Speculate is a game or share dealing, manufacturing, monopolies and business management It's your chance to run a manufacturing business make a fortune on The stock market. Build a corporate empire, try your hand at insider dealing, fix a few share prices, engage in asset stripping and fight takeover battles And if you run out of ideas, or money, you can always try a spot of fraud. (Keep an eye on the city news in your newspaper; you'll find plenty of hints & tips)

The object of the game is to make money Lots of it your target is a million, and you start with a mere 10,000 (and a friendly bank manager) Clear money or dirty money, it makes no difference Speculate is a game where honesty is Optional (but may be the best policy) and double-dealing is standard. And if you can keep your head while all around you are jumping from tall buildings then you'll probably survive to win.

There is an assortment of companies. Which manufacture an assortment of commodities. Some of the commodities made by some of the companies are the raw materials needed by others to produce their commodities. Others are consumer products, demand for which depends on the state of the economy All raw materials are in short supply, and the richest usually gets the most of whatever is available.

To start the game you bid for your initial share holdings. You'll need to see the rulebook before deciding these and you're normally only entered in the game once these arrive (but there's a standard set if you don't send them in time). You have a choice of targeting one or two companies in the hope of getting control, or spreading your investments around to wait and see what happens. Unless you're very lucky. Gaining control of companies will mean making deals with other shareholders so that they'll vote you in as Managing director.

Trouble is, the MD has complete control over the company. You can do anything; pay all the capital out as dividends, invest it in depreciating assets or pack up the factory and essential raw materials in boxes and ship it to a rival company. Or you could run it properly, buying the raw materials you need, paying the wages of your work force and selling the finished products on the open market. It's probably a good idea if you want to stay in charge. Otherwise you'll probably trigger a share issue, which will usually give other players the chance to seize control.

Commodity prices rise and Fall according to demand, so there's always the temptation to hold back supply and let demand push your prices and your profit margins higher On the other hand, if you bold back supply the demand may go elsewhere (there's always at least one other company producing the same thing, and there are also import and export markets) and your passing up on the chance of money in the bank. Or your pocket Maybe advertising is the better way to boost demand. But it boosts demand for your rivals, too.

You can also supply materials direct to other companies on whatever deal you can agree. Usually you'll be able to get a better price this way (the commodities market eats a fair chunk of your profits, as it buys at prices much lower than it sells) although this usually means accepting some kind of barter.

As your corporate empire grows there's the chance to move your profits around to wherever they're worth the most (to you and the least to unwelcome shareholders) and to provide your own companies with guaranteed supplies of whatever they need. A player who completes a perfect trading ring (with all the raw materials produced by at least one company in the group, to keep down costs, and plenty of Consumer products to pile up the profits) is almost certain to win. But that means you need at least companies that make energy, raw materials, transports, widgets and plant. That means controlling five companies out of the fifteen, and there are nine other players fighting you for power. Not easy.

Making a million? In Speculate it takes around thirty turns. If only real life was so easy.

Please include your name and address Startup: £5.00 for rulebook, setup & three turns. Turnfees: £7 for four, £16 for ten, £28 for twenty.

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