Big City has 11 different things that can be built, each with different characteristics. These can all be placed into the following groups:

• residences and businesses,
• special buildings,
• parks and factories, and
• streetcars

Residences and businesses

The characteristics of the residences and businesses are very similar. They differ only in the effects of their location in the city (outskirts or center of the city) to their value. They each come in three sizes: the single needs one property, the double needs two adjacent properties, and the triple needs three properties in a line.

Prerequisites: Residences and businesses may be placed at any time in the game and at any place in the city. No special prerequisites must be met to place these buildings.

Worth: A single residence or business has a base value of 2, a double residence or business has a base value of 6 and a triple residence or business has a base value of 10. Both building types increase their value by 1 if they are built adjacent to a park. If built adjacent to a factory, both reduce their value by 2. When built adjacent to a streetcar line, both double their value.

In location they differ: residences increase their value by 1 when they are placed on the outskirts of a town.

Businesses increase their value by 1 when they are placed away from the outskirts in the center of the city. When a business is built adjacent to city hall, its value is doubled.

Finally, the value of businesses are tripled when they are built adjacent to both city hall and the streetcar line. For example, a double business on the outskirts of the city, adjacent to a factory, city hall and the streetcar line scores 6 (base value) + 0 (outskirts location) - 2 (factory) = 4 (sub-total) x 3 (next to city hall and streetcar) = 12 points (total score).

A double residence in the same location would score 6 (base value) + 1 (outskirts location) - 2 (factory) = 5 (sub-total) x 2 (next to streetcar) = 10 points (total score). The streetcar doubles the residence, but city hall does not have influence on residences.

Influence on other buildings: Residences and businesses do not affect the value of other buildings. However, they are prerequisites in various combinations for several buildings: bank, cinema, post office, and shopping center.

Special Buildings

The special buildings are: city hall, cinema, bank, post office, shopping center, and church.

City Hall

City hall needs only one property. It may be built at any time during the game.

Prerequisites: It must be built away from the outskirts on city center property.

Worth: The player who builds city hall receives no points for doing so.

Influences on other buildings: Other special buildings, parks, factories and the streetcar line may be placed only after city hall has been built. City hall doubles the value of businesses, banks, cinemas and post offices placed adjacent to it.

If one of these buildings is both adjacent to city hall and the streetcar line, its value is tripled. City hall is a special building and can, thus, fulfill one of the prerequisites for the shopping center.

Also, new neighborhoods may only be added after city hall has been built.

Church

The church needs only one property. It may be built only after city hall has been built.

Prerequisites: It may be built only as the last building in a neighborhood and only on a property with a double number (e.g. 11, 33, 88, etc)..

Worth: A church always scores 15 points when placed. It receives no bonuses and suffers no penalties from other buildings or the streetcar line.

Influences on other buildings: A church is a special building and can, thus, fulfill one of the prerequisites for the shopping center. It does not influence the value of other buildings.

Cinema, Post Office, And Bank

Each of these buildings needs only one property. They may only be placed after city hall has been built.

Prerequisites: To build a cinema, at least two residences must be on properties adjacent to the property where the cinema is to be placed. A double residence does not count as two residences for this prerequisite.

To build a post office, at least one business and one residence must be adjacent to the property where the cinema is to be placed. To build a bank, at least two businesses must be on properties adjacent to the property where the cinema is to be placed. A double business does not count as two businesses for this prerequisite.

Worth: Each of these buildings has a base value of 5 points. The value doubles when the building is placed adjacent to a streetcar line or city hall. If it is placed adjacent to both the streetcar line and city hall, the value is tripled.

Influences on other buildings: Cinema, post office and bank are special buildings and, thus, can fulfill one of the prerequisites for the shopping center. They do not influence the value of other buildings.

Shopping Center

The shopping center needs two properties. It may be built only after city hall has been built.

Prerequisites: To build a shopping center, at least one residence, one business, one special building, and the streetcar line must be adjacent to the properties where the shopping center is to be placed.

They need not be adjacent to both, but to either and not all need to be adjacent to the same property.

Worth: A shopping center always scores 30 points when it is built. It receives no bonuses and suffers no penalties from other buildings or the streetcar line.

Influences on other buildings: The shopping center is a special building and can, thus, fulfill a prerequisite for the other shopping center. It does not influence the value of other buildings.

Parks and factories

Parks and factories may be built only after city hall has been built. To build a park or a factory, a player must play the property card with the picture corresponding to the park or factory being placed.

Parks and factories can be built on any empty properties that they can fit on, but do have different location requirements specified below. Parks and factories need not be built in the neighborhood that corresponds to the stack from which their card was drawn.

Parks

Lincoln Park needs two properties. The card is in the stack for neighborhood 2 property cards.

Central Park needs three properties, all in a line. The card is in the stack for neighborhood 4 property cards.

Prerequisites: Of the 2 or 3 properties where a park is to be placed, at most one may be on the outskirts of the city.

Worth: The player receives no points for placing a park.

Influences on other buildings: A park increases the value of a residence or a business that is built on an adjacent property by 1 point. A park has no influence on special buildings.

Factories

Stanford Corporation needs three properties in the shape of an "L". The card is in the stack for neighborhood 6 property cards.

Rockwell Industries needs four properties arranged in a square. The card is in the stack for neighborhood 8 property cards.

Prerequisites: A least two of the properties where a factory will be built must be on the outskirts of the city.

Worth: The player building a factory receives no points.

Influences on other buildings: A factory reduces the value of a residence or a business which is built on an adjacent property by 2 points. A factory has no influence on special buildings.

Streetcar Line

The streetcar line may only be placed after city hall has been built. The player, who begins the building of the streetcar line may place only one streetcar, but may place it on any street in the city.

After the first streetcar has been placed, players may place one or two streetcars on their turn. The player may choose to place each of the new streetcars at the same end, at different ends, or somewhere along the middle to create a branch or branches of the line.

Worth: The player building streetcars receives no points.

Influences on other buildings: The streetcar line has no influence on churches. Although it is required for shopping centers, it does not affect the score of the shopping center. When a residence, business, bank, post office or cinema is placed adjacent to a streetcar line, its value is doubled.

The streetcar line bonus does not applied if the line runs into the property or merely touches at a corner. The streetcar line must run along one of the streets adjacent to the property to be considered adjacent.

When a business, cinema, bank or post office is adjacent to both the streetcar line and city hall, the value is tripled.

Continue Reading