Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 132: Looking Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 132: Looking Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

In the previous post, I showed a brief look back on what 2022 was like for me as an Automationeer. This time, however, I will be looking forward to 2023 and what it will bring to the Automation community. Specifically, I will describe some of my predictions for the New Year. The most important of them are as follows:

• Even more content, features, mods, and bugfixes: This is especially important, especially since 2022 saw the addition of a lot more content and features (including mods) than expected, in some cases replacing obsolete equivalents, some of which dated back to the Kee era of Automation. Moreover, 4.27 had a lot of bugs when it first entered open beta just before the start of 2022, but had become much more stable by year's end. That said, there is still room for improvement (in terms of content and stability, and I expect the Automation community to once again (over-)deliver in this regard.
• Increased standards for challenge hosting: Given that 2022 saw some of the most well-regarded Automation forum challenges (along with other challenges on the official Discord servers), it should come as no surprise that I would expect the challenges scheduled for launch 2023 will raise the bar even further. By now I've learned many lessons about hosting and joining challenges, but there is still scope for me to improve my skills, whether as a host or as an entrant, especially when developing a car intended for entry in a forum or Discord challenge (not just in terms of engineering, but also for interior and exterior design).

Fingers crossed my predictions for 2023 are correct. I hereby wish it and everyone who contributes to it a Happy New Year!

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 131: 2022 Year in Review - A Time of Change and Looking Ahead

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 131: 2022 Year in Review - A Time of Change and Looking Ahead

In regards to my hobby as an Automationeer, 2022 has proven to be a whirlwind year, with many ups and downs along the way. First, the bad news: I still haven't won an Automation forum competition... Yet. Worse yet, one such challenge, the Automation Legacy Challenge, intended as a showcase for the evolution of the fictional country of Araga, ended up in limbo after debuting with so much promise, although the Letara History Challenge has since filled the void it left behind. However, in the many challenges I have entered this year, I have learned many important lessons on how to build a car for a specific purpose, especially with the game having received many huge updates over the past year, thereby forcing me to re-learn some fundamental car-building skills.

Speaking of which, those updates have rendered everything I made in the previous game build obsolete, but this brings us to the good news: I treated this as an opportunity to make a fresh start. To that end, I exploited every new feature that was introduced for the newest release build (4.27); they have allowed players like myself to make cars that are more visually detailed and realistically engineered than ever before. And the really good news is that by now, the game has received a lot of new content, not just from the developers, but also from the thriving modding community, opening up lots of new possibilities. From new car body sets to extra trim and fixture options, as well as aesthetic advanced trim settings, designing a car in Automation has never been more enjoyable. Also, the community challenges hosted over the forums and Discord server are now generally of a higher standard than ever before. 

Keeping all of this in mind, 2023 should be a big year for us Automationeers, as I expect developers and modders alike to build on the work they've done over the past year, giving everyone a chance to take full advantage of the possibilities the new game build has provided us with, thereby raising the standard for car-building and challenge hosting to unprecedented heights. Here's to many more years of fun with Automation - I'll see you in the New Year, because that's when some of the challenges will wrap up, having being announced at some point in 2022, but are still ongoing as of now.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 5: A Brief History of Retirement Strategies

A Lifer's Diary, Part 5: A Brief History of Retirement Strategies

Ever since its debut in 1960, Hasbro's Game Of Life has had many format changes, but the one constant throughout them is the retirement mechanic that occurs when a player reaches the Retirement space at the very end of the Path of Life. However, each generation so far has handled retirement differently. Thus, a retirement strategy for one particular generation is seldom valid in another. Without further ado, here's a look at how retirement has evolved through the generations, as stated in the manuals for each one.

Retirement in Generation I

In Generation I, the Retirement space was not referred to as such, and was called the Day of Reckoning space. Any player who reached it would receive $20,000 per child and repay their debt at 25% interest ($25,000 for every $20,000 Promissory Note), before choosing to either go to Millionaire Acres or attempt to become a Millionaire Tycoon (but not both). A player who attempted to become a Millionaire Tycoon must place their mover (or their cash if they have any) on one of the ten numbers on the board, before spinning the wheel again. If the number spun does not match the number chosen, that player becomes bankrupt and moves to the Poor Farm. However, if the number spun matches the number chosen, that player instead becomes a Millionaire Tycoon, thereby winning the game immediately.

On the other hand, a player who chose to go to Millionaire Acres would have to spin again and move that many spaces towards that space. The first player to reach it would collect a $100,000 bonus and opponents' Lucky Number fees. The latter was determined as follows: Spin the wheel once, and the number on which it lands becomes their Lucky Number. For the rest of the game, a player with a Lucky Number can collect $10,000 from any opponent who spins it every time they do so, and that number can still be used for Side Bets. To distinguish them, each Millionaire Acres retiree must place their mover on their respective Lucky Number.

Finally, if none of the players become a Millionaire Tycoon, the game ends when the last player reaches the Poor Farm or Millionaire Acres. Every player then counts their money, and will receive a $50,000 bonus for owning a Stock Certificate, as well as $3,000 for a Life Insurance Policy. Once these bonuses have been added, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies for Generation I

Attempting to become a Millionaire Tycoon is tempting, but since it carries a high risk of becoming bankrupt, it is only advisable to do so if you have very little money compared to your opponents. Otherwise, it is better to head to Millionaire Acres instead, preferably as the first player to do so, thereby earning a $100,000 bonus.

Retirement in Generation II

Generation II brought the single most significant change to how retirement would be handled in The Game of Life to date. The two options for retirement were now called Countryside Acres and Millionaire Estates; there was no longer any chance for a player to become a Millionaire Tycoon or go bankrupt. In addition, the space immediately before Retirement was now called the Pension space; any player who landed on it must spin the spinner once and collect $20,000 multiplied by the number spun. As in Generation I, all players must repay any and all of their outstanding loans upon retirement. Also, in Generation 2.5, sell their house (if they have one) by spinning the wheel to determine its resale value, as shown on the reverse side of their House Deed, with the money obtained being added to their net worth. Finally, upon retirement, each player must also place their Career and Salary Cards out of play, along with any Insurance Policies they own, although they will still retain any and all Stock Cards in their possession.

As for the actual retirement options, Countryside Acres was the safer of the two choices available. Anyone who retired there would receive a Life Tile (taking from another player if the draw pile was emptied, if possible) and their own Life Tiles could not be taken by other players. Retiring at Millionaire Estates was a riskier alternative. Although a player who retired there could have their Life Tiles taken from them if the draw pile was depleted; the wealthiest player to retire at Millionaire Estates would receive 4 Life Tiles after all players have retired. Moreover, if two Millionaire Estates retirees have a tie for the highest net worth, both of them will receive 2 Life Tiles each.

Once all players have retired, each player must reveal the combined value of any and all Life Tiles in their possession and add it to their net worth; as before, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies for Generation II

I would recommend retiring at Millionaire Estates only if you are certain that you will be the wealthiest (or in some cases only) player to retire there. Otherwise, Countryside Acres would be a more viable option. Even then, collecting the 4 extra Life Tiles for being the richest player to retire at Millionaire Estates won't guarantee victory, but at least it makes you more likely to win the game. Not so much in Generation 2.5, where Life Tile values have been reduced fivefold compared to earlier prints of Generation II, but it's still a significant bonus nonetheless.

Retirement in Generation III

Generation III made it even riskier than before to retire at Millionaire Estates, since only the first three players to retire there would receive a Life Tile, and other players could still take Life Tiles from anyone who chose this option if the draw pile was depleted. On the other hand, although players retiring at Countryside Acres could not have their Life Tiles taken after the draw pile was emptied, they would not receive any additional Life Tiles either. Speaking of Life Tiles, their value remained unchanged from Generation 2.5.

Pension was nerfed for this revision. Previously, landing on this space would require you to spin the wheel and collect $20,000 multiplied by the number spun. Now, however, you could only collect $10,000 multiplied by the number spun if you landed there - a 50% reduction compared to Generation II. Nevertheless, pension bonuses can still yield a sizable amount of money at times. However, after retirement, players must still spin on their turn for Long-Term Investments.

