Acquire

Acquire is one of the most incredible Money-Hotel/Corporation games to be invented!Fast paced, full of surprises!Mergers, takeovers and upsets.NO two games are ever alike and like the stock exchange, you don't know who is the winner until the "bell" rings!The reason this outshines games such as Monopoly, it that ACQUIRE it is truly a "group" game! All the players play until the end and enjoy the fun equally.In Monopoly the goal is to "wipe out" the other players.If you play with six people, eventually four or so are off doing other things.How exciting is it to watch a greedy mogul in the final conquering stages.In Acquire, everyone plays to the bitter end and more often then not, the winner may be decided by a one note difference; talk about suspenseful endings.Strategies that work one time, will vary the next.I enjoy that there is less luck; as in mind-numbing rolling of "casino mentality" dice, and more strategy.In Acquire you always have six options open to you, but will you make the right choice, or did you hold out too long.The result can change the direction of the game for all.Also, the corporation of the most importance or profit margin vary from game to game.In Monopoly, Boardwalk is always Boardwalk and Baltic Ave is always Baltic Ave.I seriously doubt anyone has ever won investing solely on Baltic Ave.Yet in Acquire, the third class corporations may end up on top in one game, while a middle stock may be the dominate one in the next game.Ahhh! Variety is the spice of life!Finally, the best aspect of Acquire is that the game only takes twenty to forty minutes;whereas, Mononoply may go on for days (for some of the players) Yawn!

I have taught over fifteen people this game and we have regular Acquire nights where we will play two to three games in one setting. Everyone have ACQUIRED their own GAME and have gone on to ACQUIRE other new players.One friend just named their new puppy ZETA... You may wonder where they ACQUIRED that name... get a game and find out!You won't be disappointed, but you may ACQUIRE a new addiction to a board game!

ACQUIRE is a classic financial game. Buy stock and maneuver corporations. Cash in bonuses for being a major stockholder when the mergers happen!

This is the best-looking American edition of this game (it's been printed several times by different publishers here and in Europe), with nice colored headquarters buildings and chunky gray board tiles, with a glossy black board that holds the tiles in place.

The game plays quickly, and is over in about 45 minutes or so. You'll usually be paying attention even when it's not your turn, as your opponents tile placements and stock buys will often affect your plans. Everyone is in the game to the end (no one gets eliminated), and the game usually ends up being pretty close. Sometimes the winner is someone you thought had no chance, but you'll figure out when the winner turned it around during the after-action analysis. Why play Monopoly (which takes about 4 times as long to play) when you can play ACQUIRE, which is at least 4 times as fun and interesting?

P.S. Someone must be high in Tallahassee. There are 9x12= 108 tiles in this version, the SAME as every other edition of ACQUIRE that I have ever seen. The number of companies and stock certificates are the same, also. So don't worry, this edition has all the standard pieces the previous editions had, and is prettier to boot!

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This is a really great game.I can't believe it has flown under my radar for so long.I actually don't play the new "Avalon Hill" version.I prefer the 1960s 3M version, available on Ebay if nowhere else.The 1960s version is quite a bit simpler and doesn't have the gaudy colors and names that the new version has.But basically they are the same game.

There are two main reasons this game is far superior to Monopoly 1. No dice that element of chance is not present there is still some chance, but it is a very level playing field. 2. There is no negotiations like there is in Monopoly.My brothers and I had to stop playing Monopoly after a while because we would fight too much.But we can play Acquire because there are no negotiations!You just build hotels and buy stock.Great game great fun for the whole family (provided the family is old enough to understand and play well I suggest 14 and up).

Another great game is Settlers of Catan, and though it does have dice and negotiations, it is a very good game too.

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The best thing about Acquire is that it is very easy to learn, but nonetheless involves a lot of thinking and strategy. This is unusual for strategy games most of them tend to involve lots of rules and so players get bogged down or scared away. But not with Acquire. You will actually get new players regularly, and old players keep coming back. Games are short (45-60 minutes), which is another big plus.

It is the best multiplayer game that is popular among non-gamers. I cannot speak highly enough of this game you will soon find yourself thinking like a financial strategist and corporate bigwig. If they had an online version of it, I would play every day. Try to get it used, since the price tag is high, but be sure to get one with the plastic pieces. This new version by Hasbro is GREAT! Buy it today.

If you want to see me rip Hasbro for putting out horrible expansion sets for Axis & Allies, please go to the reviews for A&A Europe and A&A Pacific to read my thoughts there. Quite the opposite of this review!

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When the 3M game company produced a series of "bookcase" games in the early 1960's through the 1970's they set a standard for smart design and mechanics of play coupled with attractive packaging and concise playing time. Acquire was one of the best. A simple idea of tile placement on a board coupled with stock purchases and merger ability is a tribute to inventor Sid Sackson's genius. The great Avalon Hill company, producer of quality war games eventually bought out the 3M line and upgraded Acquire twice before it's demise in 1998. When Hasbro took over, they realized this game had great potential for a modernized treatment and upgrade. The result has been wonderful! The design and packaging ensure that this now great classic will continue to impress a new generation of players well beyond the halcyon days of the Avalon Hill company. I strongly recommend this game to awaken potential game players to the knowledge that there are greater games of complexity and interest out there besides the usual Monopoly, Risk, Chutes and Ladders and Candyland that are the common lot of growing up. This game could lead you to a whole new world of "addiction" as an adult, and encompasses the strategy of Monopoly with the ruthlessness of Risk. This may lead you to other Hasbro "Avalon Hill" titles, especially the new D-Day Axis and Allies, Risk 2210 AD, or "History of the World" and you will be all the better for it. Well recommended by this veteran gamer and collector of over 40 years!