Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe — Rules Manual

Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe
A game for 2-6 players by Friedemann Friese. Condensed rules by Eric Postpischil, https://edp.org.
Variations from the base game are blue.
Introduction
Benelux: Less coal, more oil, wind and fusion plants are quicker to market, power plants leave game quickly.
Central Europe: More coal and garbage, less oil and uranium, restriction on nuclear, garbage discount available.
Goal: Power the most cities in the last round of the game.
Fuel:
• The 24 brown cubes are coal.
• The 24 black cylinders are oil.
• The 24 yellow octagonal pieces are garbage.
• The 12 small red octagonal pieces are uranium.
Power plant cards:
• The upper-left number is the lowest acceptable bid for the plant.
• The fuel requirement of the plant is shown at bottom. (Hybrid plants accept coal or oil in any combination.)
• A power plant uses all the fuel shown on the left to power up to the number of cities shown on the right.
• Wind and fusion plants show no fuel on the left; they run essentially without fuel.
• Each power plant may store up to twice the fuel shown.
• Players may rearrange fuel on their power plant cards at any time.
Power plant market: The power plant market is always sorted by number and has two rows for most of the game.
• Power plants in the cheaper row are available for auction. The more expensive plants are not yet available.
• Minimum Rule: Any time a power plant number in the market does not exceed the number of cities the leading player has, immediately remove the plant from the game and draw a new card for the market.
The game has three Steps:
• Step 1.
• Houses may only be placed in the “10” spaces in cities.
• There are 8 plants in the market. The lowest 4 are available for auction. (Benelux: sometimes 5.)
• Step 2.
• Houses may only be placed in the “10” or “15” spaces in cities.
• There are 8 plants in the market. The lowest 4 are available for auction. (Benelux: sometimes 5.)
• Step 3.
• Houses may be placed in the “10,” “15,” or “20” spaces in cities.
• There are 6 plants in the market. All are available for auction.
• If the Step 3 card is drawn before the normal Step 2 trigger, perform the Step 2 actions (in the Build Houses phase), then perform the usual Step 3 actions.
Setup
Choose the Benelux (outside) side or the Central Europe (inside) side of the board.
For 2/3/4/5/6 players, choose 3/3/4/5/5 contiguous areas to use, respectively, and block off the others.
• Benelux: Belgium (blue) and Luxembourg (purple) form one seven-city area. With 5/6 players, use all areas.
Give each player 50 Elektros, a payment summary card, and all houses of one color.
Put one house of each player on the start house (representing 0) of the score track (decorated with skylines).
Put one house for each player in the player order area (marked by light bulbs) in random order.
Start the fuel supply:
• Put coal in the coal spaces in boxes 3 to 8 (Benelux) or 1 to 8 (Central Europe).
• Put oil in the oil spaces in boxes 1 to 8 (Benelux) or 3 to 8 (Central Europe).
• Put garbage in the garbage spaces in boxes 7 to 8.
• Put uranium in the uranium spaces in boxes 14 and 16 (Benelux) or 8 to 16 (Central Europe).
Arrange the power plant cards:
• Sort the power plant cards numbered 03 to 10 in two rows near the board to form the power plant market.
• Put aside the Step 3 card, the number 13 power plant, and the summary cards.
• Shuffle the remaining cards and put them face down as a supply deck.
• With 2/3/4 players, remove 8/8/4 cards from the draw pile and the game.
• Put the Step 3 card at the bottom of the draw pile and the 13 on the top.
For 2/3/4/5/6 players, put a marker before 10/7/7/7/6 on the score track. Crossing it starts Step 2.
For 2/3/4/5/6 players, put a marker before 21/17/17/15/14 on the score track. Crossing it ends the game.

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Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe
Tables
Payment Schedule Benelux Refill Schedule
Central Europe Refill Schedule
Cities
Elektros
0 10
1 22
2 33
3 44
4 54
5 64
6 73
7 82
8 90
9 98
10 105
11 112
12 118
13 124
14 129
15 134
16 138
17 142
18 145
19 148
20+ 150

2 Players 3 Players 4 Players 5 Players 6 Players
Step Step Step Step Step
123 123 123 123 123
Coal 224 234 345 456 567
Oil 343 453 564 575 796
Garbage 123 123 234 335 356
Uranium 111 111 112 223 233

2 Players 3 Players 4 Players 5 Players 6 Players
Step Step Step Step Step
123 123 123 123 123
Coal 453 563 675 785 8106
Oil 123 223 234 345 456
Garbage 133 133 244 345 366
Uranium 111 111 121 222 232

