I have developed Expansion Kits for the game of ACQUIRE, including the largest variant of them all, the game of MEGAcquire. I am attempting to take the game of ACQUIRE to levels that add intrigue for the longtime ACQUIRE fan, while at the same time, broadening their game experience. I also offer replacement parts for vintage ACQUIRE games so you can fix your old game and continue to enjoy your treasured classic for many more years.
1963 World Map Conversion Kit
While working towards this goal, the most astonishing fact I learned was that the game of ACQUIRE was played differently in its original form. Sid Sackson's original idea for this game was called "Vacation" and it had a different set of rules. These rules and game play were in the original test market games of ACQUIRE that were sold in December of 1963 and early 1964.
By creating the 1963 World Map Conversion Kit, I can offer players the ability to recreate those original Sid Sackson rules in their own edition of ACQUIRE. This allows the players to play the game the way Sid designed it and before it was drastically altered by the 3M company as they produced their own edition of ACQUIRE.
The 1963 World Map Conversion Kit has been designed to fit 3M, Avalon Hill or 1999 Hasbro editions of ACQUIRE. This kit has also been designed to fit the game of MEGAcquire.
Special Powers Variant Kit
The Special Powers Variants first appeared in the 1993 Schmidt Spiel German edition of ACQUIRE, and then were subsequently used in the 1995 Avalon Hill edition. This Expansion Kit allows each player to have 5 Special Powers Cards in their hand at the start of game play.
The Special Powers include free shares of stock, the ability to trade stocks, the ability to purchase extra stock, the ability to draw extra tiles, and the ability to play extra tiles. These five cards can be used at anytime during game play but they can only be used one at a time and only used once during the game.
These cards become their own strategy within themselves and sometimes a player may never use all of them. It creates a certain chaos in the game that skews the game back and forth. The Special Powers Variants Kit that can be used in all versions of ACQUIRE.
Wild Tile Kit
The Wild Tile Kit was an idea envisioned and portrayed to me by Allan Wright of New Hampshire. I utilized his idea and created the Wild Tile Kit.
The Wild Tile Kit is a variant of the game of ACQUIRE that allows each player to have one blank tile that they can play any time during the game when it is their turn. It guarantees that each player will have that one "perfect" peg at the start of the game. This variant increases the eventuality of mergers as each player is equipped with that ability from the start of game play.
The Wild Tile Kit is designed to fit the 3M wood tile edition, both the 3M and Avalon Hill plastic tile editions, and the 1999 Hasbro edition of ACQUIRE. This kit has also been designed for the game of MEGAcquire.
Lloyd's Rules of ACQUIRE
All of the above kits come with Lloyd's Rules of ACQUIRE. Lloyd's Rules were created to help alleviate one sided games that occur quite often during ACQUIRE game play. They were designed to align the game more with corporate reality, level the playing field by reducing luck and increasing strategy, and open the opportunity for all players to stay in the game until the final count of money.
Lloyd's Rules of ACQUIRE also include a Stock Price Extension Chart that helps players calculate payouts during mergers and at the end of the game.