As before, all players must sell their houses and repay their loans upon retirement, as well as placing their (College) Career Card out of play, but this time house values are fixed amounts. In addition, upon reaching the Retirement space, players will now receive $10,000 for every child they have. And just like in Generation II, once all players have retired, they must reveal the value of their Life Tiles and add them to their net worth. The player with the highest net worth (including Life Tile bonuses) still wins the game as before.

Retirement Strategies for Generation III

Retiring at Millionaire Estates is less viable than it once was, unless you have less cash on hand than some (or most, if not all) of your opponents. In such a scenario, however, opponents are more likely to overlook your stockpile of Life Tiles, and you have a better chance of holding on to them by the end of the game, thus improving your final net worth even further. Otherwise, stick to Countryside Acres, since it will guarantee that you will retain every Life Tile you had at the time of retirement.

Retirement in Generation IV

In Generation IV, choosing where you retire makes no difference at all to your net worth. However, the retirement system received a huge shake-up. The first, second, third and fourth players to retire will receive $400,000, $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000 respectively. In addition, each player will receive $50,000 for every child they have upon retirement, as well as having to pay $60,000 for every $50,000 loan they have not yet paid by then. However, unlike in Generation III, players no longer spin on their turn after retiring.

On top of that, they will not only receive $100,000 for every Action Card they have, but they must also sell any and all of their houses with a simple spin of the wheel for each one. If the wheel lands on an odd number (which has a red background), the house will be sold for its minimum resale value (which is always less than or equal to its purchase price); if it lands on an even number (which has a black background), the house will instead be sold for its maximum resale value (which is always greater than its purchase price), with both resale values for a given house being printed on the reverse side of each House card. And as always, when all is said and done, the wealthiest player wins.

Retirement Strategies in Generation IV

In general, the sooner you retire, the better, but it is also beneficial to retire with more children and/or Action Cards, and with as little debt as possible. Moreover, you should always try to purchase at least one House before retirement, if only because for each house you buy, you have a 50% chance of selling it for a profit.

Retirement in Generation V

For the first time ever, there is only one option for retirement instead of two or more. Another new feature is the option to take a shortcut to retirement near the end by following a shorter path instead of the longer main route. This makes it more likely for you to earn the bigger retirement bonuses, but you will miss out on the benefits of staying on the main route. However, you will receive less money for retiring than before: the first, second, third and fourth players to retire will receive $200,000, $100,000, $50,000 and $10,000 respectively. Also, players can still collect investments and be affected by Action Cards drawn by other players after retirement.

As before, you will need to sell your houses and pay your debts upon retirement, but now you will receive only $10,000 for every peg you have (not counting the one you started with). Nor can you receive bonuses for Action Cards, since they must now be returned to the deck immediately after you have read their instructions. And unlike in previous versions of the Game of Life, there is now a tie-breaker system: if two or more players have the same net worth, then the first of those players to retire will place highest among those.

Retirement Strategies for Generation V

Mostly use the same strategy as before, but there is now less benefit to retiring earlier and/or with more pegs, although you can now choose whether or not to do so. However, if you feel that you can actually earn more money without an early retirement, you may be better off staying on the Path of Life, so make sure to consider the circumstances as you approach the Retirement space.

Conclusion

No matter what version of The Game of Life you are playing, retirement plays a key role in your tactics and strategy. It only happens at the end of a game, but entire games have been decided by players choosing the (in)correct retirement strategy. Retiring at the right place and/or time could save you the embarrassment of a humiliating loss - or at least make it less likely for you to finish last.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 130: Another Christmas Gift

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 130: Another Christmas Gift

Happy Holidays! 'Tis the season for giving, so I would like to share with you a gift in the form of a recent Automation build: the 2003 SVP Bearclaw. This is a retro-styled car with aesthetics reminiscent of the original, but reimagined for the 21st century, and with a fully functional aerodynamic package to keep it planted on the road, even at high speeds. Unlike lesser trims, it has a more aggressive appearance overall, thanks to its functional hood scoop.

Above, from top: The exterior of the 2003 SVP Bearclaw. Aesthetically, it evokes memories of the original, but underneath its retro skin are genuinely modern underpinnings.

This generation of the Bearclaw is built on an AHS steel monocoque chassis clad in treated steel panels, with double wishbone front suspension and a multilink rear end, aided by adjustable dampers. Power comes from a 6.0L overhead-valve V8 that develops 350 bhp and 375 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a geared limited-slip differential. The GT trim shown here adds a premium interior and sound system with satnav - fairly high-tech for 2003.

Above, from top: The interior of the Bearclaw has all the mod cons its customers would need, and provides a great driving environment. The example shown is right-hand drive for the purposes of a forum challenge, as shown below.

The GT trim has 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance tires, as much for style as for function. Braking is via large 4-wheel vented disc brakes with a sophisticated anti-lock system, while stability and traction control are standard (although both can be toggled off if you feel brave enough). A full suite of airbags (for the front and side), along with other advanced safety systems, keeps the occupants safe in the event of a crash.

In terms of performance, the '03 Bearclaw GT would have been quite formidable for its time, with a top speed of 175 mph and a 0-60 mph time of exactly 5 seconds. And it would have been very good at turning and stopping, too - this is a 21st century machine, after all. If you're wondering why I made this build, by the way, it's because it was meant to be entered in an Automation forum challenge set in a right-hand-drive market, with a retro theme throughout - hence the retro-futuristic styling. So here's to a merry Christmas 2022 for my fellow Automationeers - and a Happy New Year 2023!

A Lifer's Diary, Part 4: Tie-Breakers

A Lifer's Diary, Part 4: Tie-Breakers

For much of its history, Hasbro's Game of Life did not include rules for when two or more players finished the game with the same net worth. This is called a tie, and so far both of my simulated games have ended in this fashion, with a three-way tie in the first game (based mainly on the Generation III rule set) and an even less believable four-way tie in the second (based primarily on the Generation II rule set). However, the official Generation II rule set stated that if two Millionaire Estates retirees had the same amount of cash on hand, they would receive two Life Tiles each.

Even so, it wasn't until Generation V that an actual tie-breaker system was implemented. The rule is simple: if two or more players have the same total net worth, then the first of those players to retire wins the game. Decades before this, however, some players realized that this would be a great way to resolve a tied game, and implemented it unofficially.

For this reason, I have decided that it would be best to implement this as an additional house rule in all of my simulated Games of Life going forward. As stated above, in the event of a tie for total net worth, the first player to retire wins - it's as simple as that. Let's face it - if this doesn't work, I might have to come up with a different means of breaking ties, but I hope it never comes to that.

Critical Hits in the Infinite Space Trilogy: A Key Aspect of Interstellar Combat

Critical Hits in the Infinite Space Trilogy: A Key Aspect of Interstellar Combat

Throughout the entire Infinite Space trilogy, one major aspect of combat between fleets of ships has been retained: the ability for weapons to inflict critical hits. This is called critseeking, after the strategy of the same name from the tabletop game BattleTech (and, by extension, its various adaptations such as MechWarrior - a brief description of it can be found here). However, within the Infinite Space trilogy, the implementation of critseeking varies slightly between games. 

What is a Critical Hit, and What Are Its Effects?

Simply put, a critical hit is one that damages or disables a piece of equipment installed on the ship being hit. For a critical hit to occur, however, the target's shields must either be offline (i.e. fully depleted and not yet recharging) or absent altogether. The effects of critical hits on various types of equipment are as follows:

• Weapons: Reduced fire rate.
• Engines: Traveling between systems takes longer.
• Thrusters: Reduced speed, thrust and maneuverability during combat.
• Shields: Reduced maximum shield strength.
• Targeting Computers: Reduced fire rate and accuracy for all weapons fitted to the target ship.
• Repair Systems: Reduced hull and equipment repair rate.
• Scanners: Reduced detection range outside of combat.
• ECM Systems: Reduced chance of deflecting incoming missiles.

Note that some equipment (Plasma Coil Cloaker, Anti-Graviton Shunt, Nebular Extent Calculator, and Nebular Prow) will always function normally if they receive critical hits, unless they are disabled by battle damage. However, if a Plasma Coil Cloaker is disabled, the ship on which it was installed will be unable to hide itself from enemy units, and if that ship was cloaked at the time the device was disabled, it will immediately revert to being uncloaked.

