51st State: Ultimate Edition — How to Play

Goal of the Game

Your goal in 51st State: Ultimate Edition is to build a new State in a post-apocalyptic world. Whether you lead the Mutants, New Yorkers, or another faction, your aim is to conquer lands, incorporate regions, and eliminate those who oppose you. To win, you must accumulate Victory Points (VP). When any player reaches 25 VP, the game triggers the End Game Sequence. After finishing the round, players score 1 VP for each card in their State, and the highest total wins.

Preparation (Setup)

1. Place the Victory Point (VP) track on the table within reach of all players.
2. Organize all Resources (Brick, Fuel, Gun, Iron), Workers, and tokens near the VP track as a general supply.
3. For your first game, use only the 88 Base Set cards. Shuffle them to form the Deck and place it face-down next to the VP track. Leave space for a discard pile.
4. Separate the 12 Connection cards by color (Blue/Red) and shuffle them into two face-down piles near the Deck.
5. Give each player a Faction board and place their VP marker on "0" on the VP track.
6. Deal 6 cards to each player. They keep 4 and discard 2.
7. Determine the first player (any method) and give them the First Player token.

Flow of the Game

Each round consists of 4 phases:

1. Lookout Phase:
   • Reveal the top card of each Connection pile.
   • Draw (number of players + 1) cards from the Deck and place them face-up. Players draft one card clockwise, then discard the leftover. Repeat, drafting counter-clockwise.
2. Production Phase:
   • Gain Goods from three sources:
     • Your Faction board (basic production).
     • Deals (cards under your Faction board).
     • Production Locations in your State.
3. Action Phase:
   • Starting with the first player, take turns performing one Action at a time (e.g., Build, Raze, Deal, use card abilities).
   • Players pass when done; passed players can’t be interacted with for the rest of the round.
4. Cleanup Phase:
   • Discard unused Goods (except those stored on cards).
   • Discard unclaimed Connection cards.
   • Pass the First Player token left.

Actions and How to Play

During the Action Phase, players can:

• Build a Location:
  • Construct: Pay Contact tokens equal to the card’s Distance, then place it in your State (organized by Production, Feature, or Action rows).
  • Develop: Replace an existing Location by paying 1 Brick (or 1 Development token) and matching at least one Type. Gain 1 VP.
• Make a Deal: Pay Contact tokens equal to the card’s Distance, place it under your Faction board, and gain the Deal Good.
• Raze a Location:
  • From your hand: Pay Contact tokens equal to Distance, discard the card, and take its Spoils.
  • Opponent’s Location: Pay Contact tokens equal to its Defense (3 for Production, 4 for Feature, 5 for Action). The opponent gains the Deal Good, and the card becomes Ruins.
• Use Card/Faction Actions: Spend required Goods to activate abilities (once per round unless stated otherwise).
• Use Open Production: Send a Worker to an opponent’s Open Production Location to gain its Goods; they gain 1 Worker.
• Take/Play Connection Cards: Spend 2 Workers to take a face-up Connection card, or play one from your hand to gain its Goods.
• Pass: Skip further Actions and become immune to interactions.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when any player reaches 25 VP. Complete the current Action Phase, then:

1. Each player scores 1 VP per card in their State (excluding Ruins).
2. The highest total wins. Tiebreakers:
   • Most Goods.
   • Most Locations.
   • Shared victory if still tied.

Tips to Win

• Prioritize VP-generating cards: Many cards grant VP directly—focus on acquiring and using them.
• Balance Deals and Locations: Deals provide steady Goods, while Locations offer abilities. Don’t neglect either.
• Disrupt opponents: Use Razing to slow down players close to 25 VP, especially targeting high-value Production or Feature Locations.