You will need:

The board from the centre of The Economist's Christmas issue (or pdf version of board below)

These rules

Risk cards, currency and icons from the pdfs below (or you can use your diamond cufflinks, or any other mementos of your former wealth, to represent you on the board)

Four coins

Scissors (to cut out currency and cards)

Three or more players; probably six at most

How it works

Players start with 500m econos each. One player doubles as banker.

Players move round by throwing four coins and progressing as many squares as they throw heads. If a player throws four heads, he moves forward four spaces and has another turn; if he throws four tails, he throws again. When a player lands on a + square, he collects money from the bank; equally, when he lands on a minus square, he pays the bank.

The aim is to be the last solvent player. In order to achieve this, players try to eliminate the competition. Risk cards encourage players to pick on each other.

Players who cannot pay their fines may borrow from each other at any rate they care to settle on—for instance, 100% interest within three turns. They should negotiate with the other players to get the best rate possible. Players who cannot borrow must either go into Chapter 11 or be taken over.

Players may conceal their assets from each other.

Chapter 11

When a player gets into debt and can't persuade anybody else to lend to him, he goes bankrupt. A player who goes bankrupt three times is eliminated.

A bankrupt player must move to the Chapter 11 cell and stay there until:

1. He uses a “Get out of Chapter 11” card

2. He rolls four heads or four tails during his turn

3. He is taken over

A player coming out of bankruptcy goes to START.

If a player cannot escape Chapter 11 for five turns he is eliminated.

Takeover

A player may be taken over either if he cannot pay his debts or if he is already in Chapter 11. The purchaser pays the purchased player's debts. If there is a takeover battle, the aspiring purchasers must bid against each other, and the highest bidder pays his bid to the bank.

The purchaser and subsidiary then play, in effect, as a team, though the purchaser is in charge. He gets to choose the beneficiaries and victims of the risk cards his subsidiary picks and may use the subsidiary's assets to pay his fines, or pay the subsidiary's fines if he wishes. But he does not have to: if his subsidiary gets into debt again, he can let the subsidiary go into Chapter 11. The subsidiary is then a free agent once more, and may get out of Chapter 11 in the usual ways. But the player who has just abandoned him may not take him over during that stay in Chapter 11, although he may during a subsequent visit.

Printing money

The Bank of Econia supplies the currency for this game. To access the banks vaults, download and print the money using the currency pdfs. Money may be printed in colour or grayscale.

The econo is available in five notes: Ec 10 million (here), Ec 50 million (here), Ec 100 million (here), Ec 500 million (here) and Ec 1000 million (here). There is a pdf page for each denomination with 10 bills on each page.

The Bank encourages a print run of:

60 x Ec 10m (6 pages with 10 bills on each page)

60 x Ec 50m (6 pages with 10 bills on each page)

60 x Ec 100m (6 pages with 10 bills on each page)

20 x Ec 500m (2 pages with 10 bills on each page)

20 x Ec 1000m (2 pages with 10 bills on each page)

Use scissors to separate notes.

Printing “Financial Risk” cards

There are 30 “Financial Risk” cards contained in three pdfs (here, here and here). Print one copy of each pdf and use scissors to separate cards. Place separated cards in a pile face down during play.

Printing icons

Players may choose any item to represent them on the board. Optional icons are contained on an icon pdf (here). Print page and separate desired icons using scissors. Fold back base flaps in order to allow the icon to stand upright.

Printing game board

The game board is available for printing on two pdfs (here and here) with one half of the board on each file.

Enlarging the board is encouraged. This may require utilising larger paper or printing then assembling the board from several pages.