Welcome To…

2018

Welcome To... is a captivating board game where players act as architects, designing a thriving 1950s American town. Engage in friendly competition and utilize varying strategies for a unique gaming experience every time!

25
minutes

1 - 100
player(s)

10+

Medium Light

About the game

Welcome To… is an engaging and innovative board game that transports players back in time, to the boom of American suburbia in the 1950s. As players, you take on the role of an architect, with the exciting task of developing the most appealing and prosperous neighborhood. The distinct flavor of this era, combined with the game’s immersive mechanics, make for a uniquely captivating gaming experience.

The setting of the game is beautifully illustrated on the player sheets, with a grid of houses representing the streets of your burgeoning suburb. Each house is awaiting a number, which you, as the architect, will assign throughout the game. The player sheets also feature a city plan, which grants bonus points for achieving specific configurations of houses. The artwork and setting really allow players to immerse themselves in the role of an architect during this iconic period of American history.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Welcome To… is a unique and engaging board game that blends elements of modern city building with the classic mechanics of paper and pencil games. The game components are essential to its gameplay and each has its own specific role. Below is a detailed list and description of each component included in ‘Welcome To…’:

1. Score Sheets:

Each player receives a score sheet at the beginning of the game. This sheet represents the player’s town, which they will be developing throughout the game.
The score sheet is divided into three rows, each representing a street. Each street has a number of houses, which players will number during the game.
The score sheet is also where players track their progress in the different scoring categories, like parks, pools, and estates.

2. Construction Cards:

The game includes 81 Construction cards. These cards are shuffled and placed in three decks of 27 cards each.
Each Construction card has a house number and a corresponding action. The house number is used to build a house on a player’s sheet, while the action provides a special ability the player can use on their turn.

3. City Plan Cards:

The game includes 29 City Plan cards, each representing a specific configuration of houses. These cards are used to set the objectives for the game.
Three City Plan cards are drawn at the beginning of the game and placed face up. Players try to match the house configurations on these cards on their own score sheets to earn extra points.

4. Rulebook:

The rulebook provides detailed instructions on how to set up and play the game. It also includes explanations of the various actions and scoring rules.

During gameplay, players use the Construction cards to build houses on their score sheets and perform actions. Each turn, a player must choose a pair of house number and action from one of the three available card piles. The chosen house number is written in one of the houses on the player’s score sheet, and the chosen action is performed. Players aim to build their town according to the City Plan cards and maximize their score in the different categories. The game ends when a player completes all houses on their score sheet, all players have used all their actions, or a player achieves all City Plans.

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

Welcome To… is a unique board game that combines the strategic elements of city-planning with the unpredictability of card-drawing. While the game doesn’t have traditional player roles, each player takes on the role of an architect trying to build the best new town in 1950s America. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can set up the game:

Step 1: Distribute the Player Sheets

Begin by giving each player a player sheet. This sheet represents the town that each player will be designing. The sheet is split into three streets, each with a series of house numbers that players will fill in as the game progresses.

Step 2: Prepare the Construction Cards

Next, shuffle the construction cards. There are 81 of these cards, each displaying a number (between 1 and 15) and an associated action. Once shuffled, place the deck in the middle of the playing area.

Step 3: Draw Initial Cards

Draw three cards from the construction deck and place them face up next to the deck. These cards represent the initial options available to the players.

Step 4: Set Up the City Plans

Separate the city plan cards into their three separate stacks (1, 2, and 3) and shuffle each stack. Then, draw one card from each stack and place it face-up next to the construction deck. These represent the city plans that players can aim to achieve for extra points.

Step 5: Place the Resource Tokens

Resource tokens, including surveyors, real estate agents, and pools, should be placed within easy reach of all players. These will be used throughout the game to score extra points.

Step 6: Determine the First Player

Randomly determine the first player. This player will start the game by choosing one of the face-up construction cards and its associated action.

Step 7: Begin the Game

Now that the game is set up, players can begin designing their own 1950s American town. Remember, the goal of the game is not just to complete your town, but to make it the best and most desirable place to live!

Game flow Round and round we go

Welcome To… is a strategic board game where players act as architects in the 1950s America, racing to complete the perfect neighbourhood. The game doesn’t function in the traditional sense of rounds or turns. Instead, all players take their actions simultaneously during each phase. The game continues in this manner until an end-game condition is met.

The game is divided into three major Phases: the Card Flip Phase, the House Numbering Phase, and the City Planning Phase.

1. Card Flip Phase: This is the first phase of the game. In this phase, the topmost card from each of the three project card decks is flipped over, revealing a combination of a house number and a corresponding action. All players will work with these revealed details for the current phase.

2. House Numbering Phase: In this phase, players choose one of the three revealed combinations of a house number and an action. They then write the chosen house number on a house in their town, adhering to the rule that numbers must be written in increasing order from left to right within each street.

3. City Planning Phase: After writing the house number, players may choose to perform the corresponding action associated with the number. Actions include building parks, pools, or fences, increasing the value of estates, altering house numbers, or achieving city plans for extra points.

The game continues in this simultaneous fashion until one player completes all the objectives in their city plan or a player has filled all houses on their player sheet. The game can also end if a player cannot legally place a house number, triggering the third potential end-game condition. When one of these conditions is met, players tally their scores based on their respective city plans, estates, parks, pools, and temp agency actions. The player with the highest point total wins the game.

In Welcome To…, the players’ ability to strategize and plan ahead is key. Players must balance their options each phase, deciding whether to go for points now or to set up for bigger scores later on.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the game ‘Welcome To…’, each player’s turn involves several strategic choices and possible actions.

