In Acquire, each player strategically invests in businesses, trying to maintain the majority of shares. As businesses grow with the placement of tiles, they begin to merge, giving the main shareholders of the acquired business significant bonuses, which can then be used to reinvest in other chains.

All investors of the acquired company can then cash in their shares for the current value or trade them 2 for 1 for shares of the newer and larger business. The game is a race to acquire the greatest wealth.

History of Acquire: This classic game by Sid Sackson has taken many different forms over the years, depending on the publisher, but the rules and game dynamics have remained the same.

• The 1966 edition of the 3M Bookshelf series included rules for a 2-player variant.
• The original edition is part of the 3M Bookshelf series.
• Many books and websites mistakenly refer to this edition as from 1962.
• 3M used an older, copyrighted work when they released the game in 1964.
• 3M received the idea for the game "Vacations" from Sid Sackson in May 1963.
• They released some limited test games in the market in 8 cities in Western America in December 1963.
• When 3M released the mass games in 1964, they developed some of Sid's original ideas and changed some rules and game dynamics.