Name of the Game: Success!
Game Designers: Mike Brazil & Jorge Mora.
The Plot: The object of the game is to become a partner at Milton, Faust and Fink (or at least not get fired) through any means necessary.
Goals: Corporate Ladder is a game of collaborations and betrayals. Through negotiations and backstabbing, each player tries to carve their way up the corporate ladder to become a full partner before his or her coworkers. A player can also attempt to ruin another player’s career by putting them down a rung on the ladder.
Tool or Elements:
- 2 to 4 players
- 2 dice.
- 1 board.
Rules:
1) For an average-length game, each player begins at Middle Management. For an advanced game that could either be very long or extremely short, begin at the Worker level.
2) At the start of a player’s turn, he has two choices. He can either work on an important project, or sabotage another player.
2.A) Project: If the player (the Project Lead) decides work on a project, he rolls 2d6 and consults the Key to Success! chart. This is the indication on how well he did on his project. The number indicated on the chart is the number of rungs the Lead goes up (did well on his project) or down (did poorly on his project). Example: if the Lead rolls an 8, his project was a reasonable success and he has gone up one rung on the ladder. If the Lead rolls a 6, his project did poorly and he has stepped down a rung on the ladder. If the project was a failure, the Lead can attempt to negotiate with another player (the Collaborator) to take another chance at successfully completing the project. If the Collaborator agrees, the Lead takes another roll. Since the Collaborator has devoted his precious time (gives up his next turn) to help the Lead out, his status at Milton, Faust and Fink changes. Thus, the Collaborator goes up one square on the board. Example: Mike (the Lead) wants to land the Anderson account, which could change the course of his career at Milton, Faust & Fink, but his first attempt at completing the project was a disaster and he dropped 2 rungs on the corporate ladder. Desperate to regain some status with M, F & F, he talks Jorge (the Collaborator) into helping him complete the project. Mike tries again and this time regains 1 rung on the ladder, for a total loss of 1 rung. Since Jorge came in at the nick of time to save Mike’s project, his status with M, F & F goes up 1 rung as well.
2.B) Sabotage: If the player decides that another coworker is too high up in M, F & F, he can spread office rumors and actively attempt to desecrate the coworker’s good name. All of that slander takes time (the saboteur gives up their turn) but results in the target coworker to lose one rung on the ladder. Example: after Jorge helped Mike out he ended up being 2 rungs ahead. Feeling jealous and worrying that Jorge might become a full partner ahead of him, Mike decides to spread office rumors about Jorge’s illegal practices and poor work ethic. While it isn’t enough bad press to make Jorge lose his job, Jorge still ends up being demoted.
A player cannot become partner nor be fired simply by collaborating or being sabotaged. Only a player’s own actions can determine their final fate.
Feedbacks:
-It was fun.
- There were always possibilities.
- It is necessary to increase more possibilities of collaboration in order to create more strategies in contrast with the emotional moments. For instance: you can negotiate with a player two steps below you & you promote it if he would give his turn.
- Increasing the possibilities of cooperation, increasing chances of winning with negotiation & punishing sabotage, then it will be more funny & attractive.
- Create a sabotage key which gives less possibilities of advancing.