Version 1.1, April 7, 2022

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Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe
Benelux Play (Do the following in order each round.)
Determine Player Order (skip in first round of game; player order is random for initial auctions)
Sort player order area by number of cities (leader has most) and secondarily by plant number (leader has highest).
Auction Power Plants (leading player first, continuing until no players remain to auction and bid)
The leading player of those left who have neither bought a plant this round nor passed putting a plant up for auction
may put one of the available plants up for auction (and participate as a bidder):
• This player may pass (but not in the first round of the game) and is then out of all auctions this round.
• If they do not pass, they select a plant to auction and must bid the number on the card or greater.
• In Step 1 or 2, the lowest 4 plants in the market are available. In Step 3, all 6 in the market are available.
• If the 5th plant is an ecological plant (any plant that runs essentially without fuel), it is also available.
• Bidding circles clockwise with each player bidding higher or passing until only one player remains.
• A player who passes bidding is out of this auction but can participate in later auctions this round.
• The final remaining player pays their bid to the bank, takes the power plant, and is out of all auctions this round.
After an auction, draw a new card and add it to the market, sorted by number. (Heed the Minimum Rule.)
• If the Step 3 card is drawn, position it as the highest plant in the market and shuffle the draw pile.
When a player buys a 4th plant (with 2 players, 5th plant), they must discard one of their others, after moving fuel.
• Fuel that cannot be stored on the retained plants is discarded.
When the auctioning player did not win, they may pass or choose another plant. Otherwise, the next player goes.
After all auctions are completed:
• If no plant is sold in a round, remove the lowest plant from the game and draw a replacement.
• In the first round of the game, redetermine player order (by power plant number).
• If the Step 3 card was drawn, remove it and the lowest plant from the market. Do not replace them. The game is
now in Step 3.
Buy Resources (trailing player first)
Each player may buy, at the prices shown on the board, as many resources from the board as they can afford and can
store on their power plant cards (twice as many as shown on each card).
Build Houses (trailing player first)
Each player may build as many houses as they can afford. (Players are not required to build, even in round 1.)
• The cost for the player’s first house is the number of the space (usually 10) it is put in.
• The cost for each subsequent house is the number in the space it is put in plus the cost of connections along the
cheapest path to any other house the player has. Some adjacent-city connections have no cost.
• No player may have two houses in the same city.
When a player builds a house: Immediately advance their house in the score track one space.
• Heed the Minimum Rule. If the Step 3 card is drawn, remove it and the lowest plant in the market from the game
and do not draw replacements. Shuffle the draw pile. Finish the build phase, and then the game is in Step 3.
In a game of 2/3/4/5/6 players, when a player builds their 10th/7th/7th/7th/6th house:
• Finish building, then remove the lowest plant in the market from the game and draw a replacement.
• Sort the market, so the lowest four plants are in the cheaper row. The game is now in Step 2.
In a game of 2/3/4/5/6 players, when a player builds their 21st/17th/17th/15th/14th house:
• Finish building, supply cities as described below, and the game ends. The player who supplies the most cities
with electricity in this last turn wins. Ties are broken first by money and then by cities.
Bureaucracy (leading player first)
Each player says how many cities they wish to supply with electricity.
• They may supply as many cities as they have on the board and have power plant capacity for, including fuel.
• The player is paid according to the number of cities they supply, as shown in the payment schedule.
Each operated power plant consumes all the fuel shown on its card, even if it does not power all the cities shown.
• Consumed fuel is returned to the bank. Unoperated plants consume no fuel.
The bank refills the resource market (if it can), most expensive open spaces first, using the refill schedule.
In each round remove the lowest power plant from the game and draw a replacement if the deck is not empty.
• Heed the Minimum Rule.
In Step 1 or Step 2, put the highest power plant in the market face down under the draw pile and draw a replacement.
• If the Step 3 card is drawn, remove it and the lowest power plant in the market from the game and do not draw
replacements. Shuffle the draw pile. The game is now in Step 3.
Version 1.1, April 7, 2022 3

is returned to the bank Unoperated plants consume no fuel The bank refills the resource market if it can most expensive open spaces first using the refill schedule In each round remove the lowest power plant from the game and draw a replacement if the deck is not empty Heed the Minimum Rule In Step 1 or Step 2 put the highest power plant in the market face down under the draw pile and draw a replacement If the Step 3 card is drawn remove it and the lowest power plant in the market from the game and do not draw replacements Shuffle the draw pile The game is now in Step 3 Version 1 1 April 7 2022 3

