# Lords of Vegas: UP! ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2014 - **BGG Rating**: 7.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 5) - **Duration**: 60-90 min - **Weight**: 2.25 / 5 - **Designers**: James Ernest, Mike Selinker - **Artists**: Franz Vohwinkel, Patricia Raubo, Rich Larson, Steve Fastner - **Publishers**: Mayfair Games - **Categories**: City Building, Dice, Economic, Expansion for Base-game - **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Dice Rolling, Layering, Tile Placement, Trading ## Verdict If you love building casino empires and watching your hotels literally rise, UP! is the ticket.Deeper strategic layersNew trading optionsVertical hotel expansionSlightly higher complexityPlaytime may lengthenRECOMMENDED ## Description Lords of Vegas: UP! arrives as the first expansion that truly lifts your casino empire – literally. Now, besides spreading hotels across the Strip, you can stack floors, creating skyscrapers that shine brighter than any neon sign. Each extra level adds prestige and, of course, more victory points, so anyone aiming to dominate the city must think about "going up" as much as "spreading out". The core of the game remains the area‑control contest: whoever holds the majority of spaces in a district earns bonuses, mixed with dice rolls that determine how many building tiles or cash you receive each round. Pieces are placed in layers, allowing one hotel to sit atop another, blocking rivals or creating scoring combos. The trading market also gains weight – you can swap resources with opponents to complete projects or stop someone from reaching the required height for the big prize. Tile placement keeps the board dynamic, as every new construction reshapes influence zones. With a playtime of 60‑90 minutes and a light weight (2.25/5), the expansion fits 2‑6 players, perfect for fans of the base game who want more depth without excessive complexity. In short, UP! adds vertical strategy, tighter space competition, and richer negotiation opportunities, all while preserving the chaotic, fun vibe of a Las Vegas casino. ## How to Play Objective of the Game The desert is getting crowded, and players are vying to make their casinos the most glamorous attractions. To achieve this, you'll need to build your casinos UP! The Up! expansion introduces new player pieces for 5th and 6th players, and a new raise action that adds a new dimension to building your empire. Taller casinos pay more points, and the game is won by the player who best develops their casino empire. Preparation (Setup) Player Dice, Markers & Scoring Chips: The black and purple colors each have 12 dice, 10 translucent markers, and 1 scoring chip. These are added for the 5th and 6th players. Money: Additional cash is included to accommodate more players. Add this stack into your Lords of Vegas money supply. Risers: There are 48 square pieces that represent additional floors in a casino. These are placed under your casino tiles to raise the casino up. Risers can be included in a game with any number of players. All other setup rules from the base Lords of Vegas™ game apply. Fluxo do Jogo All of the rules from the Lords of Vegas™ game apply to the Up!™ expansion. A new action called “Raise” is added, and there are also modifications to the existing action rules. Casinos Pay Each tile in a casino is worth 1 point, including both the casino and risers. For example, a 3-space casino that’s 4 tiles high is worth 12 points. The height of a casino does not affect dollar income, which is still determined by the die in the top section. When scoring “smallest” to “largest” casinos, this order is determined by total point value, not by how many blocks it occupies. Ações e Como Jogar Action – Raise When you take the raise action, you add a riser beneath a casino tile (or tiles) in which you are the boss. This makes your casino taller. When you take a “raise” action: Take 1 riser for each casino tile in your casino. Pay $15 for each riser. Place 1 riser under each casino tile. You can’t raise a portion of a large casino; you must raise the entire casino together, paying $15 for each piece. You may raise the same casino more than once in the same turn. You can never remove a riser once it is built. A casino can be no higher (measured in number of casino tiles + risers) than the number of players in the game. For example, in a 5-player game, a casino’s height can consist of no more than 4 risers on the bottom and 1 casino tile on the top. Just like other actions (other than gamble), you may perform the raise action multiple times in the same turn. Actions with Raised Casinos Once your casinos have been built up, these additional rules apply to the actions: Action – BUILD In order for two casinos to join into one, they must be the same color and the same height. Thus, if a 2-high green casino stands next to a 3-high green casino, they are not yet joined. Action – Sprawl You can sprawl a raised casino, but the new section must be built at the same height as the rest of the casino; this happens all at once. The building price includes the usual sprawling price plus $15 per riser. For example, sprawling a 2-high casino into a $9 lot costs $33 ($18 for the doubled build cost, plus $15 for the riser). Action – Remodel Risers are presumed to have the same color as the casino tiles above them. Remodeling a casino only changes the topmost tile, and still costs only $5 per lot. Action – Reorganize This rule is the same as in the base game. Action – Gamble For setting a betting limit, the size of a casino is equal to its total number of physical tiles that make up the casino (casino tiles + risers). So, a casino that covers 2 blocks and is 3 high has 6 tiles in it—the betting limit in this casino is $30. The rules for the “gamble” action have changed: You can only take the gamble action once during your turn. When you take the gamble action, you bet at a casino where another player is the boss. Give another player the House card. Choose 1 of his or her casinos. Bet up to $5 for each tile in that casino. You cannot bet more money than you have, and you cannot bet more money than that casino has. Roll 2 dice and add the results. If your roll is 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11, you win, and the casino’s boss pays you an amount equal to your bet. If your roll is 2 or 12, the boss must pay you twice what you bet! (If the boss does not have enough money to fully pay off his portion of your bet, you only get the money he does have.) But if your roll is 5, 6, 7, or 8, you lose and pay the boss an amount equal to your bet. Gamble Variant If all players agree, you can use the following variant: Before the gambler rolls, the boss of the casino taking the bet may opt to “lay off” half of the bet to the bank. After the roll, if the gambler wins, the casino boss only pays half (round down) and the bank pays the rest. Of course, if the gambler loses, the casino boss only receives half (round down) and the bank gets the rest. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Dicas para Vencer Build Upward in Contested Blocks: In a highly contested block, it’s often easier to build upward than outward. Defensive Strategy: Going tall is a good defensive move, especially if your neighbor is spread out. Raising a large and flat casino to take over a skinny and tall one is often prohibitively expensive. Scoring Track Advantage: Going tall also helps getting over the breaks in the scoring track. ## FAQ ### How many players can join? From 2 to 6 players, expanding the maximum of the base game. ### What is the typical playtime? Around 60 to 90 minutes, depending on player count. ### Do I need to know the base game first? Yes, the expansion builds on Lords of Vegas rules, so playing the base game first is recommended. ### What new components are included? Layered hotel pieces, new construction tiles, trading cards, and prestige markers. ### Does the expansion increase game complexity? Slightly, mainly due to decisions about stacking floors and added trading options. ### Is it suitable for beginners? Beginners who have mastered the base game can play, but it’s aimed at those seeking deeper strategy. ### Any rule that dramatically changes the flow? The layering mechanic changes hotel interactions, allowing players to block or enhance controlled areas. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 21.32 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1661997&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 22.02 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6077040&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 24.00 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6915366&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/9570/lords-of-vegas-up?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com