Lords of Vegas

2010

Experience the thrill of casino empire-building in Lords of Vegas! Develop, strategize and gamble your way to victory, earning points by creating the most profitable casinos.

90
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

You and your opponents represent powerful developers in a burgeoning Nevada city. You will earn money and prestige by building the biggest and most profitable casinos on "The Strip," the town’s backbone of dust and sin. You start with nothing but parking lots and dreams, but from there you build, sprawl, reorganize and gamble your way to victory. Score the most points investing in the most profitable development companies and putting the best bosses in control of the richest casinos. Put your dollars on the line . . . it’s time to roll! The game board is broken into 6 different areas, each consisting of a number of empty ‘lots’. Players build lots by paying money and placing a die of the value matching the one shown on the lot’s space onto the lot, along with a casino tile of one of 7 colors. Adjoining lots of the same color are considered a single casino. The casino’s boss is the player whose die value is higher than any other in the casino. On each players turn, players turn over a new card representing a new lot they get. The card also is one of the casino colors. Any built casinos of the matching color will score both money and points. Money is earned for each lot in the casino, where each lot may be owned by a different player. Points go only to the casino’s owner. Players can expand their casinos; try to take over casinos owned by other players; make deals to trade lots, casinos and money; or gamble in opponents’ casinos to make more money. Ultimately, though, only points matter, and that means making yourself boss of the biggest casinos. Lords of Vegas contains: Snazzy game board 4 turn summaries 55 cards 40 chips in 4 colors 48 dice in 4 colors 4 poker chips Lots of money 45 casino blocks Rules

Setup and rules summary

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

Lords of Vegas is an exciting game of strategy, luck, and high stakes. This guide will provide a step-by-step guide on how to set the game up for play.

Step 1: Board Placement

The game board should be placed in the center of the playing area. The board is a grid of 6 by 9 squares, each representing a lot in Las Vegas. The squares are color-coded to represent different casinos.

Step 2: Player Roles

Each player represents a developer who is trying to build up their own casinos in Las Vegas. Each player should choose a color and take the corresponding player marker. Players should also take a matching deck of cards, each deck contains 8 cards, one for each of the different casinos in the game.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Start by giving each player the following initial resources:

Money: Each player starts with $10 million. The money is represented by the chips in the game.
Lots: Each player starts with two random lots. To determine these lots, deal two cards from the deck to each player. The lots that match the colors on the cards are the player’s starting lots.
Development Markers: Each player starts with 12 development markers in their chosen color. These will be used to mark the player’s casinos on the board.

Step 4: Random Elements

The game has several random elements that add to the excitement:

Deck of Cards: The deck of cards determines which lots on the board are available for development. The cards are shuffled and placed face down. Each turn, a player draws a card and the color of the card determines which lot they can develop.
Dice: The dice are used to determine the outcome of various actions in the game, such as gambling in a casino or resolving disputes between players.
Scoring Strip: The scoring strip is used to keep track of the players’ scores. The order of the players on the strip can change throughout the game, adding another layer of unpredictability.

Now that you have set up the game, you are ready to start playing. Good luck and may the best developer win!

Game flow Round and round we go

Lords of Vegas is an intriguing board game that offers a mix of strategic planning, gambling, and city-building. The game is structured around players taking on the role of developers in Las Vegas, aiming to build the most successful casino empire. The game is played over several rounds, each representing a certain period of time.

Each round in Lords of Vegas is divided into four main phases:

The Card Phase: At the beginning of each round, the top card from the deck is drawn and revealed to all players. This card specifies a lot that will be owned by the active player and a casino color that will generate income this round. Each player, starting with the active player and continuing clockwise, collects income for each pip in their casinos of the drawn color.
The Actions Phase: After the card phase, the active player may perform any number of actions, provided they have the necessary resources. These actions include:
- Building: Players can pay money to build a casino on a lot they own.
- Reorganizing: Players can pay money to reorganize a casino, which involves a roll of the dice to determine control.
- Expanding: Players can expand an existing casino into an adjacent lot they own by paying the cost of the new casino block.
- Remodeling: Players can change the color of a casino they control by paying the cost of each block in the casino.
- Gambling: Players can gamble at an opponent’s casino to potentially gain more money.
- Trading: Players can negotiate trades for lots, money, and casino blocks with other players.
The End Phase: After the active player has finished their actions, the next player clockwise becomes the active player. They draw a card to start their round.
The Game End: When the deck is exhausted, the game ends. Players gain points for the size of each casino they control and additional points for each casino that is the largest of its color. The player with the most points wins.

