Mine a Million

Mine a Million, also known as The Business Game, is a board game for two to six players that was first released by Waddingtons in 1965. It simulates the economics of mining tin and making a profit by moving the ore to market. The "million" in the title refers to the profit target players need to reach. The game takes place in a developing country where efficient transport is crucial.

Equipment

A decree from the Minister for Transport requires that all transport must travel fully loaded, which introduces the idea of subcontracting. The game was created by British brothers Peter and Philip Bergner. They sold the design to Waddingtons in 1965, and the company later rebranded it as The Business Game. The equipment includes a board, 12 mine derricks (two in each of six colors), six lorries, five barges, two ships, 90 pyramids (15 per color), 24 cubes (four per color), 26 Production Cards, six Canal Company Title Deeds, two Production Debit Cards, one die, and paper money in sterling and dollars.

Gameplay

Players mine, transport, and sell tin in the form of production units. Each player controls a pit head that starts with a single mining derrick. After an initial allocation, tin is produced at the mine by rolling a die. If the tin reaches Newport, it can be sold for sterling at the Newport warehouse.

This money is used to rent more transport (lorries, barges, and ships) and to buy a second derrick to boost production. The game has three phases. In the first, players use lorries to build capital and increase production. Once they have enough funds, they can establish a canal company and switch to barges, which are more expensive but can carry more tin to Newport faster.

In the final phase, players transport units across the sea by barge (taking a slower coastal route) or by ship (a faster direct route). Units sold at overseas ports—Race Bay, St. John’s, or Port Boston—earn dollars. Before exporting by sea, a player must have enough sterling to pay for the transport rental during the voyage. The goal is to make one million dollars by selling units at the three ports on the neighboring landmass.

Rules

The simplest way is to deliver ten units to the farthest port (Port Boston) and another five to either of the nearer two (Race Bay or St. John’s). At the start, players receive two to four units based on a die roll.