Blackout: Hong Kong

2018

In Blackout: Hong Kong, manage resources, coordinate specialists, and outwit rivals to bring back societal order in a city plunged into darkness.

150
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Blackout: Hong Kong is a highly strategic board game that immerses players in a unique and gripping scenario. Amid the vibrant hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, a sudden blackout throws the city into darkness, leading to chaos and confusion. As players, you are tasked with restoring order and light to the city, using your resources, strategy and wit.

The game’s setting is one of its most unique features. The vibrant city of Hong Kong is beautifully depicted, and the sudden blackout scenario adds an exciting and dramatic twist to the game. As players navigate through the darkened city, they must manage resources, plan their moves and strive to keep their teams safe and productive.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Blackout: Hong Kong is an intriguing and complex board game with numerous components. Each piece plays a crucial role in the gameplay. Here’s a list of all the components included in this game and a brief description of their role:

1. Game Board: The game board depicts a map of Hong Kong, divided into different districts. The board also includes spaces for card decks, cubes and other game components. Players explore these districts during the game, with the goal of restoring power to the city.

2. District Cards: These cards correspond to the districts on the game board. At the start of each round, these cards are drawn to indicate which districts are without power. Players must then plan their actions to restore power to these districts.

3. Resource Cubes: These come in different colors representing various resources like water, food, medicine, and tools. Players collect these cubes as they play the game. These resources are used to fulfill the demands of the district cards and to recruit specialists.

4. Player Boards: Each player gets a personal board that represents their operations base. It has spaces to place district cards, specialist cards and to track the player’s resources.

5. Specialist Cards: These cards represent various characters with unique abilities that players can recruit to their team. Specialists can provide additional resources, special abilities, or other benefits to the players.

6. Scoring Markers: These are used to track each player’s progress on the scoring track that runs around the edge of the game board. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

7. Objective Cards: These cards provide players with specific goals to achieve for bonus points. They add another layer of strategy and planning to the game.

8. Player Tokens: Each player has a set of tokens in their color. These are used to mark control of districts on the game board and to track other player-specific progress.

Understanding how these components interact and work together is crucial to mastering the game of Blackout: Hong Kong. Each round of the game involves drawing district cards, planning actions based on the resources and specialists available, executing these actions, and then scoring points. With strategic use of these components, players work to restore power to the city and earn points along the way.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Blackout: Hong Kong is an exciting and strategic board game where players compete to restore Hong Kong after a sudden blackout. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up and start the game:

Step 1: Set Up the Game Board

Place the main game board in the center of the table where all players can reach it. The board is divided into different districts of Hong Kong. Each has a specific color and symbol for easy identification.

Step 2: Preparing the Player Boards

Every player should select a color and take a player board of that color. Each player board should be placed in front of the respective player. It will be used to manage resources and actions during the game.

Step 3: Preparing the Player Pieces

Each player receives the following pieces in their chosen color:

1 Scoring Marker: Place it on the scoring track on the game board.
8 Action Cubes: Place them on the designated spaces on your player board.
3 Volunteer Tokens: Place them in the hospital area of your player board.

Step 4: Setting Up the Resource Pool

Separate the resource cubes (food, water, medical supplies) into their respective piles and place them within reach of all players. These will form the general supply.

Step 5: Preparing the Cards

Shuffle the deck of district cards and deal five to each player. The remaining deck is placed face down next to the game board.

Step 6: Preparing the Objective Cards

Shuffle the objective cards and place them in a deck face down next to the game board. Reveal the first three cards and place them face up next to the deck.

Step 7: Distributing Initial Resources

Each player receives 2 food cubes, 2 water cubes, and 1 medical supply cube. These should be placed in the respective spaces on the player board.

Step 8: Random Elements

For the final part of the setup, shuffle the blackout cards and place them face down next to the game board. Draw the top card of the deck and place it face up in the designated area on the game board. This card will determine which district is hit by the blackout in the first round.

Now you are ready to start playing Blackout: Hong Kong! Remember, the aim of the game is to restore as many districts as possible and secure the most points by the end of the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Blackout: Hong Kong is a complex and engaging board game that involves strategic planning and resource management. The game is divided into various rounds and phases, with each player taking turns to execute specific actions.