Can You Destroy Ship Equipment Through Critseeking?

In general, any component can be disabled if it receives enough damage via critical hits. However, in the original Strange Adventures in Infinite Space, it was possible for components to be destroyed altogether; if the component in question is installed on any of your own ships, it will be permanently removed from your inventory at the end of the battle, assuming your starting ship (which in this game is always a Terran corvette) survives. Also in Strange Adventures, if your fleet encounters a star flare (a rare event not found in any subsequent games), a random piece of equipment onboard one of your ships will be immediately be disabled (although some handheld ports make it possible, though rare, for a flare to not disable any equipment).

Can You Immobilize a Ship Through Critseeking?

Prior to Sea of Stars, any ship could be immobilized in combat if its thrusters were disabled by enemy fire, and any AI-controlled ship whose weapons were disabled would immediately attempt to escape if its thrusters were still functional. Due to balance concerns, neither of these are possible in Sea of Stars; however, a ship that enters combat without functional thrusters will be unable to move forwards for the duration of the battle (although it can still turn), as was the case in previous games in the series. Moreover, some factions (Tchorak, Yellow Kawangi) have ships that are completely immune to critical hits, i.e. no equipment installed on their ships can be damaged or disabled. Finally, fighter bays (which are only found on board carriers and space stations) cannot be damaged or disabled, either.

What Weapons Are Best for Critseeking?

In theory, any weapon can inflict critical hits on a target after its shields have been disabled (assuming it actually has shields in the first place), unless the target is immune to critical hits as stated above. However, just as in BattleTech, projectile weapons are generally the best ones for scoring critical hits, since they fire a single projectile (or a set of projectiles, in the case of the Micro-Meteorite Gun and Mass Driver) at a time instead of a continuous beam that lasts for a short period of time, and the projectile has a greater chance of hitting a single specific component instead of spreading its damage over the entire ship. This also applies to missile weapons, albeit to a lesser extent. The best weapons setup for crits therefore requires the use of multiple projectile weapons, preferably those that only require a small hardpoint at minimum. Larger projectile weapons such as the Gauss Cannon and Plasma Cannon can also have the same effect, but are less accurate and therefore less effective at critseeking.

What Ships and Builds Are Best For Critseeking?

Although any ship or space station in the Infinite Space trilogy is theoretically capable of critseeking with any weapon, Calatian ships, in particular their smaller ones (such as their destroyers and cruisers), are among the best choices available, since they all have at least two small hardpoints (with the larger ones also having at least one medium hardpoint), and their capital ships. Their small hardpoints can accommodate most projectile weapons, including the fast-firing and incredibly powerful Proton Blaster - the best weapon of its kind in the entire franchise. A Calatian destroyer or cruiser armed with nothing but these can be especially effective at disabling ship components, and I always incorporate such builds into my fleets when possible. However, even the humble Neptunium Railgun (which is a starting weapon) can be useful for crit builds, especially low-budget ones, since the Railgun costs only 89 credits to the Proton Blaster's 350.

Above: An example of a vessel inflicting critical hits on another through weapons fire. The Calatian destroyer (left) has bombarded an Urluquai Deep Hunter (right) with several salvos from its four Proton Blaster turrets, disabling many of the Deep Hunter's systems in the process. The diagram shows that both of its weapons have been rendered inoperable along with one of its interstellar drive segments and two of its onboard systems (including its shield generator). Thus, for the remainder of the battle, the Deep Hunter is therefore unable to attack, and its hull will remain exposed due to the ship not having an onboard repair system.

Does Critseeking Work Against Space Stations?

In general, critseeking (a strategy in which a player deliberately aims for critical hits on components) is viable in most battles, but it is particularly useful when attempting to complete the first part of the Urluquai Crusade quest, where you have to disable an Urluquai space station. By disabling its turrets, you will only have to deal with the fighters it launches every so often if there are none left on the battlefield (along with any escort vessels spawned alongside it on higher difficulties), and disabling its built-in Multibot Repair Drone will prevent it from repairing damaged systems; in both cases, this will make it easier for you to neutralize and board the station. In fact, critseeking is very useful against any space station, even Primordius, whose standard equipment list also includes a Multibot Repair Drone.

Is Anything Immune to Critseeking?

As stated previously, the only time when critseeking is inadvisable is when attacking a Kawangi or Tchorak flotilla, since both of these factions have fleets consisting solely of crit-proof vessels, i.e. their components cannot be disabled. And forget about critseeking fighter bays- these components are immune to it (unlike other equipment on carriers and space stations) Apart from these use-cases, however, expect to see a lot of critseeking during combat, both from you and your opponent(s) - entire battles can, and often will, hinge on it. 

In short, just as in BattleTech, critseeking is an important part of combat. Ignore it at your peril, and utilize it when you can.

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 129: Lap of Luxury

In between designing cars for Automation forum competitions, I often find myself creating test mules for random ideas I have floating around in my mind. On one recent occasion, I ended up being so satisfied with the engineering aspect that I decided to make a full-fledged build out of it. As it turned out, this was the answer to a question I had asked myself earlier, shortly after the 4.27 build of Automation reached the open beta stage: "What if I had built something for a challenge similar to CSR 142, but in 4.27 (with limited use of tech pool), and with a more liberal rule set and a much higher budget cap overall?

With this in mind, I set the car model, trim, engine family, and variant years to 1995 (the same year in which the actual CSR 142 was set). Choosing a body was easy - the Indicator body sets (unlocked in 1988, and recently introduced to the game as a replacement for a similar body set dating back to the early UE4 builds) are very versatile and their basic shape remains period-correct into the 2000s. With the focus being on absolute luxury, I went for the largest of these body sets, which had a wheelbase of exactly 3 meters.

The engine choice was a no-brainer - a 400-bhp 6.0L V12 tuned not for power, but for quiet smoothness. I did not use the sandbox tech pool here, except on the basic architecture, where I added 1 tech pool point to unlock (and use) aluminum/silicon as a material for the block and heads. Just to prove a point, I created a far more powerful variant of this engine and installed it in another car I made in Automation - but that is a story for another time.

Above, from top: An overview of the heart of the Ventnor V12 - a 48-valve dual-overhead-cam V12 with an aluminum/silicon alloy block and heads, tuned for silent, smooth and economical running under all conditions.

The exterior design was originally intended to be copied wholesale from an abandoned test build I had made on the second-largest of the Indicator body sets, but I ended up significantly revising it to be more imposing and less generic. The interior, on the other hand, was created specifically for this car, and I used a wide variety of materials to simulate leather, wood and aluminum for different areas of the interior fixtures.

Above, from top: The exterior of the Ventnor V12 from various angles.

Engineering-wise, my choices were generally geared towards comfort. I used a 5-speed advanced automatic transmission sending the engine's immense power to the back wheels, with a geared LSD to prevent excess wheelspin. 17-inch wheels (staggered towards the rear to induce understeer) wrapped in medium-compound tires were standard, as were large vented disc brakes at each corner, with an anti-lock system and comfort-focused brake pads for improved drivability. However, aerodynamic aids (including an undertray) were not fitted, since I deemed them unnecessary.

In keeping with my plan to make the build one of the most luxurious of its time (and kind), I chose a hand-made interior with a luxury sound system incorporating a CD and cassette tape player, and my choice of interior fixtures and materials reflected this. I also installed variable hydraulic power steering and traction control for improved drivability, but I chose to invest 2 tech pool points in assists to unlock stability control early, thereby increasing drivability even further. In addition to this, I chose the most advanced safety systems available in Automation for 1995 (assuming 0 tech pool points allocated to safety), and set the weight slider to maximum weight to improve comfort and safety even more.

Above, from top: The lavishly trimmed interior of the Ventnor V12.

As for the body and chassis, I opted for an AHS steel monocoque chassis (which required 1 tech pool point for the chassis to unlock) clad in treated steel bodywork, with double-wishbone suspension up front an a multi-link setup in the rear, plus air suspension with adaptive dampers and semi-active sway bars set up to provide a smooth ride with a hint of sportiness. Advanced trim settings were mostly limited to a raised ride height and a less concave wheel fitment that appeared almost flush on closer inspection.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this build - I enjoyed every second of its construction, and would like to follow it up with other body styles of this specific car if I feel like it.

