The City (2011) Board Game – Board Game Guys

The City is a card game that was released in 2011 and designed by Thomas Lehmann. It is published by AMIGO and features artwork by Klemens Franz and João Tereso. The game falls into the categories of card game and city building, where players must strategically manage their hand of cards to build the best city possible.

Game Components of The City

Deck of cards representing buildings

Cards for income and victory points

Symbols on cards for additional income and points

Rulebook (compact and easy to follow)

High-quality cards and box art

How To Setup The City

Setting up **The City** is straightforward. Each player starts with a hand of cards, and the remaining cards are placed in a draw pile. The goal is to build a successful city, and the setup prepares players for a quick and strategic game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Engine Building: Players build their city by playing cards.

Simultaneous Play: Each round, players play a card face down, then flip it over and pay its costs.

Victory Points: Collect points generated by all cards in play.

Income: Collect cards (income) generated by all cards in play.

Game End: The game ends when one or more players reach 50 victory points. The player with the most points wins.

Card Symbols: Some cards have symbols that provide additional income or points based on other cards in play.

Player Experience

**The City** is a tactical game that ramps up quickly. In the early rounds, players score only a few points, but as the game progresses, the scoring escalates rapidly. Players must balance constructing buildings, using cards to pay for them, and managing their hand to maximize scoring opportunities. The game is known for its lack of direct player interaction, except for some cards that allow scoring based on opponents’ cards.

Pros

Quick Gameplay: Games last no longer than 30 minutes.

Easy to Teach: Simple rules make it accessible to new players.

Travel Friendly: Compact and easy to carry.

Good at All Player Counts: Suitable for 2 to 5 players.

Rapid Scoring Escalation: Builds tension as the game progresses.

Cons

Limited Player Interaction: Most interaction comes from scoring off opponents’ cards.

Bad Card Draws: Difficult to mitigate poor card draws, with the option to survey (draw five cards and discard four) being a tough choice.

Personal Thoughts on The City

**The City** is ideal for families and groups looking for a quick, engaging game that requires tactical thinking. It is perfect for vacations or short gaming sessions due to its compact nature and fast gameplay. While it lacks direct player interaction and has limited mitigation for bad card draws, it remains a fun and challenging engine builder that is easy to learn and play.

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