Small City (2015) Board Game

Small City is a city building board game released in 2015 that allows players to construct and manage their own city. Designed by Da-Fanny, Todd Sanders, Sampo Sikiö, and Alban Viard, the game incorporates elements of economic management and territory building. With a playtime of 60-120 minutes, Small City is suitable for 1-4 players aged 12 and up.

Game Components of Small City

Polyominoes: Used for building various city structures.

Wooden components: Includes resources markers, meeples, and other tokens.

City boards: Each player has their own board to build and manage their city.

Building cards: Represent different types of buildings with unique functions.

Citizen tokens: Track the population and their movements.

Pollution tokens: Manage the environmental impact of the city.

Tourist tokens: Allow players to interact with each other’s cities.

How To Setup Small City

Setting up **Small City** involves each player receiving their city board and a set of starting buildings and resources. Players also receive a certain number of citizen tokens and pollution tokens. The game is divided into eight rounds, each consisting of eight phases, which are meticulously planned out without any premature ending triggers.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

City Planning: Players plan and build their city using polyominoes and building cards.

Resource Management: Manage resources to build and maintain structures.

Citizen Movement: Move citizens to different areas of the city to optimize their efficiency.

Tourist Mechanics: Send tourists to other players’ cities to gain resources and create pollution.

Pollution Management: Build facilities like police stations to mitigate pollution.

Vote Collection: The ultimate goal is to collect votes by attracting and managing citizens effectively.

Player Experience

**Small City** offers a deep and strategic experience, often compared to a tabletop version of SimCity. Players must think ahead, using spatial logic to optimize their city’s layout and manage resources efficiently. The game includes a unique mechanic where players can send tourists to other players’ cities, creating a dynamic of player interaction.

Pros

Deep Strategy: Requires meticulous planning and execution.

High Replayability: Multiple paths to victory and variable setup.

Player Interaction: Innovative tourist mechanic allows for indirect interaction.

Thematic Immersion: Feels like a true city-building experience.

Cons

Complexity: Can be overwhelming for beginners.

Long Setup Time: Setting up the game can take a while.

Pollution Management: Neglecting pollution can lead to significant penalties.

Personal Thoughts on Small City

**Small City** is ideal for experienced board game enthusiasts who enjoy complex, strategic games. It is particularly suited for fans of city-building simulations and those who appreciate games with a high level of depth and replayability. While it may not be the best fit for casual gamers due to its complexity, it offers a highly rewarding experience for those willing to invest the time and effort to master it.

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