How to Play Power Grid: France/Italy

Game Objective

In Power Grid: France/Italy, players take on the role of electricity producers, competing to become the largest energy supplier in one of two countries, France or Italy. The game is an expansion that uses the base rules of Funkenschlag, with specific modifications for each map. In France, the focus is on nuclear energy and the capital Paris, which offers initial advantages. In Italy, players face raw material scarcity and high connection costs. The ultimate goal is to expand your network of cities and generate electricity efficiently to outcompete opponents.

Setup

Game setup follows the rules of Funkenschlag, with the following specific changes for the France and Italy maps:

For the France map:

• In the resource market, uranium is placed in spaces 5 to 12.
• The ecological power plant 13 is completely removed from the game.
• The nuclear power plant 11 and the Stage 3 card are separated from the power plant deck.
• The remaining power plant cards are shuffled to form the power plant deck.
• The Stage 3 card is placed under the power plant deck.
• The nuclear power plant 11 is placed on top of the power plant deck.

For the Italy map:

• The resource market is set up as follows:
  • 3 coal in each of spaces 3 to 8.
  • 3 oil in each of spaces 4 to 8.
  • 3 trash in each of spaces 5 to 8.
  • One uranium per space 14 to 16.

Game Flow

Game flow follows the rules of Funkenschlag. Modifications and specific details for the France and Italy maps are applied during the relevant phases of the game.

During the Game (France):

• The city of Paris consists of 3 cities.
• The connection cost between these 3 cities is 0 elektro.
• Only the connection costs (10 elektro for the first connection, 15 elektros for the second, and 20 elektros for the third) must be paid.
• A second or third connection in Paris is only possible from stage 2 or stage 3, respectively.

Actions and How to Play

Actions and gameplay follow the rules of Funkenschlag. The following information is relevant for the France and Italy maps:

Phase 4: Building (France)

• Greater Paris consists of 3 cities.
• The connection cost between the 3 cities of Paris is 0 elektro.
• The connection costs for the cities of Paris are: 10 elektro for the first, 15 elektros for the second, and 20 elektros for the third.
• A second or third connection in Paris is only possible from stage 2 or stage 3, respectively.

End of Game and Scoring

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Tips for Winning

• Take Advantage of Paris (France): The starting player in Paris can connect 3 cities for little money. However, this does not guarantee victory. Pay attention to the relatively low connection costs north and west of Paris, as opponents can make it expensive to advance to new cities.
• Value the Nuclear Power Plant (France): The price of the first nuclear power plant in the game should not be underestimated. Depending on when another nuclear power plant enters the game, the owner of this monopoly can save a lot of money on raw materials.
• Choosing Regions (France): For optimal game duration and greater enjoyment, central France (including Paris) should always be one of the chosen regions.