A Lifer's Diary, Part 3: Simulated Game #1

A Lifer's Diary, Part 3: Simulated Game #1

Having already simulated a full-length Game of Life (which I now retrospectively refer to as Game #0) with a third-party random number generator, I judged the experiment to be a success, and have decided to give it another go. This time, however, I realized that the sets of spinner wheels I have created previously would be much better tools for the job. With that in mind, I will now launch the first simulated Game of Life based on one of my spinner wheel sets.

This game will use the Generation 2 rule set (specifically, the one used for the updated 40th Anniversary reprint, with a few changes to some space descriptions), and will be run with 6 players. Their names (randomly selected) are as follows, with the color of their mover in parentheses: Mike (red), Kelly (blue), Dave (black), Liz (white), Sue (green) and Andy (yellow). Even though black was not a selectable color for a player's mover in this version of the Game of Life (or any other, for that matter), I am making this change because it feels less out of place here than orange, which was available in this version. In addition, the "sell houses for 50% profit upon retirement" house rule is in effect. Finally, with regards to Life Tiles, only their values will be shown, but not their descriptions, since the former are far more important.

Each player receives $10,000 at the start of the game; their starting order will be determined by a full round of spins. Mike spun an 8, Kelly spun a 5, Dave spun a 2, Liz spun a 6, Sue spun a 9 and Andy spun a 6. The starting order is therefore as follows: Sue, Andy, Mike, Kelly, Dave, Liz.

The players' inventories will henceforth be displayed in the following format:

cash on hand (debt plus interest)/career/salary (taxes)/house (resale value, shown in boldface if sold)/insurance type(s)/stock(s)/number of life tiles (shown in boldface if retired at Countryside Acres)/number of children

I will be using the Game Of Life Generation II spinner wheel set to simulate movement, career and salary choices, Life tile values, House purchases, and other major decisions such as Night School and choosing which branch of the Path of Life to follow. The rules of this set have already been described in an earlier post in this series. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Round 1

All players start the game with $10,000 and nothing else.

Sue goes first and decides to go to college, incurring $50,000 of debt (including interest) in the process. She spins a 2, and has to buy books and supplies for $5,000, thus ending her turn with $5,000.

Andy also goes to college, thus taking on $50,000 of debt plus interest. He buys Car Insurance right away, then spins an 8 and winds up on the Dean's list, which gives him a Life Tile. He ends his turn right there and then with $0, but is still pleased with himself.

Mike chooses to start a career immediately. He draws the Entertainer Career Card, followed by the $80,000 Salary Card. He buys Car Insurance for $10,000, then spins a 5. This takes him past two Pay Day spaces (yielding a total of $160,000); he then receives a Life Tile for adopting a pet, and ends his turn with $160,000.

Kelly also starts a career right away. She draws the Athlete Career Card and the $70,000 Salary Card. She buys Car Insurance for $10,000, then spins a 2. She passes a Pay Day space for $70,000 but then has to pay $5,000 to rent an apartment, thus leaving her with $65,000.

Dave goes to college and incurs a debt of $50,000 (with interest) right away. He spins a 7 and has to pay $5,000 for Spring Break, thus leaving him with $5,000 at the end of his first turn.

Last but not least is Liz. She goes to college, leaving her $50,000 in debt (including interest), and spins a 3. She receives a Life Tile for making new friends, and ends her turn with the same $10,000 she had at the start.

Round Summary: Mike leads the pack in terms of net worth; he and Kelly are the only players who have careers and salaries at present. Of the 21 Life Tiles in the draw pile, only 3 have been taken so far.

Round 2

The players' inventories are currently as follows:

• Sue (green): $5,000 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/no insurance/no house/no stock/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $0 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/Car Insurance/no house/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $160,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/no house/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $65,000/Athlete/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car Insurance/no house/no stock/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $5,000 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/no insurance/no house/no stock/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Liz (white): $10,000 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/no insurance/no house/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children

Sue spins a 5. She moves past Dave and Andy - and is shocked to discover that her friends have crashed her car, and since she is currently completely uninsured, she has to pay $5,000, thus leaving her with $0 for now.

Andy spins a 10. He advances to the Career Choice space and draws the following three Career Cards: Accountant, Police Officer and Teacher. He chooses Accountant (which renders him exempt from Taxes Due spaces and also allows him to collect other players' taxes), before drawing the following three Salary Cards: $90,000, $40,000 and $30,000. He picks the most lucrative option (the $90,000 Salary Card), then spins again. This time, the spinner lands on 1, and he lands on a Pay Day space, receiving $90,000 for doing so. He now has $90,000 on hand.

Mike starts his turn by buying a Stock Card - his bears the number 4. He spins an 8 and passes another Pay Day space, but then his car rolls away. Fortunately, he doesn't need to pay anything, since he has car insurance, and ends his turn with $190,000.

Kelly also buys a Stock Card at the start of her turn - in her case it has the number 8. She spins a 1 and receives $10,000 from an inheritance, taking her total to $25,000.

Dave spins a 5, taking him to the Career Choice space. Of the three Career Cards he draws (Computer Consultant, Doctor and Salesperson), he chooses the first one (Computer Consultant); of the three Salary Cards he draws ($100,000, $60,000 and $50,000), he chooses the most valuable one ($100,000). He spins a 5 and passes a Pay Day space, but then has to pay $5,000 (to the bank, not the Doctor, since nobody has that Career Card yet) for a surfing accident. He thus ends his turn with $100,000.

Liz spins a 3. She receives another Life Tile from studying overseas, but her cash on hand remains unchanged from her previous turn.

Round Summary: Sue and Liz have not yet chosen a career and salary each, and although the four most lucrative salaries are currently out of reach for them, they should not be underestimated, especially with Liz having two Life Tiles already. Also, despite having the most lucrative salaries of all at present, Andy and Dave should be worried about Mike and Kelly, neither of whom had to start the game in debt due to their decision to choose the Start Career route.

Round 3

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $0 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/no insurance/no house/no stock/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $90,000 (debt $50,000)/Accountant/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car Insurance/no house/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $190,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 4/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $25,000/Athlete/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 8/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $100,000 (debt $50,000)/Computer Consultant/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/no insurance/no house/no stock/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Liz (white): $10,000 (debt $50,000)/no career/no salary/no insurance/no house/no stock/2 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue goes first and spins a 10, thus ending up on the Career Choice space. She draws the Doctor, Police Officer and Teacher Career Cards, and chooses the Doctor over the other two options. Unfortunately, after drawing three Salary Cards, she has to be content with the $50,000 option, with the $40k and $30k cards holding little appeal to her. Reluctantly, she spins again; as with her previous spin, the spinner lands on 10, taking her past Mike (and two Pay Day spaces) and to the Get Married space, whereupon she earns a Life Tile. She spins yet again; this time the spinner lands on 7, taking her to yet another Pay Day space. She has $150,000 by the end of her turn.

Andy buys the Stock Card with the number 1, then spins a 10, taking him all the way to the Get Married space, thus earning a Life Tile. He then spins an 8, causing Kelly to receive $10,000 in stock returns, and lands on the Taxes Due space, but is exempt from taxes due to having the Accountant Career Card. As a result of passing over two Pay Day spaces on his turn, and purchasing a Stock Card as well, he now has $220,000 on hand.

Mike goes next. He spins a 7 and arrives at the Get Married Space, thereby earning a Life Tile. On his second spin for this turn, the spinner lands on 2; he acquires another Life Tile for a happy honeymoon. His cash on hand is unchanged from his previous turn.

Kelly spins a 10. She passes over two Pay Day spaces, but then her car rolls away. Fortunately, she already has car insurance and does not need to pay anything. She ends her turn with $175,000.

Dave buys car insurance along with the Stock Card with the number 7, then spins a 3. He gets a Life Tile from an engagement party for his troubles, but now has only $40,000 left over at the end of his turn.

Liz spins a 7, causing Dave to receive a $10,000 stock return. Meanwhile, Liz ends up on the Career Choice space and draws the Salesperson, Teacher and Artist Career Cards, before settling on the latter. She then draws the $20,000, $60,000 and $40,000 Salary Cards, of which she takes the most lucrative option of $60,000. She then buys car insurance and then spins another 7, which yields another stock return for Dave; as for Liz, she receives yet another Life Tile, and ends her turn with $60,000.

