Stockpile: Background and How to Play

 

Stockpile: Background and How to Play

📈 Background and Overview

Stockpile is a strategy board game about stock market investing, auction bidding, insider information, and market manipulation. Players act as private investors at the end of the 20th century, aiming to amass the greatest net worth by making smart investment decisions.

Unlike many economic games where prices are public, Stockpile gives players partial insider information about future stock movements, adding a layer of bluffing and prediction.

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🎯 Objective of the Game

The goal of Stockpile is to end the game with the highest net worth, which comes from a combination of cash, dividends, and valuable stock holdings.

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📦 Game Components

Typical components in Stockpile include:

• Game board with stock ticker tracks

• Player boards and bidding meeples

• 60 Stock cards

• Company and Forecast cards (insider info)

• Trading fees and Action cards

• Currency cards for money

• Turn marker and first player token

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🎮 How to Play Stockpile

1. Setup

1. Each player receives a player board, bidding meeple, and starting money (usually $20,000).

2. Stock tickers are placed at starting values on the board.

3. Shuffle the Company and Forecast decks.

4. Deal one stock card to each player to start their portfolio.

5. Determine the first player.

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2. Turns and Phases

Each round consists of six phases played in order:

Information Phase

• Each player receives one Company card and one Forecast card.

• These together reveal how that company’s stock will change by the end of the round.

• Some of this info stays private while some is public knowledge.

Supply Phase

• Players build Stockpiles by placing cards (stocks, trading fees, or actions) face‑up and face‑down into piles.

• These piles will later be bid on and purchased.

Demand Phase (Bidding)

• Players use bidding meeples to bid on the stockpiles they want.

• Higher bids win richer or more promising piles—but they cost more money.

• Once bidding finishes, players pay and collect the full contents of the stockpiles they won.

Action Phase

• Players play any Action cards they gained.

• These can force stock values up (boom) or down (bust).

Selling Phase

• Players may sell stocks they hold at current prices, earning cash.

• Timing is crucial—sell too early or too late and you may miss profits.

Movement Phase

• Stock values move according to the forecast and company cards.

• Stocks can split (raising share counts) or go bankrupt (dropping to zero and discarding shares).

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🏁 End of Game and Winning

When the final round ends:

1. Players reveal their stock portfolios.

2. Majority shareholders in each company receive bonuses.

3. Stocks are sold at final prices.

4. All cash and bonuses are totaled.

5. The player with the highest net worth wins.

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💡 Key Concepts & Tips

• Insider Information: Private price movement hints help you decide when to buy or sell.

• Stockpile Bidding: You never fully know what’s in a stockpile before bidding—face‑down cards create risk and reward.

• Trading Fees: Some stockpiles come with fees that drain money if unlucky.

• Diversify vs. Focus: A diversified portfolio limits risk, but focusing on a single booming stock can pay off big.

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🧠 Why You’ll Enjoy Stockpile

✔ Simulates real market tension without real money
✔ Partial information encourages bluffing and strategy
✔ Fast rounds (typically ~45 minutes)
✔ Great for 2–5 players seeking interactive decision play ✨

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Where to Buy

• Stockpile - Base Game (English) – Standard edition of the game

• Stockpile Board Game %100 Complete Nauvoo Strategy Bidding G – Premium/complete version