Boardgames

Power Grid

Power Grid is a captivating board game of auction, strategy and resource management. Buy power plants, acquire fuel, and expand your network to light up the most cities.

120
minutes

2 - 6
player(s)

12+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Power Grid is a captivating and strategic board game that involves careful resource management and city network building. The theme and setting of the game transport players into the intriguing world of power production and distribution.

In the game, each player represents a company that owns power plants and tries to supply electricity to cities. Throughout the game, players will bid for power plants and buy resources to produce electricity to power their cities. The game unfolds on a map representing regions in a country, each with its own network of cities.

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Setup and rules summary

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game ‘Power Grid’ includes a variety of components that all play a critical role in the gameplay. These components are used in different ways and at different stages of the game. Here’s a detailed explanation of every component in the game:

1. Game Board

The Game Board is the main component of the game. It contains a map with several cities marked on it. The cities are connected by routes, which players can buy to expand their power networks. The board also has a market for resources and power plants.

2. Power Plant Cards

The Power Plant Cards are used to represent the power plants that players can purchase during the game. Each card has a number (representing the cost and the power rank of the plant), the type of resources it uses, and the number of cities it can power.

3. Resource Tokens

The Resource Tokens represent the four types of resources used to power the plants: coal, oil, garbage, and uranium. Players buy these resources from the market and use them to power their plants and earn money.

4. Money

Money is used in the game to buy power plants, resources, and city connections. The player with the most money at the end of the game is declared the winner.

5. Summary Cards

Summary Cards provide a brief overview of the game’s rules and the order of actions during each round. They are a helpful reference for players during the game.

6. Wooden Houses

The Wooden Houses are used to represent the players’ cities on the game board. Each player has a set of houses in a specific color. When a player buys a city on the game board, they place one of their houses on it.

7. Step 3 Card

The Step 3 Card is placed within the power plant deck. When it is drawn, it signals that the game moves into step 3, which introduces new rules and strategies.

Each component in ‘Power Grid’ is designed to interact with each other to create a dynamic and strategic game. Understanding the role of each component is key to mastering the game.

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

Power Grid is a strategic board game where players represent companies that own power plants and try to supply electricity to cities. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up Power Grid.

Player Roles:

In Power Grid, each player takes on the role of a company that generates electricity. The goal is to supply electricity to as many cities as possible. Players will bid on power plants at auction, buy resources to produce electricity, and build a network of cities to supply with power.

Board Placement:

Place the game board in the middle of the play area. The board shows a map with a network of cities. Players will build connections between these cities during the game.

Initial Resources:

Each player starts with 50 “Elektro”. This is the currency used in the game to buy power plants, resources, and city connections. Place the resource tokens (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) in the appropriate spaces on the resource market, according to the instructions in the game rules.

Step 1: Choose a Map and Prepare the Power Plant Deck

Choose one side of the board to play on and shuffle the power plant cards. Place the “Step 3” card in the deck according to the number of players. The remaining power plant cards are placed in numerical order next to the board.

Step 2: Place the Resource Tokens

Fill the resource market with resource tokens, following the chart in the game rules. The amount and type of resources depend on the number of players.

Step 3: Choose Player Order

Decide the initial player order randomly. The player order is very important, as it determines the order for auction, buying resources, and building.

Step 4: Auction Power Plants

Starting with the first player, each player chooses a power plant from the current market and starts an auction. Players bid on the power plant, and the highest bidder adds the power plant to their company and pays the bid to the bank.

Step 5: Buy Resources and Build Network

In reverse player order, each player buys resources for their power plants and builds connections between cities on the board. Building connections and supplying power to cities earns players points.

Random Elements:

The randomness in Power Grid comes from the power plant auction and the availability of resources in the market. The power plants available for auction are drawn randomly from the deck, and the resources are refilled randomly from the supply according to a chart in the game rules. This means that the power plants and resources available will be different in each game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Power Grid is a strategic board game where players compete to supply cities with power. The game is divided into several rounds, each of which consists of five phases: Determine Player Order, Auction Power Plants, Buying Resources, Building, and Bureaucracy.

1. Determine Player Order: The order of play is determined by the number of cities each player currently powers. The player with the most cities goes last, while the player with the least goes first.

  • If there is a tie, then the player with the most powerful power plant goes last.

2. Auction Power Plants: Players bid on power plants in the order determined in the first phase.

  1. The first player begins the auction by choosing a power plant to bid on.
  2. Other players then take turns to either raise the bid or pass.
  3. The auction ends when only one player hasn’t passed. That player pays their bid to the bank and adds the power plant to their collection.
  4. The process is repeated until each player has had the chance to buy a power plant.

