After a long journey, you have finally arrived in a new land. You immediately start building and developing your city.
My City is a legacy game. This means that the game will change and evolve as you play. You and your fellow players will all have your game boards, which you will redesign in every episode. Each series of three episodes forms a chapter.
And for each chapter, there is a sealed envelope containing new rules and a variety of materials that make it easy to change the game as you go along. In 24 fascinating episodes, you will experience the rise and the history of your city from its very beginning through industrialization.
In addition, on the other side of the game board, you will find a version that you can play over and over again.
Components
- 4 two-sided game boards
- 96 Playing Pieces
- 8 Envelopes with game materials
- 4 Scoring tokens
- 24 Construction cards
- Instructions
During the game you will also need something to write with, such as a ball-point pen, for writing and drawing on your game boards.
My City is most appealing if the same group of players play and experience all the chapters together.
If you want to continue the game with different players, the new players will have to pick up where their left off and continue accordingly.
After each episode, note where you have stopped. That way, you can easily continue the next episode when you resume.
Each of the 24 episodes can be played on its own. However, the game was designed so that three episodes combine to form a thematic chapter. Gameplay for each chapter is about 90 minutes and is best enjoyed when played in a single sitting.
Important: No matter how curious you may be, do not open the sealed envelopes until you are playing the corresponding chapter.
Setup
Each player gets one game board and places it with the front side, which has an animal symbol at the upper left, face up in front of himself or herself. That will be the player's personal game board for all 24 episodes.
At the start, all game boards are identical. But during the course of the game, each player will be changing the game board. You will be applying stickers, developing new playing areas, and writing on the board.
Don't worry: That's how it is meant to be played. After all, it's your board. Right at the beginning, you will want to give your city a name. Write it in the space at the top, right next to the animal symbol.
Each player gets a scoring token and sets it on the number 10 of his or her board's scoring track. This scoring token is used to indicate your points during the episode and, most importantly, at the end of the episode.
Each player gets the 24 playing pieces (simply called "buildings" from now on) showing that player's animal symbol on the back side. Just like the game boards, each player's collection of buildings is otherwise identical.
Place your buildings face up next to your game board (animal symbol face down). There are three types of buildings: residential (yellow), public (red), and industrial (blue).
Shuffle the 24 construction cards and place them in a single deck face down in the middle of the table. For each building, there is a corresponding construction card. In each episode, you will construct your buildings in the sequence shown on the construction cards as they are turned over.
Game Play
There are a few rules that - with a few exceptions - apply to all 24 episodes:
Each episode consists of a number of rounds. In each round, you will turn over the top construction card of the face-down deck and place it face up in a discard pile.
Each player takes the building matching the one depicted on the construction card and places it on his or her game board. No delay or waiting is allowed. All players place their buildings at the same time.
At the end of each episode, you get points for your buildings, which you mark on your scoring track. Whoever gets the most or second-most points in an episode is allowed to color in two or one progress symbols, respectively.
These progress symbols appear as circles in two rows at the top edge of the game board. The player who has colored in the most progress symbols after 24 episodes is the overall winner of My City.
The Construction Rules
Buildings may only be built on light green spaces. They may not be built in the mountains (gray spaces on the left) or the forest (dark green spaces on the right).
Light green spaces with rocks or trees shown on them may be built upon. However, it is best to avoid building on light green spaces with trees if you can, because visible tree spaces will get you points at the end of each episode.
Spaces with rocks should, on the other hand, be built upon whenever possible. If these are not covered with buildings at the end of the episode, points will be deducted.
A building may not be placed on the river in such a way that it lies on both sides of the river.
You are allowed, however, to place a building along the river, even if that means that the river becomes partly covered.
The first building that you place on your game board must be placed alongside the river. It is not enough to just have one corner touching the river.
All other buildings must be positioned in such a way that they have at least one side bordering another building. Again, just having a corner touching is not enough.
Buildings also count as bordering if the river is flowing between them.
Buildings may not be placed on top of buildings that are already constructed. Once a building is placed, it cannot be moved.
Passing: If a player cannot or does not want to construct a building, he or she is allowed to pass. He or she announces this out loud and places the building face down in front of himself or herself. He or she then has to move the scoring token one step backward on the scoring track.
Important: If the scoring token is already on zero, passing is not an option.
In this case, if the player cannot or does not want to construct the building, he or she must end his or her participation in the episode. He or she is then not allowed to place any more buildings.
Ending participation in an episode: After turning over a construction card, each player is always allowed to decide whether to end his or her participation in the episode.
