Burn Rate (2002)

About this game

BURN RATE puts the players in the role of a dot-com CEO, trying to keep his startup afloat. The challenge of the game is to keep a startup in business and lose money as slowly as possible. Opponents try to force each other to flame out quickly with money-wasting dot-com projects, over hiring, and incompetent vice presidents. The mechanics of the game are based on real life. A player's employee [cards] each has a skill number, and that skill allows the play of cards that represent their actions. For example, a FUNDING card with a skill prerequisite of 2 requires an Finance employee with a minimum skill of 2 to play it. A player's bank account is debited each turn based on his current situation, or "burn rate". A player wins when all the others have run out of money.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.6/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 13 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.