Q. Do I have to be familiar with the "stock market" to play COMPOSITE INDEX?
A. No! - the game itself will teach you some stock market basics, BUT children down to age 6 have played it successfully. If a child can handle numbers, he can play the game.
Q. How long is a game?
A. Any length you like! You can play to different "targets" or "cash" and/or "stocks" (or any combination of cash and stocks), to generate either a "short", "medium" or "long" game, depending on time available... OR you can play games to a time limit. Time-limited games can be played such that the "most cash" in front of the player wins, or some play that when the time runs out, everyone "cashes in" their "stocks" at the current "price", to determine the winner.
Q. Does one player "get an edge", then no one can "catch up" to him/her?
A. Sometimes... but you can literally be within one play of "going out" and someone else can or may stop you, or beat you!
Q. How does COMPOSITE INDEX compare to other "funny-money-oriented" games?
A. COMPOSITE INDEX was invented because some games were too boring, too difficult or not enough fun to play! If this is not the most enjoyable, family-oriented board game you've ever played, Kirkland Games will refund your money!
Q. How many can play?
A. 2 to 6 works extremely well... We've had games with up to 12 players, but it's too long a wait between turns!
Q. Can you "sell short", "buy long" or "take out options"?
A. We found during development that "selling short" and "buying long" created too much complexity, but we did include "Options", since it makes for an integral and exiting feature of the game. There is also a "Speculative Pool" (funded by the "Bank"), where players get occasional chances to win or lose "cash" by betting on dice rolls. It's sometimes possible to attain the winning "target" by "betting against the Pool", and winning.
Q. Are there any other features I should know about?
A. Yes! COMPOSOTE INDEX is designed to have FUN! We encourage players to come up with special "rules" for making the game more exciting. As long as all the players agree, what harm is there in adding or refining the rules for everyone"s enjoyment? One that we "made up" was that each player would keep his "Stock Sheet" face down, so that another player would not see how much of each "stock" he "owned"!
No one ever "sits out" a game through "bankruptcy"... In this game, you are re-instated with your original "stake" and virtually "start over" without losing any time. It might even have the effect of improving a bad "position" you had prior to "going under"!
Generally speaking, the rules are applied in such a way that "anything legal" in your turn can be done in any order that you may wish during your turn! This makes for some very creative "moves"!
No two games "play" the same way twice!
There are elements of skill and luck in COMPOSITE INDEX.
The game plays just as well with 6 as it does with 2!