Round Summary: Everyone has acquired a career and salary; however, Andy and Dave are the biggest threats to Mike and Kelly's dominance, despite both of the former two being $50,000 in debt. Liz has an outside chance with her 3 Life Tiles (which will become 4 when she gets married), but Sue, whose salary is the lowest of all, is in a bind. Then again, anything can happen in The Game of Life, so who knows?

Round 4

The players' inventories are now as follows:

• Sue (green): $150,000 (debt $50,000)/Doctor/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/no insurance/no house/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $220,000 (debt $50,000)/Accountant/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $190,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 4/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $175,000/Athlete/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 8/0 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $60,000 (debt $50,000)/Computer Consultant/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $60,000 (debt $50,000)/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car Insurance/no house/no stock/3 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue begins her turn by spinning a 10. She lands on the Buy a House space and draws the Beach House, which costs $140,000 to purchase. She then buys car insurance for $10,000 and spins again. The spinner lands on 9, taking her past two Pay Day spaces, but she has to pay Kelly $20,000 for Grand Final tickets. She ends her turn with $80,000.

Andy spins a 4, which happens to be Mike's $10,000 lucky Stock number. He too reaches the Buy a House space, and draws the Farmhouse. It costs him $160,000 up front, but he decides to insure it at a cost of $40,000 for good measure. He spins a 7, causing Dave to earn $10,000 in Stock returns as well. He passes a Pay Day space, before landing on the one after that, leaving him with $200,000.

Mike spins a 5, ending his turn on a Pay Day space. He earns $80,000 from his salary, thus ending his turn with $280,000. Surely this has to be the most uneventful turn of the whole game so far?

Kelly spins a 1, causing Andy to receive a $10,000 Stock return (bringing his total cash on hand to $210,000). She lands on the Get Married space, earning a Life Tile of her own; she then spins a 10, passing the same Pay Day space on which Mike just landed. She receives another Life Tile and ends her turn with $265,000.

Dave spins a 6 and gets married, passing a Pay Day space and earning a Life Tile in the process. He spins a 10, passing another Pay Day space, and reaches the Buy A House space due to Kelly occupying the space immediately before it. He draws the Dutch Colonial house, which costs $120,000 to purchase; he immediately insures it at a cost of $30,000 and pays off his entire debt at the same time, leaving him with $70,000. He spins another 6, passing yet another Pay Day space; combined with him earning $10,000 for winning a talent contest, this leaves him with $180,000.

Liz spins an 8, which is Kelly's $10,000 Stock number. This takes her past a Pay Day space and to the Get Married space, which gives Liz a Life Tile. She spins a 9, passing another Pay Day space, and collects $50,000 for winning a lottery, leaving her with $230,000.

Round Summary: Liz is making serious progress, much to the surprise of everyone else. Andy and Dave now realize that they may well be playing catch-up for some time, unless their fortunes improve. Mike and Kelly are poised to capitalize on any mistakes from their opponents, and as for Sue, she's struggling to keep pace. However, there's still a long way to go before the end.

Round 5

The players' inventories are now as follows:

• Sue (green): $80,000 (debt $50,000)/Doctor/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $200,000 (debt $50,000)/Accountant/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $280,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 4/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $275,000/Athlete/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car Insurance/no house/Stock 8/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $180,000/Computer Consultant/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $230,000 (debt $50,000)/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car Insurance/no house//no stock/4 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue kicks off this round by paying off her debt, before spinning a 10. She decides to take the longer of the two Paths of Life; after passing a Pay Day space, she receives a Life Tile (her second so far) for returning a lost wallet. By the end of her turn, she is back to having $80,000 on hand.

Andy also starts his turn by paying off his debt. He also spins a 10, but unlike Sue, he chooses the shorter of the two Paths of Life. He lands on a Pay Day space, thus ending his turn with $240,000.

Mike spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock number) and advances to the Buy a House space. He buys the Victorian for $200,000 and immediately insures it for $50,000. He then spins a 6, overtaking Dave on the board, and lands on a Pay Day space having passed over the one before it. He now has $190,000 in his possession.

Kelly spins a 1 (Andy's Stock number) and also reaches the Buy a House space. She buys the Tudor for $180,000 and insures it right away for $45,000. Her next spin is a 9, taking her past two Pay Day spaces. She buys Grand Final tickets - for free, since she is the Athlete. She ends her turn having matched Mike at $190,000 - for now.

Dave spins a 6. He passes a Pay Day space (the one Mike landed on, and which Kelly passed on the preceding turn), but then his house is flooded! Fortunately he has nothing to pay, since his house is insured. He ends his turn with $280,000.

Liz pays off her debt, buys the Stock Card with the number 6, and spins an 8 (again, Kelly's Stock number), becoming the last player to reach the Buy a House space. She buys the Cozy Condo for $100,000 and immediately insures it for $25,000. She spins a 6 (yielding a Stock return right away) and wins $10,000 for winning a talent contest. Combined with the salary from the Pay Day space she just passed over, she now has $75,000.

Round Summary: On paper, Dave has more cash on hand than his opponents, but he may eventually regret not being able to buy a more expensive house later on, given that Mike and Kelly were both able to do so, as did Andy. Everyone has either paid off their debt or not incurred any of it in the first place. Sue is the only player who has yet to buy a Stock Card or House Insurance.

Round 6

The players' inventories at the start of this round are as follows:

• Sue (green): $80,000/Doctor/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/no stock/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $250,000/Accountant/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $190,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $200,000/Athlete/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $280,000/Computer Consultant/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $75,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/4 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue starts her turn by buying the Stock Card with the number 9. She spins a 7 (Dave's Stock number), taking her past a Pay Day Space (from which she earns her salary) and to the second (and last) of the two Night School spaces on the board. Wisely, she chooses not to go to night school, and therefore decides not to pay. Yet again, she ends her turn with $80,000.

Andy spins a 1 - his Stock number. Unexpectedly, his car is stolen - but given that he previously bought car insurance, he has no need to pay. He ends his turn with $260,000.

Mike spins a 9 (Sue's Stock number) and chooses to take the shorter of the two Paths of Life. He earns a Life Tile for visiting Mount Rushmore, but has not gained or lost any money on this turn.

Kelly also spins a 9 (again, Sue's Stock number) and becomes the fourth player to reach the first fork on the Path of Life. She takes the shorter of the two routes, as Mike had just done on the previous turn, and passes a Pay Day space. Eventually she lands on the space directly ahead of the one Andy is occupying - unfortunately for him, it's a Trade Salary Card space. Kelly decides to trade Salary Cards - not with Andy, much to his relief, but Dave. She now has the $100,000 Salary Card in her possession (along with $270,000), while a frustrated Dave has to make do with a $70,000 Salary Card instead.

Dave spins a 2. He takes the longer of the two Paths of Life, and decides to trade Salary Cards - not with Kelly, but with Andy. Both players trade Salary Cards, leaving Andy worse off, and mitigating the damage from Kelly's own Salary Card trade.

Liz spins a 9 (Sue's Stock number), passes a Pay Day space and takes the shorter of the two Paths of Life. She receives a Life Tile for a family picnic, and ends her turn with $135,000.

Round Summary: Liz leads the pack in the number of Life Tiles; however, Dave has ceded the title of the highest-paying player to Kelly. Also, Andy finds himself on the back foot for the first time ever. Can Kelly exploit her newly acquired advantage? Only time will tell.

Round 7

The players' inventories at the start of this turn are as follows: 

• Sue (green): $120,000/Doctor/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $260,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $190,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $270,000/Athlete/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $280,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $135,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/5 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue goes first. She insures her house at a cost of $35,000, then spins a 7 (Dave's Stock number). This takes her past a Pay Day space (for which she receives $50,000) to a Trade Salary Card space. She trades Salary Cards with Dave (and not Kelly as everyone had expected), nearly doubling her salary in the process. She now has $245,000.

Andy spins a 10, passing over a Pay Day space before landing on another. He now has $400,000, but already he is feeling the effects of the latest series of Salary Card trades - his job is not quite as lucrative as it once was.

