Cities – Quick Start Guide for Beginners

Reading time: approx. 3 minutes

Game Objective

Over eight rounds, build your own district – a harmonious mosaic of water, parks, buildings, and landmarks. Plan cleverly, combine skillfully, and fulfill the objectives of your urban development plan to collect the most points at the end.

Game Setup

• Players: 2 – 4
• Age: 10+
• Game Duration: approx. 30 – 45 minutes

Place the game board in the center of the table, together choose an urban development plan (medium point value is not used for two players, cover with three unused marking rings), each player takes one overview card, four pawns (8 pawns for two players), three marking rings, and one score marker of the same color.

Shuffle all contract cards and place them face down to form a draw pile. Shuffle all city tiles and place them face down to form a draw pile. In the center of the table, arrange four rows from top to bottom with the card types: 4 contract cards (A), 4 city tiles (B), (5 of them face up) and draw 10 building parts individually from the bag and place them from left to right (do not place building parts on the "?"). Lay out 4 starting tiles face up – each player chooses one and places it as their first city tile. The district will grow into a 3 × 3 grid over the course of the game.

Gameplay

The game proceeds over eight rounds clockwise. The player holding the star token begins. In each round, new contract cards, city tiles, tokens, and building parts are revealed. On your turn, choose one of the four rows (with three or four players, place one pawn in each row; with two players, place two pawns in each row) and, alternating with other players, take either:

• a contract card,
• a city tile,
• 1–2 tokens, or
• 2–4 building parts.

Then, place your pawn on the empty space. Return the star token to the bottom right space. The chosen material is either directly built into your district or placed: With city tiles, you expand your grid; with tokens, you create water areas, parks, or building land (special tokens); and with building parts, you stack skyscrapers – up to four stories high. Contract cards secure bonus points for specific building requirements.

At the end of your turn, check if you have fulfilled an objective of your urban development plan. If so, mark it with a ring. After each round, new contract cards, city tiles, tokens, or building parts are laid out. The next round begins with the player who acquired the star token. (After the round, the star token returns to its designated place.)

Two-Player Variant

Play seven rounds and build a district of 3 × 5 tiles.

Game End & Scoring

After eight rounds, your district is complete. Now it's time to count:

• Points from the urban development plan,
• Points for contiguous water and park areas,
• Points from monuments,
• Points from fulfilled contract cards.

The player with the highest total score wins. In case of a tie, the player who scored more points from the urban development plan wins. If the score goes above 50, you start at 1, which corresponds to a score of 51, etc.

Tips for Getting Started

• Start simple: Focus initially on your district, not on every detailed rule.
  
  

• Plan in a square: Your district will be 3 × 3 tiles – consider early where you place water, parks, and buildings.

• Keep objectives in mind: Read your urban development plan carefully and roughly align your building with it.

• Don't take everything: Consciously choose what you need in each round – sometimes "less" is more.

• Combos pay off: Adjacent parks or several buildings of the same color bring more points.

• Stay flexible: If your desired card is gone, make the best of the new offerings.

• Look for synergies early: Some contract cards fit perfectly with certain tiles – use that to your advantage.

• Watch your opponents: See what others are building – maybe you can "snatch" something away from them.

• Use the last rounds: At the end, go for secure points (water, park, completed buildings) rather than risky objectives.

• Enjoy the tinkering: It's less a competition, more an urban planning puzzle – experimenting is worthwhile.

Advanced Strategy Tips

1. Maximize private objectives
   The private contract cards (personal objectives) often offer a significantly higher point potential than the common objectives.
   ➡️Early on, align your city planning so that you can realistically fulfill at least two of these objectives — and don't neglect short-term efficiency for long-term contracts.
   
   
2. Consciously build stack tactics for buildings
   When placing building parts, the rule is: Multiple of the same color and full stacks (up to 4) bring advantages.
   ➡️If possible, it's better to dominate one color early than to superficially start many colors. A dominated color stack will later provide more options for bonus points.
   
   
3. Cleverly prioritize draft rows & observe opponent's wishes
   You choose from four rows – so not only "What do I take?" is relevant, but also "What do I leave for the opponent?"
   ➡️If you notice that an opponent is strongly aiming for, e.g., a specific city tile – it might be wise to take it early or consciously force an alternative choice.
   
   
4. Maintain flexibility in the mid-game phase
   Because the drawn materials and open rows are partly random, a rigidly planned strategy can block you.
   ➡️In rounds 4-6, check: What options are still available? Which materials are missing? If your plan doesn't seem to be working out — switch early to a Plan B (e.g., to park/water clusters instead of building stacks).
   
   
5. Calculate remaining moves & options towards the end
   In the final rounds, timing is crucial: What can I realistically still take?
   What can I still finish building?
   ➡️In rounds 7-8, check: How many spaces do you still have free? Which rows are likely to be full? Which objectives are still achievable? If an objective proves unrealistic → invest in secure points instead (e.g., water/tokens).
   

Summary

• Own goals first ➡️ prioritize, takes precedence over urban development plan

• Color stacks for buildings ➡️ broad variety

• Use 4 rows tactically ➡️ what helps you and takes something away from others

• Stay flexible in the middle phase ➡️ have Plan A, Plan B ready

• Calculate end phase ➡️ recognize & use realistic options

Impression

Cities is a compact, tactical tile-laying game with high replay value. Every decision directly influences urban planning – the appeal lies in constantly weighing aesthetics, efficiency, and contract goals. Ideal for fans of Cascadia or Dorfromantik who are looking for a bit more strategic depth.

Note: This is an unofficial quick game guide and is not affiliated with the game's manufacturer or publisher.

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