# Eletrika ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2022 - **BGG Rating**: 6.7 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 - **Duration**: 45-60 min - **Weight**: 3.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Lucas Machado Rodrigues - **Publishers**: MeepleBR, Glyptodon - **Categories**: Economic, Industry / Manufacturing - **Mechanics**: Contracts, Modular Board, Network and Route Building, Tile Placement, Worker Placement ## Verdict Perfect for those who enjoy light Eurogames with an industrial theme; the modular board ensures no two games are the same.Intriguing Brazilian themeDynamic modular boardClever building rulesBalance of competition and cooperationInitial learning curveInteraction can be aggressiveRECOMMENDED ## Description Ever wondered how electricity actually reaches your home? In Eletrika, you and your friends step into the shoes of energy entrepreneurs in Brazil, tackling the challenge of building the infrastructure needed to power the country. The game blends territory expansion strategy with resource management, where the goal is to create the most efficient transmission network to supply cities and score points. The gameplay unfolds on a modular board that grows as the match progresses. On each turn, you face a choice: either reveal and place a new tile to expand the map or focus on building. However, it's not just about placing tiles randomly; there's a technical logic involved. To erect a hydroelectric plant, you need water. To transport energy, you'll need substations, transmission towers, and utility poles. The challenge intensifies due to adjacency restrictions—for instance, you cannot build a city right next to a transmission tower, and you cannot have three constructions neighboring each other in a triangle. The heart of the game lies in the contracts. By connecting the right structures and creating functional networks, you fulfill objectives and earn points. The more complex the combination of infrastructure, the higher the score. It's a game that balances competition for space with a semi-cooperative vibe, as the network grows for everyone, but the player who is smarter with worker allocation and tile placement ends up as the ultimate energy tycoon. With a medium complexity weight, it's perfect for those who enjoy economic strategy games but still want something fluid with a unique Brazilian theme. ## How to Play Goal of the Game In Eletrika, you take on the role of a competitor in the energy sector. The goal is to expand an energy distribution network by placing pieces, expanding the game area, and building structures to connect power sources to consumers. The winner will be the player who accumulates the most megawatts (points) throughout the game. Setup Each player chooses one of the four available colors (white, black, red, or green) and takes the pawns and influence markers of that color. Place the Source piece (the only one with a different back) in the center of the table. Shuffle the Terrain Tiles and organize them into one or more draw piles with the tiles face down. Reveal three of them next to the pile. Place the Scoring Board near the play area and ask each player to place one of their pawns on space 0 of the board. Separate four Terrain Tiles in the designated spot on the Scoring Board, along with one structure of each type (1 Power Plant, 1 Tower, 1 Substation, 1 Utility Pole, and 1 City). Shuffle the five Bonus Tiles to form a face-up row. Place all structures (wooden pieces) in an area near the table, forming a supply. Place the short-circuit markers near the play area. The player who was shocked most recently is the first player and takes the first player marker. Players, starting with the first player and in clockwise order, take a Terrain Tile from the pile and place it on the table. Place the reference cards within reach of everyone. Gameplay Flow The game is played in turns. During a turn, each player must perform one main action (mandatory) and may choose, if possible, to perform one free scoring action (optional). End of Game: The end of the game is triggered when the Terrain Tiles pile is exhausted. After this, there are two final rounds for all players. The game officially ends after these two rounds. Actions and How to Play On your turn, you must choose one of the three main actions below: 1. Add a Terrain Tile The player takes one of the three open Terrain Tiles and places it adjacent to at least one other piece already placed, respecting cohesion (rivers connect to rivers, lakes to lakes, and fields/forests to fields/forests). Forests can contribute to scoring. You are not required to follow the river's flow, but you cannot block it with a forest or a lake. Bonus Action (Optional): After adding the tile, you may: Place one of your influence markers on the added tile; OR Build a structure on the added tile, but in this case, you must place 2 of your pawns instead of 1 (requires possessing 2 or more pawns). 2. Build a Structure The player chooses a structure from the supply and places it on a Free Terrain Tile (which is not the Source, does not already have another structure, and does not form a short-circuit), accompanied by one of their pawns. If there are no more pieces of a certain structure in the supply, it can no longer be built. Connection Rules: Structures must respect the connection order to be connected: Power Plant $\rightarrow$ Tower $\rightarrow$ Substation or Tower $\rightarrow$ Utility Pole $\rightarrow$ Substation or City $\rightarrow$ Utility Pole. Attention: If you build a structure on another player's influence marker, the owner of the marker receives the marker's value in megawatts and collects the marker. If it is your own marker, you simply collect it. 3. Abandon Structures The player removes ALL pawns from the structures they wish to abandon. This action allows you to abandon as many structures as you wish. If you perform this action, you cannot perform the free scoring action this turn. Free Action: Scoring This can be performed before or after your main action (unless you use the Abandon Structures action). Scoring has two parts: Energized Structure Set (Mandatory): You score for sets of structures that form a sequence connecting at least one Power Plant to at least one City. Possible sets are: 2 or 4 different structures, or 2 or 3 identical ones. When scoring, you must lay down all the pawns of the structures used. Adjacent Terrains (Optional): Each energized structure you scored generates extra points based on the forests of the same color that border the structure's tile (the forest on the tile itself does not count). High Demand: If you score using a structure identical to the one indicated on the Bonus Tile, you gain 1 additional point. End of Game and Scoring The game ends after the two final rounds following the exhaustion of the Terrain Tiles pile. Victory Criteria: The player with the most megawatts wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most pawns on the board wins (even in non-energized structures). If the tie persists, the players split the victory. Tips for Winning Consult the manual for details on this section. Consult the manual for details on this section. ## FAQ ### Is the game too complex? It has a 3/5 weight, so it's not a gateway game, but it's far from impossible. If you've played Eurogames before, you'll pick it up quickly. ### How long does a game last? Usually between 45 and 60 minutes, though it can be faster depending on the group's experience. ### How many people can play? From 2 to 4 players. It works well across all these player counts. ### Is it purely competitive? It's semi-cooperative. You build the network together, but the fight for points and contracts is competitive. ### Do I need technical knowledge about energy to play? Not at all! The game teaches the basic logic of infrastructure as you play, making it great for educational purposes too. ### Does the board change every game? Yes, because it's modular, the map is built during the match, meaning every game has a different layout. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Amazon**: R$ 111,96 (https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0BS581YHZ?tag=bgbot26-20) - **Caixinha Boardgames**: R$ 68,82 (https://www.caixinhaboardgames.com.br/produtos/eletrika/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **CaldeirãoJogos**: R$ 71,10 (https://www.caldeiraojogos.com.br/produtos/eletrika/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Cangaia Jogos**: R$ 73,46 (https://www.cangaiajogos.com.br/todos-os-jogos/jogos-estrategicos/eletrika?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Ludostation**: R$ 75,59 (https://ludostation.com.br/produtos/eletrika/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Masmorra**: R$ 80,01 (https://www.masmorra.com.br/produtos/mbr0111?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/eletrika