Rules for Playing the Big City Game

Welcome! I’m excited to show you the rules for playing the Big City Game. It’s a thrilling game where you explore the city and discover hidden treasures. Let’s dive in and find out how to play!

Getting Started

To get started, you’ll need a group of friends or family members. Choose a central meeting point in the city, where everyone can gather to begin the game. Make sure you have a map of the city and a list of clues for each team or player.

Exploring the City

Once you’re ready to start, spread out and explore the city. Each team or player will follow the clues on their list to find hidden treasures. The clues might lead you to famous landmarks, local restaurants, or secret alleyways. Keep your eyes peeled for anything that stands out!

The best part of the game is discovering new places in the city. Make a mental note of interesting spots you want to visit again in the future. Who knows, you might stumble upon a hidden gem that becomes your new favorite spot!

Completing Challenges

Along the way, you’ll encounter challenges that you’ll need to complete. These challenges could be anything from taking a selfie with a street performer to solving riddles. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your solutions!

Remember, the goal of the game is to have fun and explore the city. Don’t worry too much about winning or losing. The real prize is the experience and memories you’ll make along the way.

Ending the Game

Once all the teams or players have completed their list of clues and challenges, gather back at the central meeting point. Share your experiences and stories from the game. Did you discover any hidden treasures or have any funny encounters?

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and excitement of the city. You’ve seen it from a unique perspective and discovered things that many people might overlook. Congratulations on completing the Big City Game!

Conclusion

Playing the Big City Game is a fantastic way to explore and appreciate the city you call home. Get ready for an adventure filled with surprises, challenges, and new discoveries. So gather your friends or family, grab a map, and let the game begin! Have a blast!

There are 72 property cards
52 buildings
17 streetcars
8 neighborhoods, each with 8 and 9 properties
5 colored player scoring markers
5 100 point tokens in the player’s colors
5 summary sheets
1 scoring track
1 rule booklet

Let’s Build a City!

In Big City, you and your friends can create the city of your dreams. But guess what? Everyone has a different idea of what that dream city looks like! So, when we put all our dreams together, we’ll make a city that’s like no other.

At the start of the game, each of us will have some property to work with. And don’t worry, if you want more, you’ll have chances to get it! With the pieces of property you have, you’ll start building your dream city, one building at a time. But let’s keep in mind that when we start, the city will be small, so we’ll be limited to building houses and other kinds of buildings that businesses use.

When my city grows and a fancy city hall is constructed, the rules get more relaxed. I can then start building streetcar lines, banks, and other cool new buildings. Each building I construct earns me points, and the player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Setting Up the Game

I place the buildings and streetcars on the table where everyone can reach them easily. I also put the scoring track on the table so that it’s visible to all players.

I take the 72 property cards and sort them into eight piles, each representing one of the eight neighborhoods. The backs of the cards clearly indicate which neighborhood they belong to. Once the piles are sorted, I shuffle each one and place them face down on the table within everyone’s reach.

So here’s how it goes: Picture me and a bunch of friends sitting around a table, getting ready to play a game. We each grab some cards from different stacks – five to be exact. These cards represent our properties, and they’re our starting hands.

Now, we get to choose a color. I pick blue because it’s my favorite. Then, I place a little marker on the scoring track, right on the space that says 0. This marker keeps track of my score. Oh, and I also grab some 100 point tokens in my chosen color and put them in front of me.

Lastly, we each grab a summary sheet. We don’t need the extra markers, tokens, or sheets, so we can just toss them back in the box.

So here’s what you do: Put the first set of houses (numbered 11 to 19) right in the middle of the table. Then, scatter the rest of the houses around them. Simple, right?

Oh, and before we get started, take a quick look at the rulebook. It explains all the different buildings and stuff. Don’t worry, it’s not too complicated.

Now, when you’re reading the rules or playing the game, make sure to use the summary sheet. It’s got a handy overview of all the buildings on one side, and a snapshot from a game on the other. It’s a real lifesaver.

What’s What

Okay, let’s talk about the different neighborhoods and properties. They’re pretty important in this game, so it’s good to know how they work.