3. Buying Resources: In reverse player order, players buy resources to power their plants.

  • The available resources are coal, oil, garbage, and uranium.
  • The cost of resources varies depending on supply and demand.

4. Building: Again, in reverse player order, players expand their network of cities.

  1. Players pay a cost to build in a city, with the cost increasing for each subsequent city.
  2. Players can only build in a city if they can connect it to their existing network.

5. Bureaucracy: Players earn cash based on the number of cities they can power, then restock resources and draw new power plants for the next round.

  • Players must use resources to power their power plants.
  • The more cities a player can power, the more cash they earn.
  • Unused resources are saved for future rounds.

The game ends when a player builds a certain number of cities (depending on the number of players). The winner is the player who can supply the most cities with power.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The game of ‘Power Grid’ has a structured sequence of play, broken down into five phases per round. The phases include: determining player order, auctioning power plants, buying raw materials, building, and bureaucracy. Each phase has different actions and strategic choices a player can make, which will affect the gameplay and their chances of winning.

Determining Player Order

The player order is determined by the number of cities that each player has powered. The player who powers the most cities goes last, while the player who powers the least goes first. In the event of a tie, the player with the most expensive power plant goes first.

Auctioning Power Plants

Starting with the first player and going in order, each player can choose to start an auction for a power plant. The minimum bid is the number on the power plant. Players can raise the bid or pass. Once a player passes, they can’t rejoin the bidding for that power plant. When all but one player has passed, the remaining player gets the power plant and must discard one if they already have three.

Strategic Choices:

  • Players need to balance the need for more efficient power plants with the cost of bidding for them.
  • Some power plants use cheaper resources, but may not provide as much power.

Buying Raw Materials

Starting with the last player and going in reverse order, players can buy raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) for their power plants. The cost of resources varies and they become more expensive as they become scarce.

Strategic Choices:

  • Players need to consider the cost of resources in relation to their available funds and the need to power their plants.
  • Players can buy more resources than they need, potentially making them scarce and more expensive for other players.

Building

Starting with the last player and going in reverse order, players can build more cities. The cost of building in a city depends on the number of cities the player already has and the distance to the new city.

Strategic Choices:

  • Players need to balance the cost of building new cities with their available funds and the need to expand their network.
  • Building in a city prevents other players from building there, potentially blocking their expansion.

Bureaucracy

Players earn money based on the number of cities they have powered. Then, the raw materials market is restocked and the highest numbered power plant is removed from the auction.

Strategic Choices:

  • Players need to plan their purchases and building so they have enough money to power their cities and earn a profit.
  • Players can affect the power plant auction for the next round by buying certain resources or building in certain cities.

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

Power Grid is a resource management and strategy board game where players represent companies trying to supply the most cities with power. The game ends when a player successfully connects a certain number of cities, which varies depending on the number of players. However, it’s not just about connecting the cities; the player who can power the most cities during the final round is declared the winner.

End of the Game:

The game ends immediately after the ‘Bureaucracy’ phase in which at least one player has connected a pre-determined number of cities to their power grid. The number of cities required to trigger the end of the game depends on the number of players. For example, in a four-player game, the end is triggered when a player connects 17 cities to their power grid.

After the end of the game is triggered, all players, including the one who connected the cities, get one more chance to supply power to their cities. The player who can power the most cities during this final round is declared the winner. If there is a tie, the player with the most remaining money (electro) wins.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

  1. Purchasing Resources: Players can buy resources like coal, oil, garbage, or uranium to power their power plants. The cost of these resources changes throughout the game, and players must strategically decide which resources to buy and when.
  2. Buying Power Plants: Players can bid on power plants at auction. These power plants require different types of resources and can power different numbers of cities. Players must balance the cost of the power plants, the cost of the necessary resources, and the number of cities the plants can power.
  3. Building: Players can connect new cities to their power grid. The cost to connect to a city depends on whether other players are also connected to that city and how far away the city is from the player’s existing grid.

Players must consider all of these actions and more as they make their decisions. They must balance their money, the resources they need, the power plants they want, and the cities they connect to their grid. All of these decisions ultimately affect final scoring and determine who wins the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Power Grid is a highly strategic board game where players bid on power plants, buy resources to run them, and build a network of cities to supply with electricity. The game ends when one player builds a certain number of cities (depending on the number of players), but the winner is determined by who can supply power to the most cities during the final round.

