Game Objective: Build the City of Your Dreams!

Welcome, future mayors! In My City, your mission is simple yet challenging: develop your own city, from its humble beginnings to the industrial era. This is a legacy game, which means your city and the rules will evolve with each of the 24 fascinating episodes. You will apply stickers, create new play areas, and even write on your personal board!

The grand winner of My City will be the one who, after 24 episodes, has colored the most progress symbols on their board. Prepare for a unique journey where every decision shapes the destiny of your metropolis!

Preparation (Setup): Setting Up Your New Land

Let's set up the table to start building! Follow these simple steps:

1. Remove the Pieces: First, carefully remove all game pieces from their frames.
2. Your Personal Board: Each player takes a double-sided board and places it with the front side (the one with an animal symbol in the upper left corner) facing up. This will be your board for all 24 episodes. Don't worry about modifying it, that's how you play! Give your city a name and write it in the designated space.
3. Score Marker: Each player receives a score marker and places it on the number 10 of the score track on their board.
4. Your Buildings: Each player receives their 24 game pieces (called "buildings"). They show your animal symbol on the back. Place your buildings face up next to your board (with the animal symbol facing down). There are three types of buildings: residential (yellow), public (red), and industrial (blue).
5. Building Cards: Shuffle the 24 building cards and form a single face-down deck in the center of the table. For each building, there is a corresponding card.
6. Pen Handy: Keep a ballpoint pen nearby, as you will need to write and draw on your board!

Friendly Tip: My City shines brightest when the same group of players experiences all chapters together. If you need to swap a player, the new participant picks up where the previous one left off. Remember to record your progress after each episode!

The Game Turn: Building Your Metropolis

With each round, your city takes shape! Here's how it works:

1. Reveal the Card: The starting player flips the top building card from the deck and places it face up on the discard pile.
2. Simultaneous Construction: All players, at the same time, take the building that corresponds to the revealed card and place it on their board. There's no waiting, it's a construction frenzy!
3. Essential Construction Rules:
   • Where to Build: Buildings can only be built on light green spaces. Mountains (gray) and forests (dark green) are off-limits.
   • Trees and Rocks: You can build on light green spaces with rocks or trees.
     • Avoid covering trees, as they give points at the end of the episode.
     • Cover rocks whenever possible, as they deduct points if not covered.
   • The River: A building cannot be on both sides of the river. However, you can place it along the river, even if it partially covers it.
   • First Building: Your first building must be placed next to the river, with an entire side bordering it (just a corner is not enough).
   • Connectivity: All other buildings must have at least one side bordering another already built building (again, a corner is not enough). Buildings count as bordering even if the river is between them.
   • No Overlapping: Buildings cannot be placed on top of others already built.
   • Permanence: Once placed, a building cannot be moved.
4. Pass or End:
   • Pass: If you cannot or do not want to build a building, you can pass. Announce it aloud, flip the building face down in front of you, and move your score marker one space back on the track. If your marker is already at zero, passing is not an option, and you must end your participation in the episode.
   • End Participation: At any time, after a card is flipped, you can decide to end your participation in the episode. Announce it aloud and flip the unbuilt building. When ending, you do not lose points on the track, unlike when you "pass" and continue in the game.

End of Game and Scoring: Your City's Harvest

An episode ends in two ways:

• When all players have ended their participation.
• When all building cards have been flipped.

Episode Final Score:

It's time to calculate the points and see who excelled in construction!

• Trees: For each visible tree on a light green space on your board, you gain +1 point.
• Rocks: For each visible rock on a light green space on your board, you lose -1 point.
• Empty Spaces: For each visible empty light green space on your board, you lose -1 point.

Important Notes:

• If your score marker reaches 50, you immediately color a progress symbol. The marker remains at 50, even with extra points.
• Negative points below 0 are deducted from the next positive points.

Episode Evaluation and Progress Symbols:

After calculating the points, the winners color additional progress symbols:

• With 3 or 4 players:
  • The player with the highest number of points colors two progress symbols.
  • The player with the second highest number of points colors one progress symbol.
• With 2 players:
  • The player with the highest number of points colors two progress symbols.
  • The second player does not color any progress symbols.

In Case of a Tie: If there is a tie in the total score, the player with the fewest empty light green spaces in the top row of the board receives the better placement. If there is still a tie, the second row is checked, and so on.

Stickers and Evolution: In addition to the progress symbols, players receive various stickers from the sealed envelopes, which are permanently applied to the boards, modifying the game for future episodes. Remember to remove all buildings before applying the stickers!

After scoring, the board is cleared, the score marker returns to 10, and you are ready for the next episode and the new rules that await you in the sealed envelopes!

Tips for Winning: Be the Master Builder!

1. Prioritize Covering Rocks and Avoiding Trees: Remember that uncovered rocks cost points, while visible trees earn points. Plan your constructions to maximize your gains and minimize your losses. Covering rocks should be a priority, while trees should be preserved whenever possible.
2. Plan Connectivity and the River: Your first building must always be next to the river, and all others need to connect to existing buildings. Think ahead about how your pieces will fit together to form an efficient network, taking advantage of the rule that the river does not prevent connectivity between buildings. A good connection strategy can open up space for future constructions without penalties.
3. Manage Your Pass and End Options: Passing costs 1 point but keeps you in the game. Ending your participation costs no points but takes you out of the episode. Carefully evaluate the cost-benefit. If you have few construction options and many negative points in sight, it may be better to end your participation to avoid further losses, especially if your score marker is close to zero.