Overview

Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game is a board game where players buy and sell famous paintings, trying to build the largest fortune in cash and valuable art. Each painting has a hidden value card that only the owner can see. Through auctions, trades, and strategic buying/selling, players try to acquire valuable paintings while avoiding forgeries.

Components

• 1 circular game board
• Painting cards (famous artworks)
• Value cards (hidden values including some forgeries)
• Play money ($1.5M per player in various denominations)
• Player pieces
• Dice
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Each player receives $1,500,000 in play money.
2. Each player draws 1 painting and 1 value card (clipped to the painting’s back, hidden from others).
3. Place remaining painting and value card decks on the board.
4. Determine first player by dice roll.

Turn Structure

On your turn:

1. Roll the die and move clockwise.
2. Resolve the space you land on.

Actions

Board Spaces

Space	Action
Bank Auction	Top painting is auctioned; all players bid. Winner sees the value card.
Private Auction	One of your paintings goes to auction (chosen by player to your left). Other players bid; you receive payment.
Buy from Bank	Purchase the top painting for a fixed price, or decline (triggers auction).
Sell to Bank	Sell any painting for its hidden value (forgeries are worthless).
Collect $3M or Value Card	Choose: take $3M cash, or take a value card to attach to an unvalued painting you own.
Buy from Player	Pay exactly $3.5M for any opponent’s painting.
Inherit	Receive a free painting + value card from the bank.
Forced Sale	Must sell one painting to the bank for $3.5M (even if worth more).

Auction Rules

• Minimum opening bid: $1,000,000
• Minimum raise: $500,000
• All players may bid.
• Bidding beyond your available cash incurs a $1M penalty or forfeits your next turn.
• No borrowing or private sales.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when all paintings and value cards have been drawn. Each player adds up:

• Cash on hand
• Value of owned paintings (from hidden value cards)

The player with the greatest total assets wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Forgeries: Some value cards mark paintings as forgeries (worth $0). Players with forgeries want to sell them before the game ends.
• Hidden values: Only the painting’s owner knows its value. Bluffing about a painting’s worth is encouraged.
• Players cannot look at value cards of paintings they don’t own.
• If a painting with no value card is sold to the bank, it is worth $0.
• Doubles on the die do not grant extra turns.

Player Reference

Auction Type	Who Bids	Who Gets Paid
Bank Auction	All players	Bank (winner pays)
Private Auction	All except owner	Owner receives payment