In Lords of Vegas, strategic planning, luck, and the ability to negotiate are key to building your casino empire and becoming the ruler of Vegas!

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Lords of Vegas, players take on the roles of developers striving to build the most successful empire of casinos in Las Vegas. Each player’s turn consists of several steps, and they can choose from a variety of actions to maximize their empire’s growth.

1. Draw and Play a Card:

At the start of their turn, a player draws a card from the deck. This card indicates a lot on the game board where a new casino can be built. The player places one of their dice on this lot and receives the amount of money indicated on the card.

2. Possible Actions:

After playing a card, the player can choose to perform any number of the following actions, provided they can afford the costs associated with each:

Build: A player can choose to build a casino on any lot they own by paying the build cost. The size and color of the casino are determined by the player. A larger casino yields more points, but it’s more expensive to build and maintain.
Remodel: Players can remodel their casinos to change their color. This can be a strategic move to control more casinos of the same color and gain more victory points during the scoring phase.
Reorganize: If a player owns more than one casino of the same color, they can reorganize them. This involves re-rolling the dice in all the casinos of that color and potentially gaining control of more casinos.
Gamble: If a player feels lucky, they can gamble in an opponent’s casino. This can be a risky move as it can result in a loss of money. However, it can also yield big rewards if the player’s gamble pays off.
Trade: Players can negotiate and trade lots, money, and casinos with other players. This can be a strategic move to obtain more lots or casinos, or to get rid of less profitable ones.

3. End of Turn:

After taking their desired actions, the player’s turn ends. Play then moves to the next player in clockwise order.

The strategic choices made during a player’s turn can greatly affect the gameplay in Lords of Vegas. Building larger casinos, controlling casinos of the same color, and making smart trades can help a player earn more victory points and money. However, these actions also come with risks and costs, and players need to balance their resources wisely to build the most successful empire.

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

Lords of Vegas is an exciting game where players act as developers and casino owners in the city of Vegas. The game ends and final scoring takes place under specific conditions.

The end of the game is triggered when the card deck runs out. This means all the cards in the deck have been drawn, indicating that all possible building sites in the city have been purchased. Once this happens, players will finish the current round so that everyone has an equal number of turns.

Once the game ends, players move on to the final scoring phase. During this phase, the players calculate their points based on their casinos and the cards they have in their hand. The player with the most points is declared the winner. Here are the specific victory conditions:

Ownership of Casinos: Each player earns points equal to the number of casinos they own multiplied by the current value of those casinos. The current value of a casino is determined by the number of rooms it contains.
Majority Control: If a player has majority control over a casino, they earn bonus points equal to the number of rooms in that casino.
Hand of Cards: Players also score points for each card they have in their hand at the end of the game. Each card is worth points equal to the number of pips on the card.

Before the final scoring, players may have a final opportunity to take actions such as reorganizing their casinos, making deals with other players, or playing their remaining cards. It’s important to use this opportunity wisely to maximize points.

In conclusion, the player with the most points at the end of the game, calculated through casino ownership, majority control, and the cards in their hand, is declared the winner of the game Lords of Vegas.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

The scoring system in ‘Lords of Vegas’ is based on the accumulation of Victory Points (VPs) which players earn by building and controlling casinos. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Points Awarded:

Casino Control: Players earn VPs equal to the size of each casino they control at the end of their turn. For instance, if a player controls a 3-tile casino, they get 3 VPs.
Reorganization: When a player reorganizes a casino, they have a chance to take over the control from another player, thus potentially earning more VPs in future turns.
Card Colors: When a player draws a card matching the color of their casino, they earn VPs equal to the size of that casino.
Building Casino Tiles: Building a casino tile doesn’t directly give VPs but increases the size of the casino, which can give more VPs in future turns.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the following rules apply:

Most Cash on Hand: The player with the most money left wins the tie.
Most Lots: If there’s still a tie, the player who owns the most lots on the board wins.
Most Sprawling Casino: If there’s still a tie, the player who controls the largest single group of connected casino tiles wins.

The game continues until a player reaches a certain number of VPs, depending on the number of players. That player is then declared the winner. If multiple players reach the goal on the same turn, the tie-breaking rules are used to determine the ultimate winner.