Mike spins a 9, yielding a Stock return for Sue. He passes two Pay Day spaces and lands on the Night School space, but chooses not to actually go to Night School. He now has $350,000 and has set his sights on overtaking Andy in terms of net worth.

Kelly spins an 8 (her Stock number), passing a Pay Day space, but has to pay $20,000 for an art auction, with the money going to Liz, who has the Artist Career Card. She has $350,000 by the end of her turn, once again matching Mike.

Dave, already reeling from losing his high-paying salary for the second time, spins a 4, yielding a Stock return for Mike. A tree falls on his house, but his house insurance policy prevents him from having to pay anything. He passed a Pay Day space en route and now has $340,000.

Liz spins a 6 (her Stock number). She passes a Pay Day space and receives a Life Tile for voting, giving her 6 tiles in total - more than any other player. However, with only $225,000 in the bank, it may take a miracle for her to leap into contention on cash alone.

Round Summary: Dave thought he could run away with it, but Sue proved him wrong, and he now has the least lucrative salary of all. Andy is also starting to lose ground, though not to the same extent. Mike, Kelly and Liz, on the other hand, have had good turns this round. Can Andy and Dave recover whatever ground they have lost, or will they continue to fall further behind? We'll find out in short order.

Round 8

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $255,000/Doctor/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $400,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $360,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $360,000/Athlete/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $340,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $225,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/6 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue goes first, as usual. She spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number) and passes a Pay Day space, bringing her total so far to $345,000. She also receives a Life Tile for a Valentine's Day party.

Andy spins a 7 (Dave's Stock number), but is forced to pay Dave (the Computer Consultant) $25,000 for donating a computer network. This leaves him with $375,000.

Mike spins a 4 (his Stock number), passing a Pay Day space in the process, before receiving a Life Tile for volunteering at a charity sports event. He currently has $450,000.

Kelly also spins a 4 (again, Mike's Stock number), and passes a Pay Day space (specifically, the one Mike just passed over on his latest turn), before landing on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. Since she is not in the lead, she spins again. This time the spinner lands on 1 (Andy's Stock number), and she arrives at a Trade Salary Card space. She trades Salary Cards with Sue, decreasing her own salary by $10,000, while Sue has the $100,000 Salary Card. Kelly now has $460,000 in her bank account, moving back into a tie with Mike.

Dave spins a 7 (his Stock number), passing a Pay Day space, but lands on the space immediately after it, which requires him to pay $25,000 for booking a luxury vacation online. Fortunately, he does not have to pay anything, since he is the Computer Consultant. He now has $435,000.

Liz spins a 3 and passes the same Pay Day space that Dave just passed over. Given that he occupies the next space after that, Liz advances to the second (and last) Night School space. She refuses to enter night school, and ends her turn with $295,000.

Round Summary: Sue is finally the highest-paid player in the game, but Mike and Kelly are still in a good position. Andy and Dave, on the other hand, will need to come up with something special to regain the advantage they once had. And don't count out Liz just yet - she still has more Life Tiles than her opponents.

Round 9

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $345,000/Doctor/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $385,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $460,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $460,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $435,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $295,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/6 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 2 and receives $80,000 for writing a best-selling book, taking her total to $425,000.

Andy spins a 7 (Dave's stock number) and passes a Pay Day space. He chooses to take the shorter of the two Paths of Life upon reaching the second (and last) fork, but has to pay $15,000 for hosting a Police Charity ball. He ends his turn with $430,000.

Mike spins a 10 and passes the very same Pay Day space that Andy passed by on his most recent turn. He then arrives at day care, but currently has no children and thus does not need to pay anything. He now has $540,000.

Kelly spins a 6 (Liz's stock number) and also passes the Pay Day space that Mike and Andy just passed by on their turns, before receiving a Life Tile (her third thus far) for a Valentine's Day party. She now has $550,000.

Dave spins a 2 and receives a Life Tile (his second thus far) for learning CPR, but his cash on hand remains unchanged by the end of his turn.

Liz spins a 7 (Dave's stock number) and passes a Pay Day space, but lands on the space immediately before the next Pay Day, and must pay Dave (the Computer Consultant) $25,000 for donating a computer network. By the end of her turn, she has $340,000, and Dave now has $470,000.

Round Summary: Dave is surprisingly still in the hunt, but he will need every last bit of luck that comes his way to retain whatever winning chances he has left. Dark horse Liz, on the other hand, doesn't have as much cash on hand, but still has the most Life Tiles of all the players. Mike and Kelly, meanwhile, are neck and neck, but Sue is rapidly catching up, and so could Andy if circumstances change in his favor.

Round 10

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $425,000/Doctor/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Andy (yellow): $430,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $540,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $550,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $470,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Liz (white): $340,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/6 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 1 (Andy's Stock number) and adopts a set of twins! She earns a Life Tile, taking the last one from the draw pile. From this point onwards, anyone who receives a Life Tile must take it from an opponent who has not retired at Countryside Acres, if possible.

Andy, having just received a Stock return, spins a 7 (Dave's Stock number). He passes two Pay Day spaces before receiving $95,000 for being a TV game show winner! By the end of his turn, he is chuffed at having $675,000 in his possession, taking him into the lead for now.

Mike spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number) and reaches a fork in the Path of Life. He takes the shorter route, then passes a Pay Day space, only to be forced to pay Andy $35,000 in taxes. Even so, with $585,000 in his bank account, he still feels quite good about himself.

Now it is Kelly's turn, and this time she spins a 4 (Mike's Stock number). She follows Mike down the shorter of the two Paths of Life, only to have to pay $15,000 for hosting a Police Charity ball. She now has $535,000.

Dave spins a 10, passing a Pay Day space and landing on another in the process. He now has $580,000.

Finally, Liz spins a 9. This takes her past the Pay Day space Dave just landed on. She then chooses to take the longer of the two Paths of Life, before passing another Pay Day space and finally landing on a Life Tile space. She receives a Life Tile for joining a health club - and promptly takes it from Andy, much to his dismay. She ends her turn with $470,000.

Round Summary: Mike has encountered his first significant setback, but he is confident that he can recover. Kelly is close behind, and in addition to this, Sue finally has some children to call her own, becoming the first, last, and only player in this game to do so. Andy is out in front, but now has fewer Life Tiles than his opponents; in contrast, Liz has one-third of the tiles still in play. Dave is catching up in terms of his position on the board, but can he improve his financial situation quickly enough? That question could be answered in short order... Or not.

Round 11

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $425,000/Doctor/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/4 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $710,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $595,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $535,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/3 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $580,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Liz (white): $470,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/7 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 9 and takes the shorter of the two Paths of Life. She passes two Pay Day spaces, collecting $100,000 from each one, but then has to pay $5,000 for each of her two children ($10,000 in total) to cover a summer school program. She now has $615,000.

Andy spins a 3. He receives a Life Tile for learning sign language, and decides to take it from Sue, who now has three Life Tiles to Andy's two.

Mike spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number), passing a Pay Day space in the process, before receiving a Life Tile (which he takes from Andy) for having a Family Game Night. He now has $675,000.

Kelly also spins a 6 (again, Liz's Stock number), taking her past two Pay Day spaces. She then receives a Life Tile (which she takes from Dave) for recycling her trash. By the end of her turn, she has $715,000 and 4 Life Tiles.

Dave spins a 9 (Sue's Stock number) and takes the shorter of the two Paths of Life. He passes a Pay Day space, but he then lands on a Taxes Due space, and since Andy is the Accountant, he has to pay Andy $20,000. He ends his turn with $610,000, whereas Andy now has $730,000.

Liz spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock number) and passes a Pay Day space, before receiving $95,000 for becoming a TV game show winner! She now has $645,000.

Round Summary: Andy still holds the lead, but it's looking tenuous, what with Kelly close behind him (she now has only $5,000 less). Never before in this game have all six players been so evenly matched in terms of cash on hand - there is only a $120,000 spread between the richest and poorest players right now. But how long can this situation last? We'll have to wait and see.

