Corporate tycoon

Procedure

The children are divided into groups and each group receives a digital camera. They can now go and photograph real businesses (e.g. supermarket, architect's office, etc.) in the village (or town). Back at the main post, which is manned by 2 leaders, they can "buy" the photographed businesses (virtually, of course). In exchange, they must pay the main post a sum of money. However, if the business already belongs to another group, they will have to pay them a fine at the main post and will no longer be able to buy the business.

The groups never know which companies have already been sold to other groups. So there is a risk with every purchase that the company is already owned by another group.

The leader at the main post then deletes all the pictures on the camera. Now the group can go out again and look for new businesses.

The businesses a group owns continuously drop money. Every 10min the group receives an amount of money from the head office for each business it owns. The money (including the fine that other groups had to pay) is deposited in the central office and can be collected by the group at any time.

The money is deposited in the central office and can be collected by the group at any time

However, this 10min amount is constantly decreasing. In order for it to rise again, the group can perform maintenance on a business it owns. To do this, the group just needs to photograph the business one more time and take the picture to headquarters. There, the group can again pay an amount of money to the head office and the 10min amount will increase by a certain amount.

The current 10min amount of a building is also the fine that another group has to pay if it takes a picture of the building and wants to buy it.

The goal of the game is to own as many businesses as possible (so owning a lot of cash at the end does nothing).

Game rules

General game rules

• A maximum of 2 buildings may be purchased and 2 buildings may be maintained (upkeep) per visit to the headquarters. So it is not worth to take more pictures, because after that all pictures will be deleted on the digital camera
• Groups cannot directly influence each other (steal money, etc.).
• Bought buildings cannot be resold or sold back, unless a group goes bankrupt, in which case they can/must sell back buildings to the headquarters.
• Pictures only count if the company (sign) is easily recognizable.
• Every business is worth the same and costs the same, no matter how big it is.

All businesses are considered

• Any business with employees that is in a building and has a sign on the front.
• Examples: Organic grocery store, construction company, architectural firm, nursery, etc.

NOT considered a business

• Farms
• Machinery only (crane, truck, etc.)
• Market stalls
• Village administration buildings

Overview of play money amounts

This is one approach to amounts that the game worked well with. It is important that groups make a profit relatively quickly, otherwise the game is not much fun.

Starting money per group: 3000$

Prize per company: 1000$

Starting 10min amount of a company: 400$
(Decreases by 40$ per 10min. / This is also the fine amount of a certain building.)

Pricing the maintenance of a business: 2000$

-->Per maintenance work on a particular building, that building's 10min amount increases by 400$

Example

Group A buys a company for $1000. Twenty-five minutes later, Group B wants to buy that company as well. They have to deposit a fine of 360$ for group A. After a 32min, group A comes along and can pick up 1440$ for this company:

10min (10min amount)        400$
20min (10min amount)         360$
25min (Buses Group B)     360$
30min (10min amount)         320$
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Gesamt                            1440$
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Group A has again taken a picture of the business and wants to do maintenance work. For this, the group takes another picture of the company and pays the head office 2000$. The 10min amount thus increases to 720$ (current amount 320$ + 400$).

Experiences with the game

The game sounds more complicated than it is and the children had a lot of fun with it. It is important that there is at least one slightly older participant in each group. This is then responsible for the digital camera.

The game can also be carried out in smaller towns without any problems (there are always some companies).

It is also important that the leaders in the headquarters do not lose track of the game. It makes sense for one leader to be responsible for paying out 10min amounts and another to handle all company purchases and maintenance.

Source credits

• Title image: © Rike  / pixelio.de