Game Rules for Between Two Cities

Introduction

Hey there! Welcome to the game of Between Two Cities. This is a unique and exciting board game that challenges you to work collaboratively with your fellow players to build the best cities. The goal is to create two thriving cities, one on your left and one on your right. But be careful! You will need to balance your attention and resources between the two cities to ensure they both thrive.

Setup

To start the game, each player will receive a city tableau, which represents their two cities. The tableaus are divided into a 4×4 grid, with one city on the left side and one on the right side. The cities start with a central tile, which is placed in the center of each tableau.

Gameplay

Between Two Cities is played in three rounds, with each round consisting of drafting tiles and placing them in your cities.

In each round, you will be dealt a hand of tiles. There will also be a set of tiles available in the center of the table, called the common area. You will choose two tiles from your hand, place one into the left city, and the other into the right city.

Here’s the tricky part: the tile you choose to place in your left city will also be used in the right city of the player sitting to your left, and the tile you choose to place in your right city will also be used in the left city of the player sitting to your right. This means you need to think strategically about which tiles to place where, as you want both cities to flourish.

The tiles come in different types, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and special buildings. Each type of tile has its own scoring rules, so you’ll need to consider how to maximize your points in each city.

At the end of each round, you will score your cities based on the tiles you’ve placed. The player with the lowest-scoring city at the end of each round will be out of the game. The game continues until only one player remains, and they are crowned the winner!

Conclusion

Between Two Cities is a game of strategy, collaboration, and careful planning. As you build your cities, remember to consider the tiles you choose, the placement of those tiles, and the impact they will have on the cities of your neighbors. By working together and making thoughtful decisions, you can create two incredible cities and come out on top! Enjoy the game and may the best city planner win!

Imagine being transported back to the early 1800s, a time when cities were rapidly growing and changing. In this exciting period of urbanization, I find myself in high demand as a master planner, tasked with helping two different cities rebuild their city centers. It’s a monumental challenge, but with my expertise and the collaboration of another skilled planner, we’re determined to create the most remarkable cities in the world.

Building cities of such significance requires teamwork and coordination. That’s why each assignment pairs me with another master planner, combining our skills and visions to execute grandiose plans. Together, we’ll combine our knowledge and creativity to reimagine these city centers in a way that captures their unique essence.

Welcome to the world of Between Two Cities, a captivating tile-drafting game where every tile represents a piece of a city. Here’s how it works: as the game progresses, I work closely with the player on my left to construct one city center, while simultaneously collaborating with the player on my right to build a second city center. The dynamic nature of this game keeps me on my toes, as I navigate the challenges of building two distinct cities simultaneously.

During each turn, I carefully choose two tiles from my hand, revealing them to my partners. Together, we evaluate the options and discuss placement strategies. It’s a team effort, and we must consider the best placement for each tile in both cities, making sure they complement each other and contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal and functionality.

What’s in the Box?

• 108 Building Tiles
• 24 Duplex Tiles
• 14 City Tokens
• 1 Scoreboard
• 15 Seating Randomizer Cards
• 7 Reference Cards
• 1 Rulebook

The Goal of the Game

When the game ends, we score each city based on its architectural grandeur. Your final score will be the lower of the two cities you contributed to. The player with the highest final score wins!

To win, you have to divide your attention and focus equally between two cities – Between Two Cities.

Setting Up the Game

To get started, let’s shuffle the seating randomizer cards and pick one from the top. We’ll take turns sitting around the table based on the category on the card. For example, if the card says “Alphabetical by city of birth,” the player born in Birmingham would sit to the left of the player born in Augusta. It’s like creating a human chain based on our birthplaces, going clockwise around the table.

Note 1: If you’d rather have a completely random setup, we can deal one randomizer card to each player and use the numbers in the upper left corner to determine the seating order. The players with the lowest values would sit first, going clockwise in ascending order.

Let the Game Begin!

Okay, let me break down the game for you. It happens in three rounds. And at the beginning of each round, you get a bunch of tiles randomly. Here’s what you do: you pick two tiles from your hand and put them face-down in front of you. Simple, right?

Now, if you still have more than one tile left in your hand, pass it along to the next player. Then, all players – together – flip their chosen tiles and place one of them in each of their own cities. And no worries, I’ll explain scoring later on.

Remember, the tiles you select and where you place them will determine how many points you get at the end of the game. So choose wisely!

Speaking of the end of the game, here’s the deal: each of your cities has got to be a 4×4 square. And that square should have 16 building spaces – you know, the tiles. To keep it fair, you can’t play a tile anywhere that will mess up the 4×4 square plan.

Right, let me give you some more instructions. Remember, all the players do this stuff at the same time, so listen up!

Round One

When you sit down to play this game, the first thing you need to do is draw seven building tiles from the box. These tiles will form your hand, and they will be the foundation of your strategy.

Now it’s time to make some decisions. You have to choose two tiles from your hand to play. This decision is crucial because it will determine your next moves.

Once you have made your selection, place the remaining tiles face-down on the table above the city to your left. This signifies to the other players that you are done choosing your tiles. Don’t worry, you can’t change your mind once you’ve made your choice. And no peeking at the tiles you passed!

Now comes the exciting part. All players reveal their chosen tiles at the same time. Flip your tiles over and place them face-up on the table in front of you. This is when the game really starts to take shape.

Welcome to the Strategy Discussion: Now it’s time to chat with your team to figure out the best spot for your tiles. You’ll need to choose a city to your left and a city to your right and place one of your tiles in each location. The cool thing is, you can decide which tile goes where after you’ve talked it out with your partners.

