5×5 City

About this board game

5×5 City is a tile-placement game for 1–4 players that takes about 30 minutes, in which each player develops a new city by placing buildings on a personal 5×5 board.

Every player begins with a city board containing 25 vacant lots. At the start of the game, a compartment card determines how those spaces are divided into different sections. These divisions shape the restrictions that guide construction throughout the game.

Each round, a building tile is drawn at random according to the number of squares in the specified section. Players keep in touch with one another before placing the tile on their own city board. The central challenge is that a building cannot simply be placed wherever you want: in each round, construction is limited to a fixed area.

Buildings also provide various effects, making the timing and use of each tile an important part of city planning. Effective use of these effects can help you create a city more splendid than the others, while the changing building restrictions require you to adapt your plans as the game develops.

• Build a city across a 5×5 board with 25 vacant lots.
• Use compartment cards to divide the board into different sections.
• Place randomly drawn building tiles only in the fixed area specified for the round.
• Make effective use of building effects to pursue victory.
• Turn a building tile upside down into a park when it is not needed.

That park option gives you an alternative when a building does not suit your plans. With its compact play time and support for solo or multiplayer play, 5×5 City focuses on spatial decisions, restrictions, and the careful development of a thriving new city.