the bidding goes higher than $2.5 billion, players must bid in $100 million increments. However, the price of the stock would not rise higher than the $2.5 billion point of the Price Index (the Blue Chip).

The Bank then auctions the next Company's shares.

Secret Bids (when none of the players make an open bid for the Bank's shares): If no one bids for shares being offered by the Bank, players may make Secret Bids, by writing on their Boardroom Pad a price lower than the current market price. When the bids are revealed, the player with the highest bid takes the shares. Ties are broken by the roll of a die. Remember to adjust the Stock Market meter.

How to Buy Shares from the Other Players

A player may buy one or more shares from other players for any terms on which agreement can be reached. The buyer replaces the seller's Share Register meters with his own to show that he now has the shares.

The Stock Market meter of the Company affected is moved to the square opposite the shares' purchase price.

Note: Players cannot sell and buy shares in the same Company on the same turn.

Stage 5 — Build or Sell Stores

(when you want more dice for the Rollout or need cash)

Each player must choose whether to build or sell Stores at this stage; he can't do both. He should (secretly) make a note of his decision on the Boardroom Pad.

How to Build Stores

Players build Stores by paying money to the Bank. Up to 10 Stores may be built on each turn. They can be built on any vacant hex of the world map. Each colored meter represents one Store.

Players secretly write down (on Boardroom Pads) the number of Stores they plan to build. When all players have done this, they reveal their decisions and take their turns according to the roll of the die.

The Cost

The cost of building a Store depends on where it is situated. There are three types of Stores: Expansion, Branch and Joint.

• Expansion Stores are built next to a player's own Stores (which must have been on the board for at least one turn). The cost is $100 million each.
• Branch Stores, which are not situated next to any other Store, cost $200 million each.
• Joint Stores are built next to an opponent's Store. They cost $500 million each.

If players build next to one of their own Stores (which has not been on the board for a turn), they must pay the cost of a Branch Store. If it is also next to an opponent's, they must pay the cost of a Joint Store.

Note: A player must follow through and build the number of Stores indicated on his original plan (on the Boardroom Pad). If he can't afford to, he is Bankrupt and out of the game. (Follow the Bankruptcy rule for selling off Company assets).

How to Sell Stores to the Bank

Players may sell any number of Stores to the Bank. They must write down (secretly) on the Boardroom Pads the number of Stores they plan to sell. They receive $50 million for each and remove them from the board.

Note: If a player sells all of his Stores he cannot play Stage 2. If a player does not want to build or to sell Stores, he puts a zero on his Boardroom Pad.

Stage 6 — Research and Develop New Products

(when you need more or better products)

Players may Research and Develop new products from the Product Deck, once per turn.

Shuffle the cards. The player looking for a new card announces which type of product he is looking for (e.g. Radios). The cards are turned over one-by-one until a card with the wanted product is found. The player reveals only the product type, not its "Q" or product quality number so that opponents are uncertain of how good his product is. He must now pay $100 million for each card turned over, including the one he kept, to the Bank.

End of Cycle, Go Back to Stage 1

For quick reference summaries of the key rules appear on the left and right sides of the Board. When you need further details, please refer to the instructions on this pamphlet.

Other Rules of Play

Borrowing Money

Players may borrow up to $5 billion from the Bank at any time but only in $1 billion amounts. They must keep a record of the debt by placing a meter in the Bank, to the right of the Stock Market.

Each time money is borrowed, the Bank meter is moved one square to the right. The amount of the loan (principal) is in billions and the interest due is in millions. Interest is paid to the Bank during every Stage 1 as long as the loan is outstanding. The principal must be paid back to the Bank in $1 billion amounts during any Stage 1.

Each time a player borrows $1 billion from the Bank his share price drops one square. Each time he pays back $1 billion, his share price rises one square.

Bankruptcy

When a player cannot make his loan payment, he is Bankrupt and out of the game. The Bank gets everything — he gets nothing. The Sales Track, Share Register, Stock Market and Bank Loan meters for his Company are removed from play. The players who were shareholders in his Company lose their money/investment. The Bank keeps the bankrupt player's cash and share holdings in other companies. Finally, the Bank auctions off all of his Product Cards, Stores, and meters on the Gold Coast.

Stock Raids

As the game progresses, players may decide to sell some of their share holdings back to the Bank during Stage 3. Other players may buy those shares at the end of any Stage 4.

Players are allowed to raid the shares of a particular Company (stock raid). When a player announces a stock raid he must state which Company he is raiding. He must offer the current Stock Market price for each of that Company's shares which were previously sold back to the Bank. If two or more players want to buy the same shares, the player making the highest bid keeps the shares. A stock raid is a good opportunity to buy a lot of shares on one turn. Players may raid more than one Company on the same turn.

Stock Call

When bidding on shares, a player may call an opponent's bid if he thinks the opponent does not have the money to cover it. If his opponent has the money, he must pay for the shares. If he cannot cover his bid, then the player who made the Stock Call keeps the shares for a sum equal to the cash in the opponent's hand. Bidding cannot resume for those shares once a Stock Call has been made.

Takeovers

If a player owns (controls) six shares in an opponent's Company, he can take it over. This puts the other player out of business, and out of the game.

The player who bought control of the Company keeps all of the loser's cash, Product Cards and meters on the Gold Coast. He also takes any share holdings the player had in other companies. He can borrow up to another $5 billion from the Bank. During Stage 2 — Rollout, he has an extra free roll.

Players with less than six shares (except for the C.E.O. of the losing company) must sell their shares to the Bank immediately for the current market price. (The printed pamphlet reads "Players will less than six shares".)

The Sales Track, Stock Market and Bank Loan meters are removed.

The player who managed the successful takeover now removes all meters from the Share Register of the Company he bought. That Company is now out of play.

Buying Stores

Players may negotiate with each other to buy Stores for any terms on which they can reach agreement. This deal must take place at the end of Stage 5.

Buying and Selling Product Cards and Products

At the end of Stage 6, players may buy and sell Product Cards and Products on the Gold Coast for any terms on which they can agree.

Players may sell any of their products on the Gold Coast to any other player. The buyer replaces the seller's meter on the Gold Coast with his own. He then collects profits for this product on each subsequent Stage 2.

Ending, and Winning the Game

The game ends on the fifth turn after the Bank has sold the ninth and tenth shares in each Company. The players may finish playing Stage 4 before closing off the game.

The winner is determined by the Cash Out rule.

Cash Out

The winner is the player with the highest Cash Out value. First, players use the Cash Out sheet on the back of the Boardroom Pads to determine their Share value.

Share Value

For valuation purposes, the following rules apply:

• Money: Face value
• Stores: $50 million each
• Product Cards: $50 million each
• Gold Coast: $1 billion for each meter on the Gold Coast.

Add up the above, then deduct any Bank Loans. The sum left is the net worth of your Company. Divide this number by 10 to determine the value of each share in your Company.

Cash Out Value

This is the total value of all your shares. The player with the highest Cash Out value wins.

Example: if your Company is Simcor, and you own five shares and the share value is $800 million, the Cash Out value from your Company is five times $800 million or $4 billion. If you also own two shares in Bermax, you must ask the player who owns Bermax what his share value is. Suppose it is $500 million: you would add $1 billion to the Cash Out value of your Company. Your total Cash Out value therefore is $5 billion.

Optional Rule

Ten Block Play (The Long Game)

If you wish to play a longer game, the Bank should auction only one share in each Company during Stage 4. The game ends after 10 turns when the Bank has sold the tenth share in each Company.