Overview

Power Grid is an economic strategy game where players represent power companies competing to supply electricity to the most cities. Players auction power plants, buy resources to fuel them, and expand their network of cities. The game progresses through 3 steps with increasingly aggressive competition. The player who powers the most cities in the final round wins.

Components

• 1 double-sided board (Germany/USA) with scoring track, player order, and resource market
• 132 wooden houses (22 per player in 6 colors)
• 84 wooden resource tokens (24 coal, 24 oil, 24 garbage, 12 uranium)
• Money in Elektro (various denominations)
• 6 summary cards
• 43 power plant cards (numbered 03-50) + 1 “Step 3” card

Setup

1. Choose map side. Select adjacent areas equal to number of players.
2. Each player takes overview card, houses, and 50 Elektro.
3. Place houses on scoring track (position 1) and in player order area.
4. Stock resource market: coal on spaces 1-8, oil on spaces 3-8, garbage on spaces 7-8, uranium on spaces 14 and 16.
5. Create power plant market: cards 03-06 in actual market (top row), 07-10 in future market (bottom row).
6. Shuffle remaining cards; place plant 13 on top, Step 3 card on bottom.

Turn Structure

Each round has 5 phases:

Phase 1: Determine Player Order

Player with most cities is first. Ties broken by highest-numbered power plant.

Phase 2: Auction Power Plants

In player order, each player may auction one power plant from the actual market. Bidding proceeds clockwise; minimum bid is the plant’s number. Max 3 plants per player. First round: each player must buy a plant.

Phase 3: Buy Resources

In reverse player order, buy resources from the market. Place resources on matching power plants (storage limited to 2x capacity).

Phase 4: Build (Connect Cities)

In reverse player order, pay connection costs to add cities to your network. Step 1: max 1 house per city. Step 2: max 2 houses per city. Step 3: max 3 houses per city. Connection cost = city cost + cheapest connection to your existing network.

Phase 5: Bureaucracy

In player order, power cities using fueled plants. Earn income based on cities powered. Refill resource market based on step and player count. Discard lowest plant if no one bought this round.

Actions

• Auction: Bid on power plants; winner pays and takes plant.
• Buy Resources: Purchase coal, oil, garbage, or uranium at market prices.
• Build: Expand network by connecting to new cities.
• Power: Fuel plants and earn income for cities supplied.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends during Phase 5 when a player connects to a target number of cities (varies by player count). The player who powers the most cities in the final round wins (not necessarily the player with the most cities connected). Tiebreaker: most Elektro remaining.

Players	Cities to trigger end
2	21
3	17
4	17
5	15
6	14

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Step transitions: Step 2 begins when any player connects to a threshold number of cities. Step 3 begins when the Step 3 card is drawn from the power plant deck.
• Step 2: Remove lowest-numbered plant from market. Cities now accept 2 houses each.
• Step 3: Remove lowest-numbered plant and the future market. Cities accept 3 houses. Draw replacement plants from reduced deck.
• Max 3 power plants per player. Buying a 4th requires discarding one (resources on discarded plant may transfer if compatible).
• Resources returned to supply (not market) when discarded from plants.
• Ecological plants require no resources.
• In the first round, re-determine player order after auctions.

Player Reference

Phase	Order	Action
1. Player Order	-	Most cities first; ties by highest plant number
2. Auction	Player order	Bid on 1 power plant per round
3. Buy Resources	Reverse order	Buy from market at printed prices
4. Build	Reverse order	Connect cities; pay city + connection costs
5. Bureaucracy	Player order	Power cities, earn income, refill market

Win: Power the most cities in the final round.