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About Startups
Startups is a tiny-box investment card game by Jun Sasaki for Oink Games. Six companies, each with a different number of cards, are up for grabs, and you want to be the biggest shareholder in the right ones. At the end, minority shareholders pay the majority holder, and those coins become worth three times as much. Every turn is a small, tense choice about what to keep and what to give away, and it plays in twenty minutes.
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Is Startups Right for You?
Best for
Startups is for groups who want a quick game with real decisions in a small box. It is best with four or five players, when majorities are contested but you can still keep track of who holds what. It is a good choice for a lunch break or the start of a game night.
Maybe skip it if…
It is a game of hidden information and some luck, so players who want full control may find it frustrating when the cards they need were removed at the start. At seven players, it is harder to plan.
How to Play Startups
Setup
Remove five cards unseen. Give each player 10 coins (1-side up) and deal three cards. Set out the six Anti-Monopoly chips.
On Your Turn
- Take a card: draw from the deck, placing a coin on each card in the market, or take a card from the market along with any coins on it.
- You cannot take a market card of a company whose Anti-Monopoly chip you hold.
- Then play a card face up in front of you, or discard one to the market (not the card you just took from it).
- Whoever has the most cards of a company in front of them takes its Anti-Monopoly chip; it moves only when someone has strictly more.
How to Win
When the deck runs out, hands are added to the table. In each company, every minority shareholder pays the majority holder one coin per card, flipped to its 3 side; a tie for majority means nobody pays. Most money wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Watch the coins piling up in the market. A card nobody wants can become the most valuable pick on the table.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading across every company. Focus on two or three where you can realistically win the majority.
- Forgetting that hands are added at the end. A player holding a few hidden cards can steal a majority right at the finish.
- Ignoring the market. Coins pile up on unwanted cards, and taking one can pay for several turns of drawing.
- Taking the Anti-Monopoly chip too early. Holding it stops you taking that company from the market, which can cost you later.
Advanced Strategy
- Count cards. The number on each company card shows how many exist, which helps you judge whether a majority is still possible.
- Discard to the market cards that nobody wants, so other players have to pay coins to avoid them.
- Keep some cards hidden until the end. A late swing can win you a majority your opponents did not see coming.
- Watch your money. Drawing from the deck costs coins, and running out leaves you with fewer choices.
Variants & House Rules
House rule: open hands
For a first game, play with hands face up so new players can see how majorities form. Switch to hidden hands once everyone understands it.
House rule: several rounds
Play one round per player and keep a running total of money, so a single unlucky deal matters less.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Startups packs a lot of thought into a tiny box and twenty minutes. We recommend it to groups who enjoy light strategy and a bit of bluffing. It is not a big-group game at the top of its range, but at four or five players it is one of the best small card games around.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is it best with?
Four or five. It works from three to seven, but at the top of the range it is harder to plan and more down to luck.
Who designed it?
Jun Sasaki, published by Oink Games. It is a reworking of his earlier game Rights.
What happens if two players tie for a majority?
Nobody pays anyone for that company.