Arkwright — Prices

Alright folks, let's dive into Arkwright, a game that throws you right into the English Industrial Revolution, around the 18th century. The goal here is theoretically simple: to have the most valuable block of shares on the market. To achieve this, you'll manage up to four factories, deciding whether to focus on mass production or technologically upgrading your units. Hiring workers is essential, but they're expensive, so the idea is to replace them with machines as soon as possible. You set the price for your goods, but beware: the higher the price, the lower the chance of selling. Improving quality and running sales promotions helps sell more and increases the value of your shares. Each player has their own action tokens, like building, modernizing, hiring, and improving quality, which are placed on an administration board. Paying more for an action can give you a bonus, such as buying more machines at once. Over time, your actions become more effective, allowing for greater progress. Each round, one industry becomes active, requiring you to pay your workers and machines and sell your production. Selling well and with quality increases your share value. You can ship your goods to the colonies by sea, provided you have a contract with the East India Company. After five rounds, the player with the most valuable block of shares wins. It's not enough to just have many shares or the highest individual value; the combination is what counts. Arkwright gives you the freedom to choose your strategy: focus on a few highly developed factories, expand everything, use sea transport, or concentrate on the domestic market. Reacting to opponents is crucial, whether by exploiting a market with low supply or exiting a market where competition is fierce. Buying shares low and selling high, or vice versa, is also part of the game. For those who just want a taste, there's the 'Spinning Jenny' version (120 min), but to fully enjoy the complex experience, the 'Waterframe' version (240 min) is the way to go.