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Power Grid | 
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| Brand: Rio Grande Games
Category: Toy
List Price: $44.99
Buy New: $44.95
You Save: $0.04
New (3) from $44.95
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 2515
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 14 x 2 x 8
MPN: 5008-0034
Model: U00090
UPC: 655132002400
EAN: 0655132002400
ASIN: B0007YDBLE
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | A strategy game of planning with surges of energy. | | • | 2-6 Players | | • | 2-sided game board (Germany/USA) |
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Product Description
Power Grid is the updated release of the Friedemann Friese crayon game Funkenschlag. The latest cooperative publishing effort from Friedemann Friese and Rio Grande Games, removes the crayon aspect from network building in the original edition while retaining the fluctuating commodities market like McMulti and an auction round intensity reminiscent of The Princes of Florence.The object of Power Grid is to supply the most cities with power when someone's network gains a predetermined size. In this new edition, players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then vie against other players to purchase the power plants that you use to supply the power. However, as plants are purchased, newer more efficient plants become available so you're potentially allowing others to access to superior equipment merely by purchasing at all. Additionally, players must acquire the raw materials, like coal, oil, garbage, or uranium, to power said plants (except for the highly valuable 'renewable energy' wind/solar plants), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Keeps the lights on! December 4, 2008
I have a pretty extensive game library. Power Grid is one of my top 5 games. It is incredibly well made- very balanced and well thought out. It keeps people who fall behind still in the game and challenges the leader to stay there. Overall, an excellent game which will stand the test of time and definately be worth the investment.
 intimidating to new players November 24, 2008
This is a fun game. I knocked off a star because you have to play it all the way through once to completely get it (and by the time you make it through that first game, you don't have time to play it again right away, and then you have to remind yourself of the rules when you give it a second try a week later) and the rules change at various stages in the game, the rule booklet and the Game Phases Reference card seem to contradict on one point, and I am always afraid to teach it to people when it is their first time playing a board game with us (ease them into the nerdy board game world).
I know that sounds like a lot of negative, but it really is a fantastic game... There are just so many other fantastic games out their that manage their "fantasticity" without being nearly this complicated.
THe name/theme does sound kinda dumb, but it turns out all right.
Best complex-strategy board game of the past few years November 18, 2008
In Power Grid, players construct networks of electrical lines (power grids) to different cities, buy different kinds of power plants to light them, and buy fuel to operate the plants. It's a resource-optimization game with constant competition for location, power plants, and raw materials. Turn order changes every round, giving those who are behind the best opportunity to grow on the next turn.
Power Grid is a fairly complex strategy game. To win you must balance several game elements, think at least a turn or two ahead, take advantage of openings, and shift your strategy based on the turn of the cards and other players' actions. It's never the same game twice.
This complexity is not for everyone. Those who've enjoyed other German games such as Settlers of Catan may find themselves a bit bewildered at Power Grid. Settlers is an excellent game, just simpler. In terms of degrees of complexity, I'd rate Settlers at about 1.5 and Power Grid at 3.5. Anything over 4 I'd consider unplayable strategically. If you play against experienced players you will probably be creamed the first few times at Power Grid. But if you're up for the challenge, you'll find the game addictive and enjoy the struggle to master it.
Power Grid plays well with a crowd. It's rated for 2-6 players, but I think 5 is the optimum number. With 2-3 the game seems limited in terms of interaction and diversity of strategy. With 4 it starts to come alive. With 5 it's vibrant. With 6 it's about as diverse as with 5, but it's slightly slower because there's one more person making decisions every round.
Finally, Power Grid has excellent replayability. There's an element of randomness to the order in which power plants come up for purchase. The game will feel very different depending on whether "good" plants come out early or late. In addition to the element of chance there's also the unpredictability of other players' actions. A starting position that looks great can turn sour by mid-game, and vice versa, depending on how other players move. And just in case that's not enough variety, there are several different boards available as extensions, each with slight modifications to the rules, plus an alternate deck of power plants. My friends and I have been playing this game regularly for a few years, and we're still not tired of it.
i love this game November 11, 2008
i LOVE LOVE LOVE this game. but sadly, no one else seems to care for it in my family. so i guess this game is not for everyone. but same can be said about all strategy games and my family. even though they all love party games and all call themselves board game fanatics. so if you like strategy games such as settlers of catan, puerto rico, etc. etc., DO NOT MISS THIS GAME. but don't get it just because you THINK you are a board game fanatic. you might be over-judging yourself. i won't explain how the game works here, i think that's been fairly explained. what sets this game apart from all others is, well, it's like no others. the strategies are endless and changes when the number of players changes. unlike puerto rico, luck plays a fair part of the game, which is a plus for me. the only part i dread about this game is the setup, which takes about 30-40 minutes unless you got some help. oh, i also wish they'd give you some extras on the small red chips in case you lose one or two.
Better than Settlers of Catan? October 16, 2008
I love Settlers. Let's get that straight. Settlers is one of those games that I've been able to successfully introduce to many different types of friends, groups of people, and even my students (I'm a teacher in high school). I've met very few people who have not enjoyed the game. But, let's face it: the game is dictated almost solely by chance. You can plan strategies all you want, but if the dice are not coming up in your favor, then it won't matter. Now, take a game like this. There is very little probability built in (the power plants you draw from the deck), and it is important and adds excitement to the game, but the other 2/3 of the game is based on your wise purchase and placement of resources and cities. Of course, this game can still appeal to a wide range of audiences as well, much like Catan does. So, does this mean that there could be some competition for the throne? Well, I suppose it depends on how the game expands, as Catan still has an advantage in complexity due to expansions that I haven't seen yet in Power Grid (although I haven't played all of the new boards and I haven't seen the new card decks). Also, this game is great for students in as much as it teaches them to use a lot of math skills in order to determine opportunity costs, as well as with spending and buying amounts. This game is great, and although it seems complex at first, it's not bad to learn or teach if you just do it one step at a time (ie--don't worry about what rules change for Step 2 until you get to them). Get this game!
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