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- BGG rating
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Panic on Wall Street!
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Shark
1987
Rules assistance for Shark
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Shark
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shark is a board game released in 1987 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by H. Jean Vanaise and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Commodity Speculation, and Stock Holding.
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About the game
Shark is a stock-trading game slightly reminiscent of Acquire in that abstract play on the game board determines the share values of the various companies. The similarities end there, though, as Shark is more free-wheeling than Acquire. At the start of your turn, you can buy shares (up to five) and sell shares (as many as you want), then you roll dice to determine which of the four company markers you place on the board and in which region. A company marker on its own doesn't contribute to the value of a company; only groups of at least two markers count, so groups of 5, 4, 1, and 1 markers would create a value of $9,000 for each of that company's shares. If you place a marker that combines those two lone markers, then you'd have groups of 5, 4, and 3, so the share price would shoot to $12,000. If you placed that marker on its own, the share price wouldn't change. When you place a marker, you gain money equal to that company's new share price, so you have an incentive to boost a company's size — but all players receive funds equal to the difference between the old share price and new for each share they hold, so are you enriching them more than yourself? Of course, you can also place a marker to tank a company's share price. When a company's group expands to touch a smaller group, that smaller group is removed from the board, lowering the value of that company's shares (as long as the group had at least two markers) and costing everyone money equal to the loss in value. (Groups of equal size cannot touch, and you cannot place a marker to force a smaller group to touch a larger one.) To end your turn, you can again sell as many shares as you want and buy shares up to the per-turn limit of five. Removed markers are banished from the game, not returned to the supply. Once all of a company's markers have been used, or a company's share price reaches $15,000, or all of the shares have been sold, the game ends, and players cash out all their shares to see who has the most money.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Korea Boardgames
- Otto Maier Verlag
- Falomir Juegos
- Ravensburger AG
- Rio Grande Games
- BGA Plus
- Flying Turtle Games
Questions and answers
Shark supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Shark is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Shark for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Shark has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Shark belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Commodity Speculation, and Stock Holding. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Shark are: H. Jean Vanaise. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Shark as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.