Entrepreneurship & Business Strategy Game
TANZA
Trade · Build · Expand
Can You Survive the Marketplace?
Teachers Districts
Real economics & resource management
Classroom-ready & homeschool friendly
Collaborative & competitive play modes
Culturally grounded storytelling
2-6 Players
5 Sectors
15 Businesses
45-90 Min
▶ Watch Game Overview Trailer
Gameplay and Educational Value

Players begin by selecting a pawn and moving along the board. Each player receives one Business card, five Strategy cards, and $3 in starting capital. The core mechanic revolves around dual-sided Strategy cards (Build Mode and Tactic Mode).

In Build Mode, players acquire funding, property, and workers to establish and expand businesses. In Tactic Mode, they protect their enterprises or take competitive actions against other players.

Open businesses generate ongoing income based on their assigned values. The board introduces continuous real-world pressures through three types of Event cards:

  • Global Shift events affect all players simultaneously
  • Industry Impact events target specific economic sectors
  • Savanna Schemes deliver localized challenges to the individual player

The Market Place allows players to acquire additional Business cards and powerful Power Play cards, enabling them to influence economic conditions or respond to setbacks.

At the outset, players collectively choose among three victory conditions — Race Mode, High Score Mode, or Bean-Counter Mode — adding a layer of strategic planning and goal-setting. A Savanna Sweep (successfully opening all three businesses within a single sector) provides an immediate victory.

Throughout the game, every card played requires critical thinking, risk assessment, resource management, and adaptive decision-making. Players must constantly balance short-term actions with long-term strategy while responding to dynamic economic and environmental pressures — skills directly aligned with 21st-century learning objectives in economics, entrepreneurship, civics, and social studies.

The Game Board + Card Carousel
Game Board
Game Board — Art Mawhinney

Physical Components
TANZA
1 Game Board Full circular board with spiraling path leading to the central Watering Hole and dynamic event spaces.
6 Player Pawns One per player. Pick your pawn and take your matching color Open/Closed Business Markers.
2 Dice (d6) Roll both dice each turn to determine how many spaces to move.
Open
Closed
× 7 per player color
42 Business Markers 7 per player (6 colors). Place Open-side up when launching a business. Flip to Closed when affected by events.
$1 × 40
$5 × 25
$10 × 15
$0.50 × 12
92 TANZA Cash 40 × $1 bills, 25 × $5 bills, 15 × $10 bills, 12 × $0.50 coins. Each player starts with $3.
15 Self-Fund Cards Can't draw the exact Money card you need? Use a Self-Fund card to keep building your business.
Card Decks
Business Cards 15 cards total · Keep separate from Strategy deck

Each Business Card represents a real enterprise in Tanza's economy — showing its sector, the Money, Property, and Worker cards required to open it, and its point value on the Sector Wheel. Players start with 1 Business card dealt face-up. Remaining cards are displayed face-up in the Market Place.

3 Energy Hydropower Plant, Energy Resource, and 1 more
3 Manufacturing Metal Ore, Processing Plant, Textile Factory
3 Knowledge Trade School, Media Group, and 1 more
3 Service Luxury Lodge, Village Market, Eco-Tourism
3 Agriculture Family Farm, Commercial Farm, Plantation Estate
Strategy Cards 80 cards total · Two sides, two modes

Strategy cards are the heart of the game — every card has two sides: a Build Mode side (green/yellow/purple) used to construct businesses, and a Tactics Mode side (red) used to attack rivals or defend your own. Each player holds 5 cards at all times.

Build Mode — Green/Yellow/Purple Side

Play these to gather the resources needed to open businesses.

20 Money Cards Funding Loan (4), Venture Capital (4), Angel Investor (4), Barter (4), Grant (4) — required to open a Business
35 Property Cards Property Land (7), Facility (7), Inventory (7), Equipment (7), Transport (7) — physical assets the business needs
25 Worker Cards Labour Skilled (10), Unskilled (15) — upgrade Unskilled to Skilled using a Training (Tactics) card
Tactics Mode — Red Side

Flip to the red side to attack rivals or defend your empire. Three types of Tactics cards:

Setback Tactics Sabotage rivals' Open Businesses. Animal Attack (6), Quarantine (6), Arson (6), Corrupt Politician (6), Tax Audit (5), Poacher (6)
Defend Tactics Block or cancel Setbacks. Police (6), Ranger (6), Doctor (6), Agent (6), Security (6) — some attach to businesses for ongoing protection ($2)
Special Tactics Training (10) upgrades Unskilled Workers. Tax Refund (5) cancels a Tax Audit or earns $2 per Open Business (max $6)
Power Play Cards 20 cards · Purchased from the Market Place for $2 each

Power Play cards are purchased — pay $2 (or discard 2 cards) to draw the top card from the face-down Power Play deck. Up to 2 per turn. Play immediately or hold in hand. Two categories:

Expansion & Exploitation Maximize your advantage — open extra businesses, boost income, salvage value, or bend the rules. Includes: State's Iron Grip (4), Courtroom Gambit (4), Side Hustle (4), Fire Sale (2), Flash Demand (2)
Sabotage & Suppression Crush your competition — force closures, reverse progress, block actions, and disrupt rivals before they gain momentum. Includes: Territorial Tension (2), Back Track (2)
Event Cards 60 cards total · 3 separate decks of 20

Drawn when a player lands on an Event space. Read aloud — the card specifies who is affected. Keep all three Event decks face-down and separate.

20 Global Shift A major change affecting the whole region. All players with Open Businesses must respond. Examples: Trade Wars, Savanna Shift, Market Meltdown, Nature's Wrath
20 Savanna Schemes NGOs and corporations influencing local life. Affects only the landing player. Examples: Brain Drain, Clean Fields, False Promises, Wishing Wells
20 Industry Impact A change hitting one specific sector. Any player with an Open Business in that sector must respond. Examples: Power Surge (Energy), Supply Chain Jam (Agri), Automation Surge (MFG)
4 Ways to Win
Mode 1 · Recommended for new players Race Mode

First player to reach the Watering Hole wins immediately. Simple, fast, great for first sessions.

Start here
Mode 2 High Score Mode

When the first player reaches the Watering Hole, finish the round. Everyone totals Cash + Business Points. Highest score wins.

Mode 3 Bean-Counter Mode

Same as High Score, but adds Sector Wheel Bonus points. Rewards players who build businesses in their sector's color. Most complex scoring.

Mode 4 · Instant Win — any mode Savanna Sweep

Open all 3 businesses in the same sector at any time — and win instantly, regardless of board position.

Tie-Breaker: Most Cash wins.

Normal Turn Sequence
1 Collect Income

Receive cash equal to the point value of each of your Open Businesses from the Bank.

2 Roll & Move

Roll 2d6. Move your pawn that many spaces counter-clockwise. If occupied, jump ahead.

3 Event

If you land on an Event Icon, draw the top Event card and read it aloud. Resolve it.

4 Actions

In any order, unlimited: Buy Business or Power Play cards · Build businesses · Play Tactics · Trade with other players.

5 Draw & Pass

Draw back up to 5 Strategy cards. If you hold more than 5, don't draw. Pass clockwise.

Classroom Tip
First session? Use the Easy Start rule — Round 1 is Build Mode only. No buying, no Tactics, no Events. Each student reviews their 5 Strategy cards and gets one free Business swap (the Mulligan). This lets students learn the business-building mechanic before introducing competition and events. Once students understand how Money → Property → Worker opens a business, introduce Tactics Mode in Round 2.