Overall Game Structure:

At the beginning of the game, each player receives a player board, three scout cards, and resources as indicated on their board. The game is then played over a series of rounds until the end game condition is met.
Each round in Blackout: Hong Kong is divided into five distinct phases: Roll Dice and Set Up Cards, Planning Phase, Action Phase, Clean Up Phase, and Check End Game condition.

Round Structure:

Roll Dice and Set Up Cards: At the start of each round, dice are rolled to determine the resources available in the market. New cards are also drawn and placed on the board.
Planning Phase: Each player selects three cards from their hand and places them face-down on their player board. These cards represent the actions that players intend to perform during the action phase.
Action Phase: Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player reveals their cards and performs the actions on them. Actions include collecting resources, acquiring new cards, and recovering personnel from the board.
Clean Up Phase: All used cards and resources are cleared from the board. Any unresolved emergencies are also resolved at this time.
Check End Game Condition: At the end of each round, players check to see if the end game condition has been met. If not, a new round begins.

Throughout the game, players must manage their resources carefully and plan their actions strategically to deal with the ongoing blackout. The player who best navigates the challenges and accumulates the most points by the end of the game is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The game of ‘Blackout: Hong Kong’ is a complex and engaging strategy board game that requires careful planning and decision-making throughout each player’s turn. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the elements that make up a player’s turn:

Planning Phase

In the Planning Phase, players need to decide which cards they want to play and in what order. There are three slots for cards, and the order matters because the resources gained from one card may be needed for the next.

Card Selection: Each card represents different actions and resources. Choosing the right combination of cards is crucial to implementing your strategy.
Implementation Order: The order in which you place your cards can affect the efficiency of your turn. You need to carefully plan your actions to maximize the benefits you gain.

Resource Collection and Action Execution

In the Resource Collection and Action Execution stage, players collect resources indicated on the cards they played, execute actions, and potentially recruit new specialists. This phase is crucial to expand your team, gather necessary resources, and advance in the game.

Resource Collection: Based on the card you’ve played, collect the corresponding resources.
Action Execution: Execute the actions on your cards. These actions can vary from scouting the blackout area, rescuing people, to acquiring specific goods.
Recruit Specialists: If you meet the recruitment conditions, you can add a new specialist to your team. These specialists provide additional actions and resources that can help you in the future.

Cleanup Phase

The Cleanup Phase is the final part of a player’s turn. Here, players prepare for their next turn by drawing new cards and resolving any effects from the current turn.

Card Draw: Draw up to your hand limit. This refills your potential actions for the next turn.
Effect Resolution: Resolve any ongoing effects from the current turn. This could include adding new resources, adjusting your score, or dealing with the consequences of the blackout.

Understanding these various elements and making strategic choices at each stage is key to being successful in ‘Blackout: Hong Kong’. Each decision can have far-reaching impacts on your gameplay, making every turn a critical part of your overall strategy.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Blackout: Hong Kong is a complex and engaging strategy game where players compete to restore order from chaos. The game ends immediately when a player manages to complete all of their objective cards. This action triggers the end game, after which all players finish the current round and then proceed to final scoring.

Before moving on to the final scoring, it’s important to understand the victory conditions of the game:

Completion of Objective Cards: The game ends immediately once a player has managed to complete all of their Objective Cards. These cards represent various tasks or missions that players must achieve during the game.
End of Round: If no player has completed all of their Objective Cards by the end of the round, the game continues to the next round. The game can end after a maximum of nine rounds.

Once the game ends, the players proceed with the final scoring. Here are the actions players must complete before final scoring:

Allocation of Unused Resources: Any excess resources that a player has not used by the end of the game can be allocated to their Scoring Track. Each resource can count as a point towards their final score.
Completion of Remaining Objectives: If a player has Objective Cards that they have not completed by the end of the game, they can use their remaining resources to try and complete these objectives. Completed objectives add to the player’s final score.