Scoring in Power Grid

In Power Grid, there is no traditional point system. Instead, the winner is determined based on the number of cities they can power at the end of the game. The steps to determine the winner are:

  1. Count the number of cities each player has connected in their network. The player who can power the most cities wins.
  2. If there is a tie, the player with the most remaining money (Elektro) wins.
  3. If there is still a tie, the player with the highest-numbered power plant wins.

Powering Cities

Players can attempt to power their cities after every round of the game. They can choose not to power some or all of their cities, but they will receive less money during the bureaucracy phase. The money received is determined by the number of cities a player powers:

  • Powering 0 cities: 10 Elektro
  • Powering 1 city: 22 Elektro
  • Powering 2 cities: 33 Elektro
  • Powering 3 cities: 44 Elektro
  • Powering 4 cities: 54 Elektro
  • Powering 5 cities: 64 Elektro
  • And so on…

Note: The exact amount of Elektro received for powering cities is listed on the game board for easy reference.

Tie-Breaking Rules

In the event of a tie, follow these steps:

  1. The player with the most remaining Elektro (money) wins.
  2. If there is still a tie, the player with the highest-numbered power plant card wins.

In Power Grid, strategic resource management, wise bidding, and efficient network development are the keys to victory. Happy gaming!

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Power Grid is a strategic game that involves managing resources and expanding power networks. Though the game is straightforward, there are specific rules and exceptions that might be confusing or overlooked. Here are some of these special rules and clarifications:

Power Plant Market:

  • The power plant market is divided into two sections: the current market and the future market. Only power plants in the current market can be bid on during the auction phase. The future market merely shows which power plants will be available next.

  • Power plants are removed from the game in certain circumstances. For example, if a new power plant with a higher number is drawn during the restocking phase, the lowest-numbered plant in the current market is removed from the game, even if it has not been bought.

Resource Restocking:

  • Resources are restocked at the end of each round according to the number of players and the step of the game. This restocking may not be sufficient to fill all the spaces on the resource track. If that’s the case, the resources are placed starting from the highest-priced spaces and moving down.

  • Also, the restocking rate for commodities changes as the game progresses. There’s less restocking in the later stages of the game, making resources more scarce and expensive.

Game Steps:

  1. Step 1 begins at the start of the game. In this step, a player can only build in a single city during the building phase.

  2. Step 2 begins when the first player builds a seventh city. In this step, players can build in up to two cities during the building phase. The lowest power plant is also removed from the game, and the market is shuffled.

  3. Step 3 begins when the ‘Step 3’ card is drawn from the power plant draw stack. In this step, the highest-numbered power plant replaces the lowest one in the market, and players can build in up to three cities during the building phase. There is also no limit to the number of power plants a player can own.

End of the Game:

  • The game ends at the end of a round where at least one player has built a certain number of cities (dependent on the number of players). The player who can supply electricity to the most cities wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most remaining money wins.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for Power Grid:

  • Always have an eye on the future. Plan your moves several turns ahead, considering what resources will be available, what cities you can expand to, and when to make strategic bids on the power plants.

  • Be flexible. While it’s important to have a plan, being able to adapt to the changing game board and actions of other players is crucial.

  • Don’t neglect any one aspect of the game. Buying power plants, obtaining resources, and expanding your network are all important.

  • Use the turn order to your advantage. Sometimes, being in last place can be beneficial as it allows you to buy resources and expand your network first.

Tips for Beginners:

  • Start by focusing on efficient power plants. Aim for ones that produce a lot of electricity for as few resources as possible.

  • Don’t over expand too early. You might be tempted to build many cities early on, but this can be a trap. It’s often more efficient to build up your infrastructure first.

  • Keep an eye on what other players are doing. You can learn a lot from their strategies and anticipate their moves.

  • Remember that the game is about balance. You need to manage your money, resources, and power plants effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  1. Buying too many power plants too early. This can leave you short on funds to buy resources or expand your network.

  2. Ignoring the future market. The future market in Power Grid can give you an idea of what power plants are coming up. This can greatly influence your bidding and buying decisions.

  3. Overlooking turn order. Turn order can have a big impact on your ability to buy resources and expand your network.

  4. Forgetting to balance your strategy. It’s easy to focus too much on one aspect of the game and neglect others. A balanced approach is usually best.

Optimizing Gameplay:

  • Keep track of the resource market. Buy resources when they are cheap and in abundance, and consider the future scarcity of resources when deciding on power plants.

  • Manage your money carefully. It’s easy to spend too much too early, leaving you in a difficult position later on.

  • Consider the efficiency of your power plants. Those that generate more power with fewer resources are generally better investments.

  • Strategically expand your network. Aim for cities that are cheap to connect to and offer good potential for future expansion.

Thematics

Mechanics

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Official Rules - EN