Objective of the Game

Welcome to Saint Petersburg! In this classic game, you'll step into the shoes of influential figures helping Czar Peter the Great build his magnificent city. Your goal is to acquire workers, buildings, and aristocrats, strategically placing them in your play area to earn money and victory points. The player who best manages their rubles and makes the smartest purchases at the right time will emerge victorious, proving themselves the most adept builder of Saint Petersburg!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get this city-building project started! Here’s how to set up your game:

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.
2. Shuffle the worker, building, aristocrat, and trading cards into separate face-down stacks. Place each stack on its designated space on the board.
3. Each player takes 25 rubles. Keep your money secret from other players – no peeking or telling! Place the remaining rubles in stacks by denomination next to the board to form the bank.
4. Each player takes their 2 wood figures of one color. Place one figure on space 0 of the scoring track and the other in front of you (your play area) to mark your color.
5. One player shuffles the 4 starting player cards and deals them:
   • 4 player game: Each player gets 1 card.
   • 3 player game: The youngest player gets 2 cards, others get 1 each.
   • 2 player game: Each player gets 2 cards.
6. Once starting player cards are distributed, each player takes the corresponding starting player markers and places them in their play area. The starting player cards are then returned to the box.
7. The oldest player becomes the administrator. This person draws starting cards from the worker stack and places them face up in the upper card row:
   • 4 players: 8 cards
   • 3 players: 6 cards
   • 2 players: 4 cards
   Then, the administrator turns the worker stack 90° on the player board. The administrator will also manage the money, place new cards, and move figures on the scoring track throughout the game.
8. The game officially begins with the first worker phase!

The Game Turn

Saint Petersburg is played over several rounds (typically 7-10), with each round consisting of four distinct phases, always in this order:

• The worker phase
• The building phase
• The aristocrat phase
• The trading card phase

After the trading card phase, a new round begins with the worker phase.

Inside Each Phase (Except Trading Card Phase)

Each phase (worker, building, aristocrat) follows a clear structure:

1. The Actions: This is the main part where players acquire cards.
2. The Scoring: Players score their cards relevant to the current phase.
3. The New Cards: The administrator replenishes the card rows.

The Actions in Detail

On your turn, you must take one of these four actions:

• Buy: Purchase 1 worker, 1 building, or 1 aristocrat card.
  • You can buy a card from either the upper or lower card row on the board.
  • Pay the cost (shown in the upper left) to the bank.
  • Immediately place the card face up in your play area, grouping it with other cards of the same type.
  • Note: In the first worker phase, only worker cards are available. Other card types will appear later.
• Add to his hand: Take 1 card (worker, building, or aristocrat) from either card row and add it to your hand.
  • You do not pay for this card immediately.
  • You can have at most 3 cards in your hand (unless you have a special card like the warehouse, which allows 4). Keep them secret!
  • At game end, each card in your hand scores -5 points.
• Play from his hand: Place 1 card from your hand face up into your play area.
  • You now pay the cost of the card to the bank.
  • You can play a card added to your hand in the current or a previous round.
• Pass: You must pass if you cannot or choose not to take any other action.
  • Say "Pass!" clearly so the next player knows it's their turn.
  • Even if you've passed before, you can still take a normal action on a subsequent turn in the same action phase.

The player with the starting player marker for the current phase takes the first action. Players then follow in clockwise order. The action phase continues with players taking actions in turn until all players pass in player order. Once everyone has passed consecutively, the action part of the phase is over.

Cost Reductions: Keep an eye out for these ways to save rubles!

• Same Card: If you already have the same card (or several) in your play area, you pay 1 less ruble for each identical card you own. (Minimum cost is 1 ruble).
• Lower Card Row: Buying a card from the lower card row costs 1 ruble less.
• Gold Smelter: If you have a gold smelter, you pay 1 ruble less for each red (aristocrat) card you buy.
• Carpenter Workshop: If you have a carpenter workshop, you pay 1 ruble less for each blue (building) card you buy.

These reductions are cumulative, but you must always pay at least 1 ruble for a card.

The Scoring

After actions, it's time to reap some rewards! In the worker phase, you score only your workers. In the building phase, only your buildings. In the aristocrat phase, only your aristocrats. All cards of the appropriate group in your play area are scored, including those just played.

• You earn money (rubles from the bank) or points (move your figure on the scoring track), or both, as indicated on your cards.
• The administrator handles money distribution and moving scoring markers.

The New Cards

To keep the options fresh, the administrator adds new cards to the board until there are a total of 8 cards in both card rows combined. New cards are always drawn from the next card stack (e.g., building cards after the worker phase) and placed only in the upper card row. The administrator then turns the card stacks to indicate the current phase.

The Trading Card Phase and End of the Round

This phase is a bit different:

• No Scoring: There is no scoring in the trading card phase. You don't earn money or points.
• Actions: Players still take actions (buy, add to hand, play from hand, pass) as usual.
• Discard Lower Row: After actions, the administrator takes all remaining cards from the lower card row and places them on the discard space. They are out of the game.
• Move Upper to Lower: All remaining cards from the upper card row are moved to the lower card row.
• Replenish Workers: The administrator then adds worker cards to the upper row until there are a total of 8 cards on the board.
• Pass Starting Player Markers: Players pass their starting player markers to their left neighbors, changing the starting players for the next round.

The round is now over, and a new round begins with the worker phase!

Trading Cards in Detail

Trading cards are special tri-colored cards used to upgrade existing cards in your play area. When you buy or play a trading card:

• You must displace an already placed card of the same color from your play area. You cannot simply place a trading card like other cards. The displaced card goes to the discard space.
• Blue trading cards can displace any placed building.
• Red trading cards can displace any placed aristocrat.
• Green trading cards are specific: a carpenter workshop displaces a lumberjack, a gold smelter displaces a gold miner, a weaving mill displaces a shepherd, a fur shop displaces a fur trapper, and a wharf displaces a ship builder. Look for matching symbols in the upper right corner to identify pairs.
• A trading card cannot displace another trading card.
• Cost: If the trading card is more expensive than the card it displaces, you pay the difference. If it's the same or cheaper, you pay 1 ruble. All normal cost reductions apply!

End of Game and Final Scoring

The game ends after the round in which the administrator places the last card of any group (worker, building, aristocrat, or trading card) on the board. All phases of that round are completed, and then the final scoring begins.

In the final scoring, each player earns points for:

• Aristocrats: You earn points for all different aristocrats in your play area. The scoring table for aristocrats is on the game board. Duplicate aristocrats do not score extra points.
• Money: For each full 10 rubles you have left, you earn 1 point.
• Minus Points: For each card still in your hand, you score -5 points.

The player with the most points wins! In case of a tie, the tied player with the most money wins.

Tips for Winning

Ready to conquer Saint Petersburg? Here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. Early Worker Investment is Key: In the first worker phase, aim to buy at least 2 workers. Workers offer an excellent cost/reward ratio and provide crucial income to fuel your future purchases. Falling behind on workers early can put you at a significant disadvantage.
2. Don't Fear Expensive Cards (But Be Smart): More expensive cards often have higher reward ratios, meaning you get more points per ruble spent. While it can be tempting to save up for these powerful cards, be cautious not to leave yourself completely broke. A temporary money shortage can be dangerous, but a well-timed expensive purchase can pay off handsomely in later rounds.
3. Trading Cards are Your Friends: Always try to save some money for the trading card phase. Trading cards allow you to upgrade your existing cards, often providing better income or points. However, remember there's no scoring in this phase, so don't overspend and leave yourself without rubles for the next round's worker phase!