This is an awesome game, if you can get a copy get it, i have many amazing games like Madeira, Lisboa, great western trail, and this is up there with them.

is it just me or is the music a little louder than usual?

I think, the size of the bank does not influence the game length as much, as you estimate. It's about 1 round, 2 at most in extreme circumstances, because the sales normally start to snowball in the end. But leaving the hidden bank out and agreeing on a fixed sum is a perfectly fine house rule for casual players, in particular as long there is no general understanding of which strategies benefit from a shorter or longer game among the players. I really like the plain look of the board. First and foremost, because it speeds up the game in the later rounds. More bling to the artwork would make the game state harder to parse and add significantly to the playtime. We tried out an "alternative tiles set" from a BGG file once, and it was a chore. But second, it is preety thematic as well. How would you assume the map in the office of a CEO would look like? Last thing, I disagree on with you is player interaction. I think, there are not many games out there more interactive then FCM. You have to pay attention every turn, what people are doing, not only to snag a milestone from them. Because of that, the game is also not as scripted, as you claim. True, there are only two employees from which you should choose in Round 1 (expansion might mix that up), which takes less then a minute, but after that, there is not one true and only strategy, as the game will open up to new opportunities and traps based on what other players do.

What is this unintentional ASMR Board Game review content. I've been blessed. Truly a gem 👍❤️

One of my friends owns a copy of this so I've been lucky enough to play it a couple of times. Overall I think it's a really good game which actually nails the theme by simulating the running of a fast food chain pretty well. However there are a few minor issues that detract from the experience: 1) I enjoy games that avoid too many random factors but there is very little variation here. As a result I think the game can be solved to a certain degree meaning there is likely just a handful of winning strategies. 2) The graphic design is quite evocative of the time period but the board is as ugly as sin. Totally agree with you on that. 3) The hidden selection of money for after the bank breaks is a bit odd. Especially given that this is determined at the very start of the game when it's difficult to predict if a longer or shorter game will work to individual player's benefit. 4) As great as the mechanics are overall, it does bug me that there seems to be absolutely no penalty for overproducing. In fact it actually leads to a very useful milestone. 5) The introductory game is completely broken. It may be OK to teach but not having to pay salaries and the lack of milestones makes it obvious that a heavy hiring and training approach is easily the best way to go. I honestly would just recommend going for the full bhuna first time. In summary I don't think it'll be for everyone but I enjoyed it for what it is. The price is a bit steep for the components but if you are fortunate enough to have a friend who owns it then it's definitely worth a try.

It is a rather expensive game as well.