Rolling Stock

In Rolling Stock, players take on the role of shrewd investors in a dynamic stock and company market. This card game focuses on trading private companies, acquired in exciting auctions, which can be turned into public corporations through IPOs or sold to become subsidiaries of already established corporations. Control of a corporation is determined by holding the majority of its shares, granting the majority shareholder the power to make crucial decisions: issuing new shares, paying dividends, and expanding the corporate empire by buying more subsidiaries from other players, corporations, or even an enigmatic foreign investor. The game's thematic universe begins with Prussian railways, gradually expanding to Germany, Europe, and, in a futuristic twist, even space. As the game's scope increases, older companies lose profitability and are eventually written off, severely impacting the book value of their owners. Although it lacks a physical board to simulate transportation, Rolling Stock models networking effects through synergies between geographically adjacent subsidiaries belonging to the same corporation. This simplified approach serves as a backdrop for the game's true heart: the complex trading of stocks and companies. Subtly inspired by the acclaimed 18xx series, Rolling Stock differentiates itself with significantly simpler rules, while maintaining comparable strategic depth.