Neighborhoods and Properties

Did you know that there are a total of eight neighborhoods in this game? These neighborhoods are divided into four groups, each containing eight properties arranged in a 2 x 4 grid. The other four neighborhoods have nine properties each, arranged in a 3 x 3 grid. Now, here’s how it gets interesting: each neighborhood has its own number, from 1 to 8. And within each neighborhood, the properties are also numbered, either from 1 to 8 or from 1 to 9. Combining these two numbers gives you a unique number for each property. So, for example, all the properties from 11 to 19 are in neighborhood 1, and properties 21 to 28 are in neighborhood 2, and so on.

What about Adjacent Properties?

Now, here’s where things get even more exciting! Some of the special buildings in this game can only be built on properties that are next to certain things. And in some cases, placing a building next to certain things can earn you some special bonuses. But how do we determine if two properties are adjacent? Well, it’s simple. Two properties are considered adjacent if they are on opposite sides of the same street. And here’s the interesting part: they don’t have to be in the same neighborhood to be adjacent! So, you can have a property in one neighborhood that is adjacent to a property in a completely different neighborhood. However, please note that two properties that are diagonal to each other are not considered adjacent. So, keep all these rules in mind and get ready to have a blast building and exploring in this game!

Property Cards

Let’s talk about property cards. You might have seen them before, maybe even used them yourself. But have you ever wondered what they really are and why they are so important?

A property card is a piece of paper that holds all the important information about a piece of property. It’s like a snapshot of the property, giving you a quick overview of its key details. The information on a property card can vary, but it usually includes things like the property’s address, legal description, and owner’s name.

So why are property cards important? Well, they serve a few different purposes. First, they provide a record of the property’s history. By looking at a property card, you can see when the property was last sold, how much it was sold for, and any improvements that have been made over the years. This can be helpful if you’re thinking about buying a home or if you’re just curious about the history of a property.

Property cards also come in handy when it comes to assessing property taxes. Local governments use property cards to determine how much a property is worth and how much tax the owner should pay. By having all the necessary information in one place, it makes the assessment process easier and more efficient.

In addition, property cards can be useful for real estate agents and appraisers. When they’re trying to determine the value of a property, they can reference the property card to get a better understanding of its characteristics. This can help them come up with an accurate estimate and ensure that the property is priced appropriately.

So whether you’re a potential buyer, a homeowner, or a real estate professional, property cards can be a valuable tool. They provide a wealth of information about a property and can help you make informed decisions. So next time you come across a property card, take a moment to look through it and see what you can learn. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Hey there! Let me tell you about property cards and how they work. It’s pretty interesting!

Where the Properties Go

So, each property has its own property card. On one side of the card, you’ll find the number of the property. But on the other side, there’s something special: the number of the neighborhood it belongs to. Neat, right?

But here’s where things get even more exciting! In every even-numbered neighborhood, there’s a special card that can give you the chance to build a park or factory. How cool is that?

Location, Location, Location

Now, let’s talk about where these properties can be placed. You see, where a property is located in relation to the outskirts of the city is super important. It can affect the value of certain buildings and determine if certain buildings can even be placed there.

A property can either be on the outskirts of the city or in the center. If at least one side of the property touches the edge of the city, then it’s considered to be on the outskirts. But if none of the sides touch the edge, then it’s right in the center. Simple as that!

When you play the game, you might find yourself arranging neighborhoods in a way that leaves a gap in the middle. See the example above. The properties along this inner edge are considered central to the city, rather than being on the outskirts like those along the outer edge.

Therefore, if a property is next to a gap, it can only be considered on the outskirts if one of its other sides is adjacent to an outer edge of the city.

Game Play

Placing the First Neighborhoods

When we start playing, the first thing we do is place the neighborhoods to get the city going. I’ll go first, and then the rest of you will take turns in a clockwise order.

If there are 3 to 5 players, each person will place one neighborhood. But if there are only 2 players, each person gets to place 2 neighborhoods, taking turns. This is how our starting city will look:

For 2 players: neighborhoods 1-5
For 3 players: neighborhoods 1-4
For 4 players: neighborhoods 1-5
For 5 players: neighborhoods 1-6

To start the city, we need to separate a few neighborhoods from the rest. Then we can use these neighborhoods to create the initial city. When it’s my turn, I get to choose one of these neighborhoods and place it next to another neighborhood that’s already in the city.

The first neighborhood, number 1, is already in place. When adding a new neighborhood, I need to make sure that at least two of its properties are next to two properties that are already in the city.

