How to Play Acquire

The complete rules of Acquire — the classic 2–6 player game of founding companies, trading stock, and engineering mergers.

Too Big To Fail is a free online version that plays by Acquire's rules; the companies are renamed, but everything below works exactly as it does in the original. Found companies, buy stock, engineer mergers, and finish with the most cash to win.

Setup

• The board is a 12×9 grid of 108 tiles (labeled 1A through 12I).
• Each player starts with $6,000 in cash and 6 tiles in hand.
• There are 7 chains (companies) and 25 shares of stock available in each.

On Your Turn

Each turn has two steps:

1. Place a Tile

Choose a tile from your hand and place it on the board. What happens depends on where it lands:

• Lonely tile — not adjacent to any other tile. It sits on the board unaffiliated.
• Founding tile — adjacent to one or more unaffiliated tiles but no chain. You found a new chain by choosing from the available (inactive) chains. You receive one free share of stock as a founder's bonus.
• Extending tile — adjacent to tiles of exactly one chain. The chain grows.
• Merging tile — adjacent to tiles of two or more chains. A merger occurs (see below).

Permanently unplayable tiles (ones that would merge two safe chains) are automatically replaced in your hand.

2. Buy Stock

You may buy up to 3 shares of stock in any active chains, as long as you can afford them and shares remain in the bank. You can split purchases across different chains. Buying stock is optional. After buying, you draw a replacement tile to refill your hand.

Chains

The seven chains are grouped into three pricing tiers:

Trikkel Ponzico Grifton Bailmore Leverex Hedgeworth Vultara

Stock Prices

Stock price depends on the chain's tier and current size (number of tiles):

Example: Grifton (medium tier) at 8 tiles falls in the 6–10 bucket, so each share costs $700. Grow it to 12 tiles and the price jumps to $800.

Mergers

When a tile is placed adjacent to two or more chains, a merger occurs. The larger chain survives and absorbs the smaller one(s). If chains are tied in size, the merging player chooses the survivor.

Merger Bonuses

When a chain is absorbed, shareholders receive bonuses based on the defunct chain's stock price:

• Majority shareholder (most shares) — bonus = stock price × 10
• Minority shareholder (second-most shares) — bonus = stock price × 5
• If there's a tie for majority, all tied players split the combined majority + minority bonus equally.
• If only one player holds stock, they receive both bonuses.

Example: Bailmore (medium) is absorbed at size 10, where its share price is $700. The majority shareholder receives $7,000 (700 × 10) and the minority shareholder $3,500 (700 × 5), regardless of how many shares they then sell, trade, or hold.

Disposing of Stock

After bonuses are paid, each player holding stock in the defunct chain must decide what to do with their shares (in turn order):

• Hold — keep the shares (they may be valuable if the chain is re-founded later).
• Sell — sell shares back to the bank at current price.
• Trade — exchange 2 defunct shares for 1 share of the surviving chain (if available).

You can mix and match — sell some, trade some, hold the rest.

Safe Chains

A chain with 11 or more tiles is safe — it is Too Big To Fail. Safe chains cannot be absorbed in a merger. A tile that would merge two safe chains is permanently unplayable and gets replaced automatically.

Ending the Game

The game can end when either condition is met:

• Any single chain reaches 41 or more tiles, or
• All active chains are safe (11+ tiles each).

When end conditions are met, the current player may choose to end the game or continue playing. If they continue, the next player to meet the conditions will face the same choice.

Final Scoring

When the game ends:

1. Majority and minority bonuses are paid for every active chain.
2. All remaining stock is sold back at current prices.
3. The player with the most cash wins.

Strategy Tips

• Founding chains early earns you a free share — that's free money if the chain grows.
• Pay attention to which chains are likely to merge. Holding majority in a chain about to be absorbed pays big bonuses.
• Trading 2-for-1 during mergers can be more valuable than selling, especially if the surviving chain is large.
• Safe chains are reliable investments — they can't be absorbed, so their stock only goes up.
• Watch your opponents' stock holdings. Buying into chains where you can secure majority is key.
• Sometimes it's better to end the game early if you're in the lead, rather than giving opponents time to catch up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Too Big To Fail the same as Acquire?

Too Big To Fail plays by the rules of Acquire. The companies are renamed, but tile placement, founding chains, mergers, stock trading, and scoring work the same way.

Can I play Acquire online for free?

Yes. Too Big To Fail is a free online version you play in your browser, with 2 to 6 players or against AI opponents. No download, no ads.

How many players do you need?

2 to 6 players. You can fill empty seats with AI opponents to play solo or complete a table.

How long does a game take?

Most games finish in under 15 minutes online, since tile draws, pricing, and payouts are handled automatically.

What is a safe chain?

A chain with 11 or more tiles is safe — Too Big To Fail — and can never be absorbed in a merger.

How is stock price determined?

Price depends on the chain's pricing tier (cheap, medium, or expensive) and its current size in tiles. Bigger chains cost more per share.

How do you win Acquire?

When the game ends, majority and minority bonuses are paid for every chain and all stock is sold at current prices. The player with the most cash wins.