What would you do with unlimited money? How about buy an asset of questionable value?

The Ledger

In The Ledger, players are members of the .0000001%. They have vast, untapped access to massive loans that they use to play a very expensive game: they bid for a card of questionable value.

The only way to win this game is to not lose, but still have had possession of the card enough times to claim its prestige.

How to play

To play, you just need the card and a dry erase marker. Some people might want a calculatory (or phone) to help keep track of their unlimited monies. But if you do, keep it secret!

Getting started

At the start of the game, erase the card. Pick a start player and give them the card and the dry erase marker. You're ready to begin.

The course of the game

The game is played over a series of nine rounds with 3 phases: assigning value, bidding and scoring.

Assigning the card value

At the start of each round, the player with the card will write a multiple of ten between 0 and 90 on the first blank space on the back of the card. By writing this number, the player is increasing the value of the card.

For example, with the following digits written in, the value of the card is a mere $107,020

Bidding

Without revealing the new value of the card, the player with the card starts the bidding. They can bid whatever amount they want. For example, they might start the bidding at $150,000 for this card. The first player MUST bid at least a dollar.

Once they bid, the other players, in player order, will decide whether to bid higher or pass.

Once all players have had the chance to bid or pass, the player with the card gives the card to the player with the highest bid.

Scoring

The player who receives the card, then scores the card. If this is their first time winning a bid, the player writes their name into the ledger.

They then add the number of stars below the left most digit to their W (Win) column. And, finally, they subtract the current value of the card from their winning bid.

For example, let's say the winning player bid $1,000,000 for the card. Their entry might look like this:

End of Round

After the scoring, the winning bidder starts the new round: assigning a value and opening the bidding.

End of Game

The game ends after the 5-star round. At that point, the card is revealed to everyone.

The loser: the player who took out the MOST loans, loses regardless of the number of stars.

The winner: the winner is the remaining player who has the most stars. In the case of a tie, tie goes to the player with the lowest amount in loans.