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Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe
Central Europe Play (Do the following in order each round.)
Determine Player Order (skip in first round of game; player order is random for initial auctions)
Sort player order area by number of cities (leader has most) and secondarily by plant number (leader has highest).
Auction Power Plants (leading player first, continuing until no players remain to auction and bid)
The leading player of those left who have neither bought a plant this round nor passed putting a plant up for auction
may put one of the available plants up for auction (and participate as a bidder):
• This player may pass (but not in the first round of the game) and is then out of all auctions this round.
• If they do not pass, they select a plant to auction and must bid the number on the card or greater.
• In Step 1 or 2, the lowest 4 plants in the market are available. In Step 3, all 6 in the market are available.
• Only a player with at least one house in Hungary, Czech, or Slovakia may bid on or buy nuclear power plants.
• Bidding circles clockwise with each player bidding higher or passing until only one player remains.
• A player who passes bidding is out of this auction but can participate in later auctions this round.
• The final remaining player pays their bid to the bank, takes the power plant, and is out of all auctions this round.
After an auction, draw a new card and add it to the market, sorted by number. (Heed the Minimum Rule.)
• If the Step 3 card is drawn, position it as the highest plant in the market and shuffle the draw pile.
When a player buys a 4th plant, they must discard one of their others, after moving fuel.
• Fuel that cannot be stored on the retained plants is discarded.
When the auctioning player did not win, they may pass or choose another plant. Otherwise, the next player goes.
After all auctions are completed:
• If no plant is sold in a round, remove the lowest plant from the game and draw a replacement.
• In the first round of the game, redetermine player order (by power plant number).
• If the Step 3 card was drawn, remove it and the lowest plant from the market. Do not replace them. The game is
now in Step 3.
Buy Resources (trailing player first)
Each player may buy, at the prices shown on the board, as many resources from the board as they can afford and can
store on their power plant cards (twice as many as shown on each card).
• A player with Wien (Vienna) in their network pays 1 Elektro less for each garbage.
Build Houses (trailing player first)
Each player may build as many houses as they can afford. (Players are not required to build, even in round 1.)
• The cost for the player’s first house is the number of the space (usually 10) it is put in.
• The cost for each subsequent house is the number in the space it is put in plus the cost of connections along the
cheapest path to any other house the player has. Some adjacent-city connections have no cost.
• No player may have two houses in the same city.
When a player builds a house: Immediately advance their house in the score track one space.
• Heed the Minimum Rule. If the Step 3 card is drawn, remove it and the lowest plant in the market from the game
and do not draw replacements. Shuffle the draw pile. Finish the build phase, and then the game is in Step 3.
In a game of 2/3/4/5/6 players, when a player builds their 10th/7th/7th/7th/6th house:
• Finish building, then remove the lowest plant in the market from the game and draw a replacement.
• Sort the market, so the lowest four plants are in the cheaper row. The game is now in Step 2.
In a game of 2/3/4/5/6 players, when a player builds their 21st/17th/17th/15th/14th house:
• Finish building, supply cities as described below, and the game ends. The player who supplies the most cities
with electricity in this last turn wins. Ties are broken first by money and then by cities.
Bureaucracy (leading player first)
Each player says how many cities they wish to supply with electricity.
• They may supply as many cities as they have on the board and have power plant capacity for, including fuel.
• The player is paid according to the number of cities they supply, as shown in the payment schedule.
Each operated power plant consumes all the fuel shown on its card, even if it does not power all the cities shown.
• Consumed fuel is returned to the bank. Unoperated plants consume no fuel.
The bank refills the resource market (if it can), most expensive open spaces first, using the refill schedule.
In Step 3, remove the lowest plant in the market from the game and draw a replacement if the deck is not empty.
• Heed the Minimum Rule.
In Step 1 or Step 2, put the highest power plant in the market face down under the draw pile and draw a replacement.
• If the Step 3 card is drawn, remove it and the lowest power plant in the market from the game and do not draw
replacements. Shuffle the draw pile. The game is now in Step 3.
Version 1.1, April 7, 20224

returned to the bank Unoperated plants consume no fuel The bank refills the resource market if it can most expensive open spaces first using the refill schedule In Step 3 remove the lowest plant in the market from the game and draw a replacement if the deck is not empty Heed the Minimum Rule In Step 1 or Step 2 put the highest power plant in the market face down under the draw pile and draw a replacement If the Step 3 card is drawn remove it and the lowest power plant in the market from the game and do not draw replacements Shuffle the draw pile The game is now in Step 3 Version 1 1 April 7 20224

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