The final score is calculated by adding up points from completed Objective Cards, allocated resources, and any bonus points from special abilities or achievements. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Blackout: Hong Kong is a strategy board game where players must manage teams of specialists to resolve various crises throughout Hong Kong. The scoring system in the game is multi-faceted, with players earning points through several means. Here’s how the scoring works:

At the end of the game, players will add up their points from the following categories:

End Game Scoring Cards: Each player will reveal their end game scoring cards. These cards, if the conditions stated on them are met, will provide additional points to the players.
Resources: Players will score 1 point for every 3 resources they have left.
Money: Each dollar is worth 1 point.
Completed Objectives: Each completed objective is worth the amount of points indicated on the objective card.
Upgraded Districts: Each district that a player has upgraded will score points equal to the number indicated on the district card.

The player with the highest total points is the winner. In case of a tie, the following tie-breaking rules are applied:

Most Money: The player with the most money left wins.
Most Resources: If there is still a tie, the player with the most resources wins.
Least Damage: If there is still a tie, the player with the least damage tokens wins.
First Player: If there is still a tie, the player who is first in the turn order wins.

Overall, while the basic mechanics of scoring in Blackout: Hong Kong are simple, the strategic management of resources, objectives, and districts can make the difference between victory and defeat.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Blackout: Hong Kong is a complex board game that requires careful strategy and understanding of its rules. Below are some rare or special rules, exceptions, and important rule clarifications:

1. The Emergencies Rule:

If two players have the same amount of resources during the Check Emergencies phase, the player who is earlier in the player order solves the emergency first.
Emergencies can only be solved during the Check Emergencies phase and not at any other point during the round.

2. The Recruitment Rule:

When recruiting team members, a player cannot recruit a card from the display that was just discarded by another player in the same round.
Players must remember that not all cards in the recruitment display are available every round. Only the cards next to the round marker can be recruited.

3. The Scouting Rule:

During scouting, players may place cubes on any district, not just the ones that are adjacent to their previously scouted districts.
However, when calculating points for scouting, only the largest contiguous area of districts is considered.

4. The Objective Cards Rule:

Players can only complete one objective per round, and it must be done during the Check Objectives phase.
When completing an objective, the player must meet all requirements shown on the card, and these resources are then returned to the supply.

5. The Refresh Rule:

During the Refresh phase, players can choose to keep any number of cards in their hand and redraw up to their hand limit.
However, any cards not used during the round are discarded and can’t be redrawn during the same Refresh phase.

6. The Game End Rule:

The game ends immediately when a player reaches 25 points. There is no finishing the round or additional scoring.
In case of a tie, the player who has the most leftover resources is the winner.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies

Focus on Scouting: Make sure to prioritize scouting. This allows you to explore more areas and obtain more resources. The more areas you explore, the more options you have to earn points.

Utilize Specialists: Make sure to make use of your specialists. They can offer great advantages and can upgrade your abilities throughout the game. The right specialist can even alter your strategy.

Planning Ahead: Always plan ahead. In Blackout: Hong Kong, it’s essential to think about future rounds and not just immediate gains. Plan your strategy based on what you think your opponents will do.

Beginner Tips

Learn the Basics: The first step to becoming proficient at Blackout: Hong Kong is to understand the basic mechanics of the game. This includes understanding the importance of scouting, recruiting, and managing resources.

Resource Management: Always manage your resources wisely. It’s not always about having the most resources, but using what you have efficiently. Make sure to balance your use of resources to avoid running out at crucial times.

Understand Card Roles: Every card in the game has its role. Make sure you understand what each card can do and how it can contribute to your overall strategy. This will help you make better decisions during the game.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Scouting: One common mistake beginners make is ignoring the importance of scouting. Scouting helps you discover new areas and gain more resources. Without it, you’re limiting your potential for growth.

Not Utilizing Specialists: Another common mistake is failing to utilize specialists. These characters have unique abilities that can significantly influence the game. Ignoring them can lead to missed opportunities.

Spending Resources Unwisely: Spending all your resources immediately can be a fatal mistake. It’s important to manage your resources carefully and ensure you have enough for future rounds.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Optimize your Actions: Try to maximize the effect of your actions. This means taking actions that will give you the most benefit or disrupt your opponents’ plans.

Control the Map: Controlling the map can give you a significant advantage. The more areas you control, the more resources and options you have. This can give you a big edge over your opponents.

Adapt your Strategy: Always be ready to adapt your strategy based on the situation. The state of the game can change quickly, and being flexible can help you stay ahead.