- BGG rank
- BGG #24,621
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Monopoly: Stock Exchange
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,875
- BGG rating
- 5.5
The Bottom Line
1985
Rules assistance for The Bottom Line
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for The Bottom Line
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Bottom Line is a board game released in 1985 for 3–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by A. Trevor Pepperell and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, and Stock Holding.
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About the game
The idea of The Bottom Line is to accumulate $5,000,000 and land on the Bank, so as to buy it. Not as easy as it sounds. You have $1,000,000 cash, $2,000,000 in debt and 2000 oz. of gold to begin. There are several different businesses, and you can buy parts of them for anywhere from $100,000 each for Residentials, to $600,000 for Casinos. When someone lands on a property you own, you get $50,000 per property of the same kind you own. But the big money comes when you collect a full set of property. Land on a Drive-in Realtor and you can collect multiple millions for selling your set. There are also Options, which allow you to buy lots from your opponents at nauseatingly low prices, and gold is bought for $600,000 a brick (or in that area) and sells for over $1 million. Gold seems to be the fast way to money, but you must have the appropriate card, or you'll get fined $100,000. As players get out of debt (or deeper in it), they will find themselves in a die-rolling race to land on the Bank, or square 17, which allows you to go anywhere you want. A good finance game, but it was only printed for a year in America. Copies do pop up on eBay (where I got mine).
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Silver Bear Marketing Ltd.
- Maruca Industries
Questions and answers
The Bottom Line supports 3–6 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 The Bottom Line 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 The Bottom Line for ages 10 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.
The Bottom Line has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
The Bottom Line belongs to these categories: Economic and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Trading, 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 The Bottom Line are: A. Trevor Pepperell. 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 The Bottom Line 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.