He or she announces this out loud and turns the unconstructed building over. When he or she does this, the player does not lose any points on the scoring track. He or she only loses a point if he or she passes but stays in the episode.
End of an Episode
An episode ends when all the players have ended their participation in it. If this has not happened, an episode will end after all the construction cards have been turned over.
Scoring:
Then, each player's points are calculated and marked on the scoring track.
For each tree shown on a light green space on the game board, the player gets one point.
For each rock shown on a light green space on the game board, the player loses one point.
For each empty light green space visible on the game board, the player loses one point.
Note: At the beginning, there are only spaces with two trees or two rocks. These yield two points (added or subtracted). Later, spaces with one tree will be added, which yield one point.
If a scoring token reaches 50 in the assessment, the player is immediately allowed to color in one progress symbol. The scoring token remains standing at 50, even if extra points are added or deducted.
If it happens that a scoring token drops under 0, these negative points do not expire. They are deducted from the next positive points earned.
Assessment of an Episode:
After the points have been calculated, the episode is assessed. The winners are allowed to color in additional progress symbols on their boards.
Assessment with Three or Four Players:
Whoever has attained the most points on the scoring track is allowed to color in two progress symbols.
Whoever has attained the second-most points on the scoring track is allowed to color in one progress symbol.
Assessment with Two Players:
Whoever has attained the most points on the scoring track is allowed to color in two progress symbols.
Whoever has attained the second-most points on the scoring track is not allowed to color in any progress symbols. In a two-person game, in other words, only the top player wins progress points.
In addition, independent of their placement (first, second, other), the players get various stickers which are applied permanently to their game boards.
These stickers can be found in the sealed envelopes along with other game materials. Inside, you will also find an overview table showing what each player gets.
Important: If two or more players have attained the same point total at the end of an episode, the player who has the fewest empty light green spaces in the top row of his or her game board will get the top placement.
If the result in the first row turns out equal, the second row is what counts, etc.
Note: Color in the progress symbols from left to right. Start in the top row, and when this is full continue at the left of the row beneath it. This way, each player can easily see who has gained how many progress symbols.
Example: Before the scoring, the player has eight points. Since she passed twice, she had to move the scoring token two steps back during the episode.
For her eight trees, she adds eight points. For her two rocks, she has to deduct two points. In addition, she has to deduct eight points for the eight empty light green spaces.
The player then ends her first episode with six points.
After the episode, the game board is cleared off and the scoring token is placed on 10 again. In the next episode, all the players start rebuilding their city as described in the sealed envelope rule sheet.
The Sealed Envelopes
The eight sealed envelopes are a special feature of My City. Inside each envelope, you will find a rule sheet containing a few new rules for each group of three episodes.
Also, you will find an overview table, which summarizes on the left side how points may be won or lost. Some of the points apply immediately during an episode. Most (and later on, other rewards as well) apply at the end of an episode.
Example from the overview table for episode 1:
On the right side of the overview table, you will see the assessment for the relevant episode. This indicates which player is allowed to color in progress symbols at the end of the episode as described.
Also indicated are which players get which stickers (which are also found inside the envelope). Some of the stickers are allocated at the beginning of an episode, but most are assigned at the end.
Example from the overview table for episode 1:
To apply the stickers to your game board at the end of an episode, you will first have to clear away all the buildings from the game board.
Unless otherwise indicated, you have to affix the stickers to empty light green spaces that show a small square in the center.
In some of the envelopes, in addition to the stickers you will find other materials that will be used in the game.
The First Chapter
Now that you know all the important rules, you can begin your My City adventure.
You already know that there is one sealed envelope for each chapter. You may now open the first envelope: Chapter 1: The New Land - Episodes 1 to 3.
The envelope contains one rule sheet, one overview table, and one small sheet of stickers. Display the overview table so all players can see it easily and keep the sheet of stickers ready. If there are
stickers or other materials that you have not used at the end of an episode, keep them in the box. Read the rule sheet for Chapter 1 and place it in this rulebook after you have read it. Now you can begin your first episode.
My City - the Eternal Game
Have you played all 24 episodes? If so, you have enjoyed a unique gaming experience. You have guided the development of your own city and witnessed eight chapters of its diverse history.
But My City is not over. If you want to keep building your city in competition with your fellow players, you will find a version on the back of the game board that you can play over and over. It more or less corresponds to episode 10 of the legacy game.
In this version, all the game boards are identical. You can also play it if you want to play every now and then with friends who are not playing the legacy game. One of you has to have at least played episodes one through five, however.
Setup
Each player gets a game board and places it in front of himself or herself with the side shown here facing up.