Round 12

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $625,000/Doctor/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/3 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $730,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $675,000/Entertainer/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $725,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $610,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $645,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/7 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number), passing a Pay Day space, before receiving $100,000 from the bank for winning a Nobel Prize. She now has $825,000.

Andy spins a 9 (Sue's Stock number), and passes the same Pay Day space Sue just passed over, before landing on the next Pay Day space after that. He now has $870,000.

Mike spins a 5, also passing the Pay Day space Sue and Andy passed by on their latest turns. This takes him past Sue and to a Trade Salary Card space. He accepts the offer and trades Salary Cards with Sue, thus ending his turn and leaving him at $755,000.

Kelly spins a 3, which takes her to the space marked "Have a Family Game Night" and takes a Life Tile from Mike, leaving her with five tiles to Mike's four, but her cash on hand remains unchanged from the start of her latest turn.

Dave spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock number) and passes a Pay Day space only to have to buy a lakeside cabin for $90,000. He ends his turn with $570,000, which puts him farther behind than before.

Liz spins a 2 and passes Kelly on the board, given that Kelly currently occupies the "Have a Family Game Night" space. She lands on the space immediately after it and receives a Life Tile for learning sign language - she chooses to take it from Sue, given that she is now much more of a threat than anyone realized. As with Kelly, however, Liz has not gained or lost any money during her turn.

Round Summary: Sue gained a lot of cash this turn, but lost her $100k salary to Mike in the process. Still, $80k is a sizable upgrade from the $50k she started with. Meanwhile, Andy is still making good progress, but Dave has fallen even further behind his opponents - and to think that he started out as the highest-paid player in the field! Kelly and Mike are still in a good position, but Liz could be in the box seat to win it all if she holds on to most (if not all) of her Life Tiles and earns enough money from them once all players have retired.

Round 13

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $835,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $870,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $755,000/Entertainer/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $735,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $570,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 7/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $655,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/8 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 4 (Mike's Stock number). An earthquake hits her house, but she doesn't need to pay anything due to her decision to purchase house insurance earlier on; as such, her cash on hand remains unchanged - for now.

Andy spins a 2. He lands on a Taxes Due space, but does not need to pay, since he is the Accountant. He, like Sue, did not gain or lose any money during his turn for this round.

Mike spins a 4 (his Stock number) and advances to a Pay Day space. He ends his turn with $875,000.

Kelly spins a 10, passing a Pay Day space, before advancing to another Pay Day space, but since Mike occupies it, she must end her turn on the next unoccupied space. Unfortunately for her, she now has to pay $25,000 for a life-saving operation; since this is one of the Doctor's spaces, and Sue has that Career Card, Kelly's payment goes to Sue instead of the bank. She now has $890,000.

Dave spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number). This takes him past a Pay Day space and to the Stock Market Crash space. Reluctantly, he returns his current Stock Card to the bank. He now has $620,000.

Liz spins a 7, but Dave doesn't gain any money from it, given that he no longer has the Stock Card with that number. The spin takes her to the Stock Market Crash space. However, that space is already occupied, as are the next four spaces after it. She therefore advances five more spaces to the nearest unoccupied space - unfortunately for her, it reads "Buy sailboat. Pay $30,000". She makes the payment (to the bank, not an opponent - the space she landed on has the Salesperson's symbol next to it, but none of the players in this game have the Salesperson Career Card) and ends her turn with $695,000.

Round Summary: As if things couldn't get any worse for Dave, they did! He has lost his Stock Card, and will need to pay the bank $50,000 if he wants to get it back. Even Liz is earning more than he is right now. Meanwhile, at the front of the pack, Andy, Mike, Kelly and Sue are closer to each other than ever in terms of cash on hand - it may even come down to Life Tiles in the end.

Round 14

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $860,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $870,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $875,000/Entertainer/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $890,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $620,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/no stock/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $695,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/8 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 5, taking her past a Pay Day space, but she then has to pay Kelly $35,000 for sponsoring a sports tournament. She now has $905,000.

Andy spins a 4 (Mike's Stock number) and lands on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. However, since he is in the lead, his turn ends right there and then. Even so, he did not gain or lose any money during this turn.

Mike spins a 10. He passes a Pay Day space and receives a Life Tile (which he takes from Liz) for helping the homeless. He ends his turn with $985,000.

Kelly is next. She spins a 7 and passes a Pay Day space, before landing on the space immediately after it. Unfortunately, it instructs her to pay the Entertainer (who in this case is Mike) $100,000 for producing a music video! Shocked and infuriated, she hands over the cash. At least she still has $915,000 to spare.

Dave buys a Stock Card again, this time with the number 3. He spins a 4, passes over a Pay Day space, and lands on a Taxes Due space, paying Andy $20,000 in taxes. He now has $600,000.

Liz spins a 7 and, like Andy just did, lands on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. However, she must end her turn, since she is now in the lead. She now has $755,000, given that she passed a Pay Day space during her turn.

Round Summary: Suddenly, Mike has a clear lead, but Kelly hasn't given up hope just yet. After all, she has as many Life Tiles as Mike. Sue and Andy could still pose a threat, but for how much longer? As for Dave, his chances of winning may have just gone up in smoke.

Round 15

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $905,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $890,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $1,085,000/Entertainer/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $915,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $600,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 3/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $755,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/7 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 9 (her Stock number), taking her past a Pay Day space. However, she lands on the space that reads "College. Pay $50,000 per child" and... Oh dear. She reluctantly pays the bank $100,000 ($50,000 for each of her two children), since nobody in this game has the Teacher career card. By the end of her turn, she has $895,000.

Andy spins a 7. This takes him past a Pay Day space, and to the same space that Sue just landed on - but he must advance to the nearest unoccupied space, which just happens to be another Pay Day space. He ends his turn with $1,030,000.

Mike spins a 2. Unfortunately for him, this takes him to the space that reads "Have cosmetic surgery. Pay $100,000", and so he has to pay Sue (the Doctor) $100,000. He now has $985,000.

Kelly spins a 9 (again, Sue's Stock number). She passes a Pay Day space before receiving a Life Tile for visiting a war memorial. She takes a tile from Mike out of spite, thus ending her turn; she now has $1,005,000 and six Life Tiles to Mike's four.

Dave is next. He spins a 4 (Mike's Stock number), taking him to a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. Since he is not currently in the lead, he spins again. This time it's an 8 (Kelly's Stock number), which takes him past a Pay Day space and to the one after it, which Andy currently occupies, and as such he lands on a Taxes Due space. After paying Andy $20,000 in taxes yet again, he now has $680,000.

Liz spins a 4 (again, Mike's Stock number). This takes her past a Pay Day space and to the Taxes Due space that Dave just landed on, so she advances to the next unoccupied space - in this case it's another "Spin again if not in the lead" space. Since she is still not in the lead, she spins again. This time, it's a 3 (Dave's new Stock number). She receives a Life Tile for a Grand Canyon vacation, and promptly takes a tile from Kelly, who now has five Life Tiles to Liz's eight. By the end of her turn, Liz has $815,000.

Round Summary: Andy and Mike are out in front, but Kelly is not far behind, and has more Life Tiles than either of them. Sue is starting to fall behind (again), but at least she's in a better position than Dave, who may well be out of it after a string of bad luck. Liz, ever the dark horse, is not going to give up without a fight either. We are now in the closing stages of this game - who will win? There's only one way to find out.

Round 16

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $1,015,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $1,030,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $1,005,000/Entertainer/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $1,005,000/Athlete/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $690,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 3/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $815,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/8 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 10. This takes her past two Pay Day spaces and to a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. She ends her turn with $1,175,000, but does not spin again, since she is now in the lead.

Andy spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock number), taking him past two Pay Day spaces. He earns a Life Tile (which he takes from Liz) for going fishing, and ends his turn with $1,170,000 and two Life Tiles to Liz's seven.

Mike spins a 4 (his Stock number), passes a Pay Day space and lands on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. His next spin yields an 8 (again, Kelly's Stock number), allowing him to pass another Pay Day space, but he then has to pay Kelly (the Athlete) $65,000 for hiring a jockey for his race horse. He now has $1,110,000.

Kelly goes next. She spins a 3 (Dave's new Stock number) and lands on a Trade Salary Card space, and trades her salary with Mike to add insult to injury. She now has $1,090,000 and the coveted $100,000 Salary Card, whereas.