I can’t overlap neighborhoods, so I need to be careful when placing them. Now that the city is set up, we can start playing the game. The neighborhoods that weren’t used for the initial setup are placed nearby and will be added to the city later in the game.

How a player takes their turn

When we play this game, we take turns in a clockwise order. It starts with one person, and then we pass to the next person, and so on, until the game is over. On my turn, I have to choose one of five things to do.

I can build a building, park, or factory.
I can add to a streetcar line.
I can place a new neighborhood.
I can exchange one or more cards.
I can pass and not take any action.

A. Building, park, or factory

If I choose to put down a building, I have to follow these steps:

Before you can place a building, make sure to check if there are any specific requirements. Some buildings need to be next to other buildings or a streetcar, while others can only be placed under certain conditions. For example, a bank can only be placed next to two businesses and after city hall has been placed.
Once you’ve determined the location, take the property cards that match that spot and place them face up on the table.
Choose a building from the available options and put it on the property cards that are in play. If there are no more buildings of that type, you cannot place it. Make sure you follow the rules for placement. If you can’t place the building as intended, you must pick up the cards and take a different action.
Score the building. Each building has a base value, as well as possible bonuses and penalties. You can find these values on the overview sheet. The bonuses and penalties are determined by the building’s position, neighboring buildings, and whether there are streetcars nearby.

If you want to place a park or factory, here’s what you need to do:

First, let’s talk about playing the park or factory card. You have these two special cards in the game, and each card corresponds to a specific park or factory. The goal is to select the card and place it on the board. But where should it go? Well, there are a few rules to keep in mind.
When placing the park or factory card, you need to find a group of free spaces on the board where it will fit. The card should be placed on the outskirts of the city. However, there are some restrictions. A park can have no more than one property on the outskirts, while a factory can have two properties. So, choose wisely and consider these rules when deciding where to place the card.

B. Now, let’s move on to starting or adding to a streetcar line.

When we want to start the streetcar line, we need to make sure that city hall is already in place. Once that’s done, we can begin by placing one streetcar. The cool thing is that the first streetcar can go on any street in the city, even those on the outskirts.

Now, here’s something interesting. After the first streetcar is in place, we can add two streetcars during each turn. But there’s a rule – these streetcars can’t go across a property or building. Remember, it’s a streetcar line, not a subway or elevated train.

Now, when we add new streetcars, we need to make sure they extend the existing line. We have some flexibility here – we can choose to add them all at the same end, at different ends, or even in the middle to create new branches of the line. It’s our call!

When a streetcar runs in a street adjacent to a building, it is considered adjacent to that building. However, if a streetcar only runs into the side of a building, it is not considered adjacent. Similar to buildings, a maximum of 17 streetcars can be placed.

Once 17 streetcars have been placed, no more can be added, and players cannot choose this action for the rest of the game.

C. Adding a New Neighborhood

Before adding a new neighborhood, city hall must be placed. The player can then choose any available neighborhood and place it next to the city on the table.

When placing the neighborhood, there is no requirement to follow numerical order, and the player doesn’t need to have property cards from that neighborhood.

When we add a new neighborhood to our city, it’s important to make sure that at least two properties in the new neighborhood are next to properties that are already in the city. We can’t overlap neighborhoods, so once we’ve added all eight, we can’t add any more for the rest of the game.

D. Swap cards

If I want to, I can swap out some of my property cards. I’ll put the ones I want to get rid of at the bottom of the stacks they came from, face down. Then I can draw new cards from any of the stacks to replace them.

If there are fewer than five of us playing, I have to draw cards until I have five. If there are five of us, I have to draw until I have six. I can get the new property cards from any stack, but I can only take two from each stack.

I can also draw property cards from neighborhoods that haven’t been added to the city yet.

Just Passing By

When I decide to pass, I don’t make any moves. I can do this at any time, even if I have a move I could make.

Game Over

The game comes to an end when all the neighborhoods are placed, and buildings are constructed on all properties or when everyone passes their turn in a row. Towards the end of the game, it’s possible that only one player has cards left to play.

If that happens, the player will keep on playing, putting down neighborhoods, streetcars, or buildings while the rest of us pass until they can no longer do so or don’t want to anymore.

When it’s all said and done, the winner is the one with the most points when the game reaches its conclusion.