Oh, and there are a couple of rules to follow – but they’re pretty simple. First, all the tiles need to face the same way so that you and your partner can see the scoring key on each one. And second, each tile has to touch at least one other tile in the city. They have to share at least one edge. That’s it!

Note 1: Remember, you need to arrange all the tiles in a 4×4 square to complete your city. Once you place a tile, it stays there and cannot be moved.

Note 2: Sometimes, a player may not want to place tiles until another player goes first. While we encourage working together, this can happen occasionally.

In such cases, the player with the lower seating randomization value goes first.

Important: If there are multiple tiles under the city token to your right, pick them up and choose, reveal, and place them again.

When there is only one tile left under the city token, discard it face-down onto the center of the scoreboard. Don’t put it back in the box with the other tiles. This marks the beginning of round two.

After round one, each city will have six tiles in total.

Round Two

Hey there! It’s time for round two! Let’s get started.

First, I’m going to draw three duplex tiles. These are special tiles that will help me build my cities. Okay, now I need to secretly choose two of these tiles to place in my cities. I’ll place the third tile above the city to my left, under the city token, to show that I’ve made my decision.

Alright, now it’s time to reveal and place the two tiles I’ve chosen. I’ll place one tile in each of my cities. Just like in the first round, I can talk openly with my partners about our strategy and decide where the best spots are for our tiles.

Each city will get two duplex tiles in this round, because every player adds one duplex tile to each of their cities. It’s all about teamwork!

When it comes to duplex tiles, think of them as two building tiles stuck together. To add them to your city, you need to place one of the buildings adjacent to another tile. Make sure you arrange them in a way that your final city forms a 4×4 square. Also, make sure the orientation of the duplex tiles matches the other tiles. You’ll notice that the scoring prompts will face you on these tiles.

Once the round is over, gather the remaining duplex tiles from under each city token. Discard them face-down into the center of the scoreboard, and get ready for round three.

Round Three

Round three is just like round one, with one small change. Instead of placing your remaining tiles under your city token, put them face-down under the city token on your right. And when it’s time to pick up tiles, you’ll get them from your left. By the end of round three, each city will have a complete 4×4 square.

End of the Game

Once round three concludes, it’s time to reset the scoreboard and open it up. I’ll start by calling out each building type in the exact order they’re listed on the reference cards, starting from the top and going down.

Now it’s your turn! You’ll go around the table and declare the score for each building type in the city to your left. Don’t forget to move that city’s token forward on the scoring track. We’ll score one building type in all the cities before moving on to the next one.

At the end of the game, your final score will be the lower of the two scores from your cities. And just so you know, the player with the highest score takes home the victory!

If there’s a tie: let’s use the first tiebreaker. The tied players will compare the scores of their higher-scoring cities to determine the winner.

If there’s still a tie: the winners will need to count the quantity of buildings by type in both of their cities. We’ll start at the top of the player aid and work our way down until the tie is broken.

Let’s start by counting the number of shops in our cities. Whoever has the most shops will be the winner. If we have the same number of shops, don’t worry, we have other factors to consider. We’ll then look at the number of factories, taverns, offices, parks, and houses.

Let’s look at an example of scoring in a game: In this six-player game, we have Ben, Matthew, Margaux, Anna Grace, Peter, and Emily. Now let’s see how they each did:

• Ben: 56 points
• Matthew: 56 points
• Margaux: 52 points
• Anna Grace: 57 points
• Peter: 52 points
• Emily: 62 points

And the winner is… Emily! With a score of 62 points, she comes out on top!

More Examples of Scoring

Two-player Variant

Let’s talk about a cool way to play this game. It’s called the two-player variant. Instead of playing against a whole group, you and a friend can go head-to-head in an epic battle. Just imagine the excitement!

To start, you’ll each need a deck of cards. Shuffle them up and deal out five cards to each player. These cards will be your hand, and you’ll use them to play the game.

The goal of the two-player variant is to be the first player to win five battles. To win a battle, you need to have the higher value card. Each card has a value, which is shown by the number on it. The player with the highest value card wins the battle and gets one point. But be careful, because some cards have special abilities that can turn the tides of war in an instant.

The game is played in turns. On your turn, you can play one card from your hand. You’ll choose a card and place it face-down in the center of the table. Then, your opponent will do the same. Once both players have played a card, they are revealed, and the battle begins. The player with the higher value card wins the battle and gets a point.

But what if both players play cards with the same value? Well, that’s where the special abilities come in. Each card has a unique ability that can be used to your advantage. Some cards can make you draw more cards, while others can force your opponent to discard cards. It adds an extra layer of strategy to the game and keeps things interesting.

The game continues in this way until one player has won five battles and emerges as the victorious champion. It’s a thrilling and competitive way to play the game, and it’s perfect for those times when you’re looking for a head-to-head challenge.

So, grab a friend and give the two-player variant a try. You’ll have a blast battling it out and testing your skills against each other. Who knows, you might just discover that you have a hidden talent for strategic card games. So gather your decks, shuffle them up, and get ready for an epic battle. The cards are in your hands – may the best player win!

When you play a game with two players, both of you get to create two cities: one on your left and one on your right. Each turn, you get to pick two tiles and place one in each of your cities.

In the game’s rounds, which are meant for 3 to 7 players, everything happens twice. Here’s how it goes:

1. Round 1a: You draw 7 building tiles. Then, you choose 2 tiles, show them, and place them in your cities. You pass the remaining tiles to your opponent until only 1 tile is left.
2. Round 1b: It’s exactly the same as round 1a.
3. Round 2a: You draw 3 duplex tiles and choose 2 to place.
4. Round 2b: It’s the same as round 2a.
5. Round 3a: It’s the same as round 1a.
6. Round 3b: It’s the same as round 1a.