Dave spins a 2. He earns a Life Tile (which he takes from Liz) for visiting a war memorial. He now has $700,000 and two Life Tiles to Liz's six.

Liz spins a 10. This takes her past two Pay Day spaces. She then earns a Life Tile (taking it from Dave) for supporting a wildlife fund, and ends her turn with $935,000 and 7 Life Tiles to Dave's one.

Round Summary: What a surprise! Mike has just lost the lead to Kelly, but for how long? As for the others, Sue is still in with a shout, as are Andy and Liz, but Dave is still trailing the pack, as he has for the past several rounds of turns. We are potentially headed for a climactic conclusion, so stay tuned.

Round 17

The players' current inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $1,175,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $1,170,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Mike (red): $1,110,000/Entertainer/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $1,090,000/Athlete/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $700,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 3/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Liz (white): $935,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/7 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue spins a 7. She passes a Pay Day space, but then has to pay Dave (the Computer Consultant) $45,000 for having her family website designed. She now has $1,210,000.

Andy spins a 4 (Mike's Stock number) and lands on a Pay Day space. He now has $1,240,000.

Mike also spins a 7. He passes a Pay Day space, then passes the space Sue just landed on (which is already occupied) before receiving a Life Tile (which he takes from Kelly) for becoming a grandparent; he ends his turn with $1,200,000 and five Life Tiles to Kelly's four.

Kelly spins an 8 (her Stock number). She passes two Pay Day spaces before landing on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. She spins again, since she is not currently in the lead; this time, the spinner lands on 3 (Dave's new Stock number), thus taking her to yet another Pay Day space. She now has $1,400,000.

Dave spins a 6 (Liz's Stock number). He passes a Pay Day space before landing on a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. He spins again; this time, the spinner lands on 3 (his new Stock number), thus taking him past another Pay Day space (specifically, the one Andy just landed on). He ends his turn on the next unoccupied space, which just happens to be a Life Tile Space; he receives a Life Tile (which he takes from Andy) for planting a tree, and now has $865,000, along with two Life Tiles to Andy's one.

Liz spins a 5. She passes a Pay Day space, but then has to pay Dave (the Computer Consultant) $55,000 for investing in an e-commerce company. She ends her turn with $940,000, whereas Dave now has $920,000.

Round Summary: The next round could be the last one of the whole game. It's anyone's guess as to who will win!

Round 18

The players' inventories are as follows:

• Sue (green): $1,210,000/Doctor/$80,000 (tax $35,000)/Car Insurance/Beach House (resale value $210,000)/Stock 9/2 Life Tiles/2 children
• Andy (yellow): $1,240,000/Accountant/$70,000 (tax $30,000)/Car + House Insurance/Farmhouse (resale value $240,000)/Stock 1/1 Life Tile/0 children
• Mike (red): $1,200,000/Entertainer/$90,000 (tax $40,000)/Car + House Insurance/Victorian (resale value $300,000)/Stock 4/5 Life Tiles/0 children
• Kelly (blue): $1,400,000/Athlete/$100,000 (tax $45,000)/Car + House Insurance/Tudor (resale value $270,000/Stock 8/4 Life Tiles/0 children
• Dave (black): $920,000/Computer Consultant/$50,000 (tax $20,000)/Car + House Insurance/Dutch Colonial (resale value $180,000)/Stock 3/2 Life Tiles/0 children
• Liz (white): $940,000/Artist/$60,000 (tax $25,000)/Car + House Insurance/Cozy Condo (resale value $150,000)/Stock 6/7 Life Tiles/0 children

Sue goes first. She spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock Number), taking her past the last Pay Day space, before arriving at the Retirement space. She retires at Countryside Acres, taking a Life Tile from Mike (which leaves him with four). After gaining $210,000 from the sale of her house, she ends her game with $1,500,000 and three Life Tiles.

Andy spins a 1 (his Stock number). This takes him to the Life Tile space Dave currently occupies; he thus advances to the next unoccupied space, which turns out to be a "Spin again if not in the lead" space. He is not in the lead, however, and therefore he must spin again; this time, the spinner lands on 8 (Kelly's Stock number). He thus passes the last Pay Day space and arrives at the Retirement space; he retires at Countryside Acres, as Sue did. He takes a Life Tile from Dave; he ends his game with $1,550,000 (including the resale value of his house) and two Life Tiles to Dave's one.

Mike spins a 6 (Liz's Stock Number). He passes the last Pay Day space and arrives at the Retirement space. He chooses to retire at Countryside Acres; for doing so, he earns a Life Tile (which he takes from Kelly). He ends his game with $1,590,000 (including the resale value of his house) and five Life Tiles, whereas Kelly now only has three.

Kelly spins an 4 (Mike's Stock number). She arrives at the Retirement space and retires at Millionaire Estates. She ends her game with $1,690,000 and 3 Life Tiles, although due to her decision to avoid Countryside Acres, her Life Tiles are still in play and can be collected by other non-retired players if they land on Life Tile Spaces.

Dave starts his turn by spinning a 10. He thus passes the last Pay Day space and reaches the Retirement space shortly afterwards. He retires at Countryside Acres, taking a Life Tile from Kelly (whose Life Tiles are still in play, since she retired at Millionaire Estates); he ends his game with $1,120,000 (after he sells his house) and two Life Tiles; after this turn, Kelly also currently has two.

Last but not least is Liz. She spins an 8 (Kelly's Stock number) and becomes the last player to reach the Retirement space. She retires at Countryside Acres and takes a Life Tile from Kelly, leaving her with just one Life Tile to Liz's eight. After selling her house, Liz ends up with $1,100,000.

Round Summary: The game has finally ended! Kelly has the most cash on hand, and is not only the wealthiest Millionaire Estates retiree, but is also the only player to retire there; as such, she earns four additional Life Tiles, which brings her total to five.

Post-Retirement Rankings

Now that all players have retired, it's time to calculate the amount of money they will earn from their Life Tiles.

Sue counts her Life Tiles. She has three: two worth $250,000 and one worth $200,000. Her final net worth is $2,200,000. One $250,000 Life Tile and three $200,000 Life Tiles remain.

Andy is the next player to count his Life Tiles. He has two: one worth $200,000 and another worth $50,000. His final net worth is $1,800,000, which puts him in second place behind Sue for now. Two $200,000 Life Tiles and six $50,000 Life Tiles remain.

Mike counts his Life Tiles, and finds out that he has five (one worth $200,000, one worth $150,000, two worth $100,000 and one worth $50,000), taking his total to $2,200,000. He is thus tied with Sue. One $200,000 Life Tile, four $150,000 Life Tiles, four $100,000 Life Tiles and five $50,000 Life Tiles now remain.

Kelly starts counting her Life Tiles. She has five Life Tiles in all, matching Mike exactly; of these, one is worth $150,000, three are worth $100,000, and the last one is worth $50,000, eventually yielding a final sum of $2,200,000 and putting her into a tie with Mike and Sue. Three $150,000 Life Tiles, one $100,000 Life Tile and four $50,000 Life Tiles now remain.

Like Andy, Dave has just two Life Tiles. However, unlike Andy, both of them are worth just $50,000 each. He is therefore last in overall net worth with $1,220,000. All $100,000 Life Tiles (except for one) are now accounted for, and there are also just two $50,000 Life Tiles left.

Finally, Liz counts her Life Tiles. She has a total of eight: one each of a $250,000 Life Tile and a $200,000 Life Tile, plus three $150,000 Life Tiles, a $100,000 Life Tile, and two $50,000 Life Tiles. She thus finishes the game with $2,200,000, putting her into a four-way tie with Sue, Mike and Kelly. However, all four players are deemed to have won the Game of Life due to the lack of a tie-breaker system.

Game Summary: What an incredible game it's been! As we expected, this was a closely fought match between all six players, but while Mike and Kelly hogged the headlines, Sue and Liz made valiant comebacks and ultimately managed to share the spoils with the two longtime leaders. However, Andy never recovered from losing his high-paying salary early on, and this was even more true of Dave. In short, this was an adrenaline-packed thrill ride from start to finish, and an utterly unpredictable one at that.