来自出版商的介绍：

石棉及其应用历史悠久。作为一种天然矿物质，石棉曾因它看似绝妙的耐性和特质而为人所称道，直到1987年，世界卫生组织的国际癌症研究机构宣布石棉是人类致癌物质。

虽说如此，如今，有些国家依旧在开采和使用石棉。

代价是一个富有挑战性的经济类桌面游戏，它赋予玩家公司的角色，从全球范围内的石棉产业中获利。

玩家们或一心一意，或统筹兼顾，开展石棉工业的各项工作，比如开采石棉，精制加工和石棉运输，从而互相竞争，赚取财富。游戏结束时收入最高的玩家“获胜”。

代价游戏总共进行四轮，但是也有可能因为出台健康和安全法规导致工业关停，从而提前结束游戏。

在每一轮，每位玩家首先开始自己的回合，即选择一个国家执行其行动。选择一个国家既触发一个国内事件，也对该国经济产生影响。随后，玩家使用一个特殊的机制为本轮选择三个行动。

代价是一款需要你精心思考的策略游戏！

Description from the Publisher:

The Cost is a challenging economic board game that places players in the role of a company whose interest is in the asbestos industry around the world. Players compete to make their fortune by concentrating or diversifying in the various aspects of the industry such as mining, refining, and shipping. Whoever ends the game with the most money wins.

The game is played over four rounds, but it might end early due to health and safety regulations that shut down the industry by eliminating all areas in which they can act. In each round, players begin their turns by selecting a country in which to execute their actions. This selection triggers an event within it, in addition to having an effect on its economy.

Players then use a unique system to draft three actions at once for the round. These actions can be a mix of building mines, building refineries, gaining government subsidies, establishing railroads, and establishing ports. Once all players have executed their actions, they may convert their money (i.e., victory points) into specific country resources, with each country having its own conversion rate.

A player's industry then goes into motion with mines producing raw asbestos, refineries refining that asbestos, and railroads and ports transporting these goods around the world. Players may also have a chance to invest in their own companies to gain an edge. When players mine or refine asbestos, they must choose to either maximize profits for short-term gains or sacrifice their hard-won money to minimize deaths, thus sustaining the industry.