Starlanes

Publisher

Interactive Classifieds Network Corporation

Platforms

iOS

Welcome to Starlanes!

Object of the Game

Playing against one or more human and computer players, you strive to amass the most wealth by creating and merging companies, and buying stocks.

How to Play

The game board has 150 squares, some of which are filled by stars and black holes.

At the start of each turn you are shown 7 randomly chosen squares where you may place a tile. If you place a tile adjacent to a star or an independent tile, a company will be created and you will be given 5 shares of stock in that company. (If you are playing under the “Friendly Rules”, all other players receive some money when a player forms a new company.)

After placing a tile, you can then purchase shares of stock in the companies on the board. The game continues, with each player placing tiles and buying shares of stock in turn. To win the game, you should buy shares in companies you think can grow the fastest, and then use your moves to help them to grow.

Companies

The share price of a company is determined by the number of tiles, with each tile adding $100. Thus, a company with four tiles will be $400.

Stars add value to a company. Each star adjacent to a company adds $500.

Black holes subtract value. Each black hole adjacent to a company subtracts $500. If black holes cause a company’s share price to drop below $200, the company is destroyed.

Money

Each player begins the game with $6000. Players receive income equal to 5% of the value of the shares that they own each turn.

Rounds and turns

The game is divided into rounds. In every round, each player in turn gets a chance to place a tile and buy shares. The order of the players’ turns is mixed up each round, so you will not know who will go first at the
start of any given round. It is possible (and even common) for a player to have two turns in a row. For example, you could be the last player to take a turn in a Round 4 and the first player to take a turn in Round 5.

Mergers

If you place a tile that connects two or more companies, the companies will merge. During a merger, the largest company will take over the smaller companies, with shares in the smaller companies being converted into shares in the larger company. If companies of equal size are merged, the older company will take over the newer company.

Ending the game

The game ends when only one company remains and there are not enough free squares for new companies to be formed.