BUY
OUT

Each round, ten cards are placed in the market — Assets face up, Contacts face down. Players take one turn each, in order from wealthiest to poorest, placing bids on the slots they want. More money means acting earlier, but with less information about what others will do. When everyone has bid, cards go to the highest bidder. Losing bids recover half their value. Remaining market cards are discarded, then players collect income equal to the sum of their owned Assets.

Assets are played face up and generate income each round, with ongoing, activated, and triggered abilities that shape the board. Contacts are kept as a hidden hand — powerful single-use effects with a five-card limit. Both can be used at any time within their stated limits. Some abilities let players shift card placement in the market, turning bids placed in good faith into bids on something else entirely.

When the buyout trigger is drawn, the round plays out normally — then the final phase begins. Players secretly choose a contribution amount and reveal simultaneously. If the total meets the minimum for that round, the buyout is prevented. If not, players can continue making further attempts until no one contributes. The highest successful counteroffer wins. Each player's contribution is then assessed: less than 1/x of the winning total means layoff, regardless of the outcome. As does failing a secret Performance Goal.