John Company second edition

John Company second edition

In John Company, players take on the roles of ambitious families trying to use the British East India Company for personal gain. The game begins in the early eighteenth century, when the Company has weak footholds on the subcontinent. During the game, the Company can evolve into the most powerful and insidious corporation in the world or collapse under the weight of its ambitions.

John Company is a game about the state-funded trading monopoly. Unlike most economic games, players often do not control their own businesses. Instead’ of this, they will collectively guide the Company by securing positions of power, trying to steer the Company's fortunes in ways that benefit their own interests. However, the Company is an unwieldy thing. It is difficult to do anything on your own, and players will often have to bargain with one another. In John Company, most things are negotiable.

Ultimately, this game is not about wealth, but reputation. In each round some members of your family may be retired from their positions in the Company, giving them the opportunity to create fortunes. It is critical that players do not have full control over when these retirements will occur. Often you will need to borrow money from other players to best take advantage of a retirement opportunity. Players also earn victory points by competing in London society for prestige and by securing fashionable properties.

John Company treats its subject matter very seriously. It is meant as an honest portrait of an institution that was as dysfunctional as it was influential. Consequently, the game wrestles with many of the central issues of imperialism and globalization during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and with how those developments were felt within the country. As such, this game may not be suitable for all players. Make sure everyone on your team consents to this exploration before playing.

The second edition is extensively revised and is not a reprint.

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