Each player gets one scoring token and places it on number 10 of the scoring track. This token will be used to mark your points during the episode and, most importantly, at the end of it.
Each player gets a set of 27 buildings, all of which must show the same animal symbol on the back side.
Display your buildings face up next to your game board (animal symbols facing down). There are three types of normal buildings: eight residential buildings (yellow), eight public buildings (red), and eight industrial buildings (blue). In addition, each player has three churches (purple roofs).
Important: If you have already completed the legacy game, you will have additional buildings with your animal symbol. These are not used in the Eternal Game. You will also ignore the stickers found on some of the buildings.
Shuffle the 28 construction cards and place them in a single deck face down in the middle of the table. For each building, there is a corresponding construction card.
You will construct your buildings in the sequence shown on the construction cards as they are turned over. In addition to the 24 cards with the normal buildings (eight in each of three colors) and the three churches, there is one blocking card in the deck.
Important: If you have already completed the legacy game, you will have additional construction cards in the deck. These are not used in the Eternal Game.
Game Play
Each game consists of a number of rounds. In each round, you will turn over the top construction card of the face- down deck and place it face up in a discard pile. Each player takes the building matching the one depicted on the construction card and places it on his game board. No delay or waiting is allowed. All players place their buildings at the same time.
At the end of the episode, you get points for your buildings which you mark on your scoring track.
The Construction Rules
Buildings may only be built on light green spaces. They may not be built in the mountains or the forest.
Light green spaces with rocks or trees shown on them rocks should, on the other hand, be built upon whenever may be built upon. However, it is best to avoid building on light green spaces with trees if you can, because visible tree spaces will get you points at the end of each episode.
Spaces with possible. If these are not covered with buildings at the end of the episode, points will be deducted.
A building may not be placed on the river in such a way that it lies on both sides of the river.
You are allowed, however, to place a building along the river, even if that means that the river becomes partly covered.
The first building that you place on your game board must be placed alongside the river. It is not enough to just have one corner touching the river.
All other buildings must be positioned in such a way that they have at least one side bordering another building. Again, just having a corner touching is not enough.
Buildings also count as bordering if the river is flowing between them.
Buildings may not be placed on top of buildings that are already constructed.
Once a building is placed, it cannot be moved.
Try to construct as many contiguous buildings of the same color as possible. During the end-of-episode assessment, you will get extra points for each of the three colors.
For each color, you will add up the number of buildings composing the largest contiguous group of this color and receive that number of points.
Passing: If a player cannot or does not want to construct a building, he or she is allowed to pass. He or she announces this out loud and places the building face down in front of himself or herself. He or she then has to move the scoring token one step backwards on the scoring track. In other words, he or she loses one point.
Important: If the scoring token is already on zero, passing is not an option. In this case, if the player cannot or does not want to construct the building, he or she must end participation in the episode. He or she is not allowed to construct any more buildings.
Ending participation in an episode: After turning over each construction card, each player is always allowed to decide whether to end his or her own participation in the episode. He or she announces this out loud and turns
the unconstructed building over. When he or she does this, the player does not lose any points on the scoring track. He or she only loses a point if he or she passes but stays in the episode.
Each church yields three additional points if you can manage to have a building in each of the three colors along with three of its sides.
Churches must be built! If a player is unable to construct the church shown on the uncovered construction card, he or she must end their participation in the episode, and can no longer construct any more buildings.
If the blocking card is turned over, another card from the deck is immediately turned over as well. The building shown on that card must not be constructed - even if it is a church. Both cards are placed on the discard pile, with the blocking card on top.
Each player turns the "blocked" building with its backside facing up. Then, the next construction card is turned over, and play resumes as normal.
The wells may be built upon just like rocks or trees. At the end of the episode, however, you will get four extra points if you manage to place four buildings adjacent to the well, one on each side.
The first player to build on both veins of gold will announce this out loud and immediately get three points. If more than one player achieves that in the same round, each of them gets three points.
End of Episode
An episode ends when all the players have ended their participation in the episode. If this has not happened, an episode will end after all the construction cards have been turned over.
Then, each player's points are calculated and marked with the scoring tokens on the scoring track:
- Visible space with two trees: +2 points
- Visible space with two rocks: -2 points c In each color: points = number of buildings in largest group
- Three colors next to church: +3 points
- Four buildings next to well: +4 points
- Empty light green space: -1 point
The player with the most points is the winner.
If two or more players have attained the same point total, the player who has the fewest empty light green spaces in the top row of his or her game board will get the top placement.
If the result in the first row turns out to equal, the second row is what counts, etc.
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