Metropolis

Note -- This is not a verbatim copy of J. Durand's rules; it is merely based on them and another rule-set I have seen. All of my comments are in italics. I cannot read any of the languages the rules are written in, so please alert me to errors. -- B.

Components

• 1 board
• 80 lot cards (numbered 1-80)
• 110 chips in five colors
  • 30 white
  • 30 green
  • 20 blue
  • 15 yellow
  • 15 pink
• 6 appraisal cards (3 in each language)
• 25 Buildings distributed as follows:
  • 8 houses (yellow, taking up one lot)
  • 3 stores (orange, taking up two lots lengthwise)
  • 2 schools (light blue, taking up 3 lots lengthwise)
  • 2 hospitals (light blue, taking up 4 lots in an S-shape. There is one of each 'polarity.')
  • 4 apartment buildings (yellow, taking up 3 lots in an L-shape. There are two of each 'polarity.')
  • 3 factories (dark blue, taking up a square of 4 lots
  • 2 administration buildings (dark blue, taking up 4 lots total, 3 lengthwise lots plus a lot adjacent to the middle of the 3.)
  • 1 department store (orange, taking up 6 lots in a 3x2 grid).

Object of the Game

To be the player who has the most points at the end of the game. You earn points based on the buildings you own and their locations.

Setting up the Game

Place the buildings besides the board. Give each player tokens of one color and an appraisal card. Shuffle the lots and deal some out to each player as follows:

• 2-player game: 12 cards each (use white and green tokens)
• 3-player game: 8 cards each (also the blue chips)
• 4-player game: 6 cards each (tokens of players choice)
• 5-player game: 5 cards each and all the tokens.

Each player should use one of their tokens to make the lots they are dealt. The lot cards may then be placed in the discard pile.

4 Cards are then dealt face up besides the deck. During a players turn they may take a lot from any of the available (face up) cards.

The youngest player goes first.

The Buildings

The buildings were described above. See the rules for pictures.

Appraisal Charts

Each building has a base value. This value can change according to the location and the presence or absence of other buildings in the same block.

A block is made of 10 adjacent lots with the same first digit.

Lots 15-19, 25,40,45,70 and 60-64 have a view of the park. Any building that covers at least one of these lots has a view of the park.

Lots 45-49, 55-59, 70-74 and 80-84 are by the river. Any building that covers at least one of these lots is by the river.

Lots 40-49 and 50-59 are downtown ("in the center").

Note that a lot can qualify for multiple catagories. Lot 45 is downtown, with a view of the park, and by the river. -- B.

A "No" on the appraisal chart means that it is not allowed to build the building shown on the same block. Factories cannot be built next to schools or hospitals (or vice versa, depending on what was there first).

Rules

Players take their turn clockwise. Each player on his/her turn picks on of the four cards on display. The new player then places a token to signify that they own the lot. The player then flips the next card (so that there are four face up lots). After negotiating any deals, the player may build one building (placing one of their tokens to signify ownership).

Note -- The rules are unclear if you flip the card before or after you deal and build. --B.

A player may take a lot as long as their are 4 or fewer occupied lots in that block. If there are 5 or more occupied lots, the player may only take the card if one of the following conditions applies:

1. All lots adjacent(*) to the new lot are vacant,
2. The player already has a lot adjacent to the new lot,
3. The player immediately gives the lot to someone who is adjacent to it.

It is unclear whether a building affects the lots next to it. We have been playing that it has. This means that an apartment counts as 3 built lots, and the onwer of the apartment has 'rights' on lots adjacent to it. This may be incorrect --B.

Obviously, option 3 will usually happen as part of a trade. However, if the player cannot take a lot because all four lots are in crowded blocks and the player does not qualify for options 1 or 2 he/she must take a lot and immeadiately give it to another player. The player whose turn it is may try to deal with the other players; but a card must be given away (deal or no deal).

Building

After choosing a lot, you can build. You may only use available buildings (ie, not yet placed), and you must have the right lots; either all owned by you, or owned by players who consent to let you build on that lot (presumably as part of a deal. --B) You may not build on vacant lots.

You may not build 'unauthorized' buildings (a factory on the same block as a school/hospital).

Players remove their tokens from the lot(s), place the building and place a token of the owning player on the building to identify it. After a building is placed on the board, it never moves.

Dealing

Players may make deals at any time, even during other players turns. Players may exchange lots, agree on plans for blocks, and the like.

Players can also group their lots in order to build a larger building. This is possible only for buildings covering four or six lots. The players must agree on how to split up the points of the buildings.

All deals are binding would seem to be an implication of this last part. We also allowed players to trade points for lots. For example "I'll give you 1 of my points at the end of the game if you give me lot 45." Theoretically, someone could give away more points than they have earned, but that doesn't seem to be a problem with good players. Players may want to use common sense about allowing that, as it lets other players throw the game. Again, that isn't really a problem with good players, but it would allow a novice to disrupt a game. In that case, the group may agree that players may not trade points, but may specify how the 'earnings' on buildings are split. --B

End of the Game

When the last building is played, the game ends immeadiately. In addition, when the last lot is turned over, the game will end after each player has had one more turn, whether there are buildings left or not.

If none of the remaining buildings can be physically be played on the board, the game is over.

Each player figures out his/her score and the highest score wins the game.

Scoring Tables

Key: X = not possible, NA = not allowed.

The Game Cabinet - [email protected] - Ken Tidwell