Acquire is one of those board game’s that I’ve heard about for years, but never got around to playing.
The basic idea is to transform small start-up companies into massive conglomerates. Players have the opportunity to buy stocks, which can earn them cash if their companies grow, and must constantly work to develop their companies while fending off attempts by other players “acquire” their holdings,
It’s a straightforward, capitalist game with nary a sign of socialist leanings (well, there are a few limits on how big a company can get, but that’s more of a game issue than a philosophical one).
It’s one of Avalon Hill’s classic games (or so I’m told) and fortunately for gamers everywhere, it was one of the few games re-released when Hasbro bought out the defunct gaming company. Naturally, as a libertarian-minded kind of guy, when I heard the description, I decided I had to buy it … games that unabashedly support capitalist ideals are few and far between.
That said, I never quite got around to buying it until this week. It sells for $40 to $45, which is a respectable chunk of change (especially when you’ve got a HeroClix addiction to feed…). But then during a run to Wizards of the Coast to pick up a Settlers of Catan expansion during LanceCon, I saw it. They were selling Acquire, which isn’t really surprising given that WotC runs Avalon Hill for Hasbro. No, what was surprising was the price: $19.99! I couldn’t buy it then and there, but that glorious one-penny-shy-of-$20 price tag got me motivated. When I got $25 as a Father’s Day present, I made a point of running out to the WotC store after work and picking up a copy.
Now all I have to do is find the time to play it…