American author, speaker, and pastor, John C. Maxwell, said "Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years." Once you find gold, it's not enough to hold it up for the world to see. There is more to be obtained. In this game, there is wealth to be found, but only for those who persevere.
When the United States looked westward to the new territories it acquired, many saw a chance for a new life. Even more saw opportunities for wealth. Acquiring ownership of this new land meant speculating its worth. For those who could manipulate the railroad, land became better than gold.
Characters Jack Sparrow and Mr. Gibbs from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were fond of saying "Take what you can; give nothing back." That is exactly the goal in this game. A clever pirate captain knows that luck is as fickle as the sea, but only fools wouldn't risk it all for wealth.
American businessman, music publisher, writer's representative, filmmaker, and record label executive, Allen Klein, said "You may not be able to change a situation, but with humor you can change your attitude about it." One person's good luck could be a source of envy or the butt-end of a joke. In this game, the better the news, the funnier the ironic outcome.
If the stories are true, Santa has a lot of elves at his beck and call. With so many happy workers, you just know there are problems underneath the festive surface. The elves have their own rivalries and compete to be Santa's "Top Elf". Even the smallest task becomes an aggressive competition. In this game, the Holiday Spirit hits hard and plays for keeps.
French author and a soldier in World War I, Georges Bernanos, said "The first sign of corruption in a society that is still alive is that the end justifies the means." But what if the end is believed to be righteous even though the means may seem unjust? History is written by those who survive to write it, trumping opposing opinions in the process. In this game, corrupting others is essential to victory.