The day has come. The paperwork is complete, the registration filed, and the business cards purchased – you're open for business! So now what? Where do you spend your time? Where do you spend your money? Which tasks are most important? What should take priority? Should you hire new employees? Or maybe invest in a marketing campaign? These are just some of the decisions facing you as a fresh entrepreneur who dreams of running a successful business. You must excel at balancing your time, money and staff because all are scarce and all are required to thrive.
So barter with your fellow colleagues, manage your staff, collect information, expand your office, or schedule your next product shipment. It's up to you – after all, it's your business. Of course, no matter which route you decide to take to reach that corner office at the top of the tallest skyscraper, you must start with everyone else...
...on the Ground Floor!
Over the course of the game, you will:
Convert your employees' time into info, money, and results.
Adapt to changing economic conditions and brace for what's ahead.
Produce, promote, and sell your goods in the marketplace.
Build your company brand through marketing campaigns.
Challenge other players' enterprises for success and prestige.
Grow your business and build your high-rise!
- tight integration of theme and mechanics
- clear sense of progression and company growth
- some rule interactions can be subtle
- font and graphic clarity could improve for newbies
- startup growth and market expansion
- economic development and market dynamics around a rising company
- economic simulation with a structural focus
- La Granja
- Captain's of the Gulf
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-use action economy — actions provide synergistic benefits across multiple tracks.
- player-driven economy — choices influence supply, demand, and profitability.
- stock market theme integration — players manage a company and public perception via a stock-like mechanic.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "There is a golden age of gaming for every taste; the challenge is standing out as a publisher."
- "A game needs a soul; polish should not erase character or narrative voice."
- "Gateway games can turn people away from the hobby if they imply other games are beyond reach."
- "Rulebooks are the first impression; getting them right matters more than most other components."
- "The journey matters more than simply harvesting victory points."