It is 1900. A new soft drink craze is sweeping the nation, and soda-pop companies are springing up overnight to take advantage. All of these companies use more-or-less the same ingredients in different proportions to flavor their fizzy treats, and there is a limited supply of these ingredients on the market. You must outbid your competitors for the ingredients you need for your secret Kola recipe. Kola is a standard auction game in which "4"-value cards have special powers, most of which force the next player in turn order to bid in a particular way or pass. The cards in winning bids become the lot for the next auction. Each player starts the game with a secret-formula card, detailing the distinct combination of ingredients the player needs to score a victory point.