1. Card Selection

Each turn begins with the player choosing a pair of cards from the three available. The pair consists of a house number card and an effect card. The player must choose carefully, as the house number card will influence their street-building options, while the effect card can provide special abilities or bonuses.

2. House Number Placement

After selecting a pair, the player must write the house number on one of the houses in their town. Numbers must be written in ascending order from left to right, but they do not need to be consecutive. The choice of where to place a number can greatly affect future plays, as some effects and bonuses are triggered by specific number sequences.

3. Effect Activation

Once the house number is placed, the player can choose to activate the effect of the effect card. Activating an effect is optional but can provide significant advantages. The effects include:

Landscaper: The player can add a park to one of their streets.
Surveyor: The player can build a fence at the end of a series of houses.
Real Estate Agent: The player can increase the value of a series of houses.

Each effect has a different strategic impact and can be used to either pursue a specific strategy or adapt to the current state of the game.

4. Refill

After a player has taken their turn, they must refill the pairs of cards from the deck. This ensures that there are always three pairs available to choose from on the next player’s turn.

5. End of Turn

The turn ends after the refill step. If any player has filled all the houses in their town, or if the deck of cards has been exhausted, the game ends and scoring begins.

Through these steps, ‘Welcome To…’ offers a mix of strategic planning, tactical decisions, and adaptability, making each player’s turn a key part of the game’s overall strategy.

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

The game of ‘Welcome To…’ ends when one of the three end-game conditions is met. These conditions provide different paths to victory and add a strategic layer to the game. Once any of these conditions occur, players must complete the round so that each player has had an equal number of turns.

End-Game Conditions:

Player Fills All Houses: The game ends immediately when a player successfully fills in the number on all of their houses on their player sheet. This is the most straightforward path to victory, though it requires careful management of your resources.
Player Achieves Three Objectives: The game also ends if a player manages to complete any three objectives that are available in the game. Objectives in ‘Welcome To…’ are tasks that require players to arrange their houses in a certain order or pattern. These objectives can change each game, providing a variety of ways to win.
Player Uses Three City Plan Cards: The third end-game condition is if a player uses all three of their city plan cards. These cards provide unique bonuses and abilities when used, but also bring the game closer to its conclusion.

Before proceeding to final scoring, players should check and confirm that they have correctly fulfilled the conditions for the end of the game. If a player has filled in all their houses or met three objectives, they must make sure they have marked these conditions clearly on their player sheet.

Final Scoring:

Once the game ends, players tally their scores based on the following criteria:

Houses: Each house that has been correctly numbered is worth one point.
Objectives: Each completed objective is worth a specific number of points as indicated on the objective card.
City Plan Cards: Each used city plan card is worth a specific number of points as indicated on the card.
Bis: Each bis (extra house) a player has used subtracts a point from their total score.
Real Estate: The value of the player’s real estate is added to their score. This value is determined by the number of estates (connected houses) they have of each size, multiplied by the corresponding value on their player sheet.

The player with the highest total score after all points have been tallied is declared the winner of the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Welcome To…’, points are awarded in a variety of ways, and the player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Here is a detailed breakdown of how the scoring system works:

Estates:

You earn points for completed estates depending on their size. The points awarded are as follows:

Size 1: 1 point
Size 2: 3 points
Size 3: 6 points
Size 4: 10 points
Size 5: 15 points
Size 6: 21 points

Parks:

For each row, you score the number of points shown on the rightmost park that you’ve covered.

Pools:

Each pool you’ve built in your town scores points based on the Pool card in play.

Temp Agency:

The player(s) with the most Temp Agency cards gets 7 points. If two or more players are tied for most, they each get 4 points. No points are awarded for second place.

Bis:

Every Bis you’ve used deducts 1 point from your total score.

Real Estate:

The points from the Real Estate objective card apply to all players, not just the one who completed the objective.

At the end of the game, you add up all your points, and the player with the most points wins.

The tie-breaking rules are as follows:

Tie-breakers:

In the event of a tie, the player with the fewest Bis cards wins.
If there’s still a tie, the player who reached the objectives first wins.

If there’s still a tie after these tie-breakers, then the game is a draw and shared victory is declared amongst those tied.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Plan your city layout early: Focus on planning your city layout early in the game. This will help you maximize your points from estates and city plans.
Use construction bonuses wisely: Construction bonuses provide significant advantages. Use the pool bonuses to score points, temp agencies to build faster, and the park bonuses to increase your city’s value.
Think ahead: Don’t just focus on the current round. Try to predict what cards might come up, and plan your moves accordingly.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the importance of number sequences: In Welcome To, you need to fill your houses in ascending order. Make sure you understand this rule well before starting the game.
Utilize your actions: Every card you draw allows you to take an action. Make sure you use these actions to your advantage.
Don’t ignore city plans: City plans can give you a lot of points, so don’t ignore them. Try to complete as many as you can.

Common Mistakes:

Not Planning Ahead: Many beginners make the mistake of not planning their city layout ahead of time. This can lead to problems later in the game.
Ignoring City Plans: Ignoring city plans is another common mistake. Remember, city plans can give you a lot of points.
Building without strategy: Building houses without a strategy can lead to a scattered and non-optimized city. Always build with a strategy in mind.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Balance your focus: Instead of focusing solely on one aspect of the game (like building parks or pools), try to balance your focus across various elements. This will lead to a more optimized city and higher scores.
Be adaptable: Welcome To is a game of adaptation. If your initial strategy isn’t working, don’t be afraid to switch it up.
Use all your resources: From your actions to your construction bonuses, make sure you’re using all the resources available to you.