Nippon: Zaibatsu · Board game rules
How do the two special contracts function in the game?
Quick answer
The two special Contracts require you to spend at least one 2-level or 3-level Goods (depending on the Contract) among the Goods used in the Investment and Contracts action to fulfill them, and grant a Department bonus of your choice. [p.16 — Investment and Contracts Action]
Details
Each of the two special Contracts displays specific Goods icons indicating which types of Goods must be included when you fulfill that Contract. To fulfill a special Contract, among all the Goods you spend during that single Investment and Contracts action, there must be at least one Goods cube matching the level shown on the Contract—either a 2-level Goods (Lenses or Bento) or a 3-level Goods (Clocks or Bulbs), depending on which the Contract requires. [p.16 — Investment and Contracts Action]
When you successfully fulfill a special Contract, you gain a Department bonus of your choice, rather than a fixed bonus. This gives you flexibility to select whichever Department bonus best supports your current strategy. [p.16 — Investment and Contracts Action]
Watch out: The Goods requirement applies to the Goods you spend during that action—it doesn't matter which Factory produced them or where they came from. If you spend Goods across multiple activations of the Investment and Contracts action in a single turn, all those Goods count toward meeting the requirement for any special Contract you're trying to fulfill in that turn.