M.U.L.E.

M.U.L.E. is about four hopeful explorers who are trying to make a fortune on a virgin planet. They do this by producing various goods (food, energy, blacksmithing, crystals). Each of these goods has its uses: If you don't have enough food, you have less time in your turn. If you don't have enough energy, your production will be lower. If not enough wrought iron is produced, there is a shortage of M.U.L.E.s. Crystit is the big earner that can make the difference between victory and defeat. You start the game by choosing your race. Some are easier to play, some harder. There are three difficulty levels, at the easiest the game only lasts 6 rounds, but the real game lasts 12 rounds. On the easiest level there is no Crystite. Each round begins with the land grab. Each player may choose a piece of land on the game board. If two players choose the same place, the player with less money wins. The map consists of different landscapes. Rivers are best for producing food, plains for energy and mountains for blacksmithing. Kristit is hidden and must first be found by taking a land sample to the city. After taking land, each player takes turns farming their land and completing other tasks. They can buy M.U.L.E.s to start production on their land, they can sabotage other players by buying M.U.L.E.s and unleashing them on them, they can try to capture the wumpus for money, and they can try to find crystallite veins. The time to do these things depends on whether the player has enough food. Finally, the player goes to the casino and wins a small amount of money, depending on how much time was left.