Financial crisis has occurred. Sixteen "too big to fail" companies from four countries need bailing out. The central banks have unlimited financial resources, so lots of money is going to be printed, but the central banks also face disaster — print too much money and the country they represent goes bust.
In Q.E., you play the role of a central bank. You bid on different size companies to accumulate various levels of victory points. The amount you bid is unlimited since you are the central bank and you own the printing press! After the initial "open" bid by the lead player, the other players bid in secret. After the sixteen companies have been "bailed out", bonus victory points are awarded for company sets of nationalization, monopolization and diversification.
Player markers on the scoring track now reveal which player has the most victory points, but this is not the end. Players must now add up the amount of money they printed and the player who printed the most money loses all their victory points!
Q.E. stands for Quantitative Easing.
- Brilliant in its simplicity
- Wildly random
- Crazy fun
- Easy to teach
- The auction mechanism is the entire game, leading to extreme randomness
- Host did not remember playing it
- Bidding on companies
- Corporate world
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- auction/bidding — The entire game is an auction/bidding system where players bid on companies. The auctioneer can set any amount.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- 95% of that though it was the chat yes in our live stream that kept making Yak jokes and it was I have so much fun the funniest moment of my entire life I swear
- The only game that when we live stream play it I laugh so hard I think I pee my pant
- it's very simple it it's basically 4x4 and you have three different color set you have the uh base one at Four Corner each player choose your own color you pick up and then you drop it when you go as long as you have four of your color in one line you won
- I think I think this is my only complaint with the tiny epic games is that I think they're great games I just don't know why they have to be tiny
- The auctioning is the game wow
References (from this video)
- Streamlined, quick economic play
- Open currency dynamics that create group negotiation
- Expansion elements add nuance and replayability
- Abstract for some players; may require a few plays to grok
- Theme may feel distant to non-economics enthusiasts
- macro-economics and market dynamics
- Open economy where currency value is shaped by group decisions
- abstract economic simulation
- Ponzi Scheme
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players secretly bid to acquire items and influence a shared market
- secret bidding / auction — Players secretly bid to acquire items and influence a shared market
- set collection / scoring by groups — Points are earned through assembling and optimizing sets influenced by currency
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's an amazing game because you're just trying to buy and buy things at the right amount of shares.
- The cool thing is that every puzzle is different and that each person has one piece of the puzzle.
- Dimension is a fantastic real-time deduction game.
- This is one of the most streamlined best games.
- Stay Cool is a game that humbles you and makes you laugh at yourself.