Schwarzer Freitag is a stock trading game with a built-in bubble to explode. The players are buying shares on a growing stock market, but at one time in the game the prices will crash. The players try to find out the right time to sell their shares and buy gold and silver (these are the victory points), before the market crashes.
The actions of all players change the probability of the crash. When they start selling, the probability of the crash will get higher. If they only buy shares then the crash will come later.
To win the game, you have to have a close look at what the others do to be in the position to sell the highest share at the right time, to get the most money. But the silver/gold price will rise too, and you can also win by buying silver/gold early in the game.
This game is the first game in the Freitag-Projekt:
Freitag(Friday) is a game project started on Friday 24th of October in Essen. I, Friedemann Friese, will work on that project for the next Five years on every Friday. I will work Five, Fifteen,... minutes (In German twenty-five, thirty-five,.. starts with an F, too) up to Fifteen hours on that project, but only Fridays.
The game will be published in Five years on the Friday of Spiel '13 in Essen. It will not be shown on Wednesday or Thursday.
I have a blog (by now only in German) on my website, where I show my work on that project.
By now I really don't know what will happen, but I have a lot of time......
Now it happened that the first game is ready and I found a company for publishing (the company is very interested, but it is not totally sure by now)
I will add the new second game to the database.
- Potent historical metaphor
- Solid tension with market timing
- Abstract theme may not be for everyone
- Requires strong group play to shine
- economic manipulation and market timing
- Stock market crash-inspired milieu
- historical-political intrigue
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- stock market simulation — Players try to pump up stocks and time the market before collapse.
- Timed economy / push-your-luck scoring — Players balance risk and reward as markets swing.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The theme seems fairly unique
- Looks adorable, looks really nice
- Stock market manipulation game
- two-player Co-op trick taking
- barista theme
- asymmetric guilds
- dynamic economic structure
- Malala-like system
- Tech trees
- the world is crumbling around you
References (from this video)
- quick to play
- thematic flavor during a busy shopping event
- older design may feel dated
- frenzied shopping and resource bidding
- Retail/market chaos around a Black Friday event
- light, thematic negotiation
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- auction/bidding — players bid for resources and actions to optimize outcomes
- set collection — collecting items/resources to score points
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 1,198 games it's too many
- 768 that's I don't care what people say that's really good
- we have 394
- we're still playing games and taking names
References (from this video)
- strong thematic resonance with stock market dynamics and a looming crash
- works well at 2 players and scales comfortably to 3-5 players
- tactile, engaging draw-from-a-bag mechanic that adds suspense
- pacy and replayable with room for strategic manipulation of the market
- thematic depth and variability via color scarcity and price shifts
- rulebook is frequently cited as a major learning barrier
- initial learning curve is steep; misinterpretations slow early play
- cover art and branding can mislead potential players about the theme
- possible long games if players mismanage subsidies or fail to learn the price-tracking system
- Speculation, price moves, subsidies, and a looming market crash
- Stock market milieu with references to Wall Street and the Wall Street Journal, framed as a global stock crash scenario.
- Analytical, rule-driven with a focus on market dynamics and strategic timing
- Harbon Gut
- Mercurious
- 18xx
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Color-coded stock market tokens and market tables — Stocks come in colors with scarcity affecting value; prices and moves are tracked via purchase and sale tables and a silver market tracker.
- Crash mechanism with black briefcases — Black briefcases can negate other price movements and, when drawn in quantity, trigger significant price crashes, accelerating the game end.
- End condition: silver reaches 100 — The game ends when the silver price hits 100; victory goes to the player with the most silver (converted to gold).
- Hidden stock draw — Players secretly draw color-coded stock tokens from a bag and place them behind their screens, introducing hidden information and strategic discretion.
- Passing action moves silver price forward — Passing is an active decision that advances the market by placing a briefcase on the silver table, thereby moving the game forward.
- Phase-based actions and price adjustments — Gameplay proceeds in phases with restricted actions per phase; price changes are triggered by market activity and stock movements.
- Silver/gold market and price tracking — The silver price tracker increases as stock activity occurs; silver can be converted to gold, creating a secondary, high-stakes resource.
- Subsidies financing with interest — Government subsidies provide funds that count toward a limit and accrue interest when prices change; subsidies can be traded into cash-like effects.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I love this game
- the rule book is terrible
- I think it's a real shame that it's been so criticized because of the rule book
- it's a very good game
- Black Friday is underrated and deserves more attention