
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,254
- BGG rating
- 5.1
Monopolino
- 2–4 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 1996

1969
Rules assistance for Ulcers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ulcers is a board game released in 1969 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Point to Point Movement.
This game's theme is unique: you are trying to assemble a full staff of personnel (two secretaries, two salesmen, one sales manager, one vice-president and one president) to run your company. The problem is there aren't enough available in total for more than one company to achieve that goal. You win by assembling a full staff and making it safely around to a New Fiscal Year (the "Go" square, in other words). As you move about the (bilingual, two-sided) board, you'll have opportunities to hire or raid competing companies. You must decide how much to pay your people --not enough and they'll switch companies, too much and your company will go bankrupt. Managing your money is an important aspect of the game but it isn't the victory condition. Amusingly, the early editions had all-female secretaries and all-male higher personnel; later editions kept the illustrations but shuffled them throughout the positions. From Waddington ad: "Ulcers is the big business game that recognizes an important business fact: PEOPLE are among a company's most valuable assets. And people are why executives get ULCERS. Suppose you had to form a company and had to hire a staff of executives, managers,salesmen and secretaries. You probably think it would be easy but it isn't. ULCRES puts you in the owners chair. You form the company, hire the staff and you try to keep them."
Ulcers supports 2–4 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 Ulcers 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 Ulcers 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.
Ulcers has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Ulcers belongs to these categories: Humor, Economic, and Dice. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Point to Point Movement. 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 catalogue lists Ulcers 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.