A game that draws you in - Power Grid!

Almost every board game player has a game that got them into the hobby. Well, really! Although my first acquaintance with modern board games, like many other counters, is Catan, but I began to be seriously interested in different games and concepts after buying the game Power Grid , which we played countless times with all kinds of people during our studies. What is so special about this game, about it in this review.

Subject matter

Each player manages a company that wants to provide electricity to cities in the US or Germany. Players participate in auctions for better power plants, buy raw materials (coal, oil, uranium and waste). Players then expand their power grid. The subject matter is very accurate, well illustrated, but it should be noted that it often causes concern among different players - can a game about electrical production really be exciting?

Components

Game components are very functional. The cards are visually appealing and fit the theme. It should be especially noted that the cards are double-sided. When you buy the base game, you immediately get two maps - USA and Germany. It feels more about the players than just the profit. After Power Grid , I always wonder why Ticket to Ride doesn't have a double-sided field. The game box contains very nice wooden resources that are not just blocks but represent each energy type well. But the biggest downside is that paper money is terrible and wears out very quickly. I wouldn't say that the game's graphics are among the best I've seen, but it suits this game very well.

Mechanics

Elegance! The game consists of three parts. Initially, there is a very tight auction for the power plants, during which the people involved buy the most advantageous power plants. The auction often drives players crazy, because some stations are really important to buy at the right time, otherwise there may not be enough power, but is this station worth double the market price? After the station auction comes my favorite part of the game, buying resources from the common market. This game perfectly illustrates the relationship between supply and demand, because if several players want to buy oil, its price will increase, but if no one buys uranium, then its price will gradually decrease. There have been several cases of strategic buyouts at the end of the game, such as all the charcoal and German children having to live without electricity because a player can no longer provide it. The third part includes map control. Each player starts in a different city and develops their own power grid. Initially, only one player can be in each city, so you must always be ready to engage in geographical combat and think in which directions to expand. After the third part, everyone receives income for the provided electricity and the actions are repeated until someone can provide a certain number of cities and the winner is determined.

A mechanic that is definitely worth highlighting is the game's very important player ranking, which is based on the size and performance of the player grid. The last player can buy resources cheaper, potentially get a better station and build the network first. Therefore, an essential game strategy is planning at which moment you want to be in the leaders, at which time - at the end. Exciting mechanics!

Multiplayer

As I mentioned, the main box of the game contains two maps at once, divided into 6 regions, and no game will use all six regions. By changing the regions you choose, the strategy of the game changes enough to keep it fresh for a long time. Various extensions are also available, for example, we also have the Baltic countries and Great Britain. Each card creates new sensations and refreshes the game. I remember from my student days that we usually played this 1.5 hour long game 2 times, from the beginning Germany, then America, and even until today these maps have not exhausted themselves. The game is best played with 4-6 players, I don't recommend less.

Rating

Although the game is now less often on the table than it once was, every time I pull it off the shelf I appreciate how good its design and mechanics are - a true modern classic. I would definitely recommend, if not to buy, then to play it at least once. Rating: 8 out of 10.

Kristaps

Pictures from personal archive and boardgamegeek.com.

More about the game: Power Grid .