You read it in the newspapers and hear it almost daily on television: "The price of electricity will continue to rise!" In this day and age, where the electricity is more expensive, it is not easy to find a good and cheap energy supplier. The one relies on nuclear power, which offers enormous potential for much, but produces highly dangerous radioactive waste. The other preference but rather the "healthy" green power, which is not quite as low, but it protects the environment. It has been really not as easy customer to choose there. But what about on the side of big corporations?

In radio shock by Friedemann Friese you are the one who controls the energy market! Build an empire, and they provide all countries with electricity. Of course, this is not an easy job. You have to decide on which power plants are set, which raw materials have to be purchased and in what region it settles. But the hard work pays off when the first money in the cash flows and the current is generated diligently. But careful, the competition is not to be underestimated and I want to control the market and bring it to crash!

But let us not rush. Let's look more closely at the game.
The pack has a somewhat unusual size, since it is greater than in conventional games. Nevertheless, it fits nicely on the shelf and there was no space is wasted unnecessarily. In the new, revised edition will find a two-sided gameboard (Germany, USA), 84 raw marker (brown: coal, black: oil, yellow: Waste red: uranium), 132 wooden houses in 6 different colors, 43 power plant cards, play money, 6 overview map with gameplay / payout table, 1 map "Level 3" and of course the game manual.
The currency of sparks is "electric" and will now be labeled as such.
Each player represents a company that generates electricity using a variety of plants and development of an electricity network that sold to the customer.

At the start, each player takes all the wooden houses of a color and places them in front of him. The board is placed clearly visible in the middle of the table. In addition, each player receives a map, and 50 electric. Every now creates a cottage on the top, right in front of the field 1 scoring track This symbolizes that no player has connected the city mains. In the course of the game this bar is constantly being updated. At the beginning of a game, a player will be drawn, which may begin. This is a little house on the top left box, which displays the turn order. The other players follow in clockwise direction. This rule only affects the first round. Later, the starting player is determined in Phase 1.

At the bottom of the board is the commodity market. This will display fields for the various raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, uranium) and the respective price. Initially, this is filled from right to left. Coal is the cheapest raw materials, this is completely filled up to the left. Uranium, however, is very rare and expensive, so there is very little of it at the beginning and is also very expensive. On the sidelines are also not designed to force the adapters. The power plant cards with the numbers 03-10 are 2 rows of 4 cards. This is the top row of the current, the lower the future market. All power plant cards which are added during the course of the game, according to their numbering Sun sorted that represent the lowest four cards of the current market. The card "Level 3" is among the reshuffled deck that firm up regional plans put 13 on this.

Now we come to play:

The game is played over several rounds. It consists of five phases each round:
First Order to set
Second Buy plants
Third Buy raw materials
4th Build
5th Bureaucracy

In addition, the game is played over three stages. More details about this will be explained later.

In phase 1, the turn order is determined. "Best" player is one who has the most cities (see also Phase 4). Should exist a tie, the player starts, which owns the power plant with the higher number. The other players follow accordingly. Only at the beginning of the order will be drawn once.

Phase 2: Power stations buy

Before we look at this phase, we will look once the power plant cards closely. The number of power plant complies with the minimum bid, which will be offered at auction must be at least. The color of the bottom bar represents the type of power plant (brown coal, black: oil, etc.). Moreover, given how many resources you need to take the plant into operation. The number in the house indicates in how many cities can be supplied with energy, if it is in operation. There are also hybrid power plants. Here, the player must decide what resources it uses (either coal or oil or both in any combination). Wind power plants are green. Because they work with the wind, they therefore require no resources.

Each player is allowed a maximum bid per round a power station. It begins the "best" players. Who is your turn, has two options, either to fit or choose from a power plant up for auction. If a player selects a power plant up for auction, it must offer at least the price according to the number of the power plant. Proceeding clockwise, each player can get out of the bidding or auction. Who won the auction, the corresponding price paid to the bank and the plant takes from the pool. Now, immediately followed suit a power plant and sorted according to its number in the power plant market. After that, the "second best" player's turn and proceeds similarly. A player is allowed a maximum of 3 power plants and has to pass if a power plant.

Phase 3: buy raw materials

This phase is played in reverse order of play, ie it starts the "worst" player. Now, each player can buy any number of commodities to the extent they are available on the market. Also applies here as in real life: When demand is high and tend to go the raw materials, prices also rise. So it can happen that a player buys coal for 2 electric, the last player must also pay for it as early as 8 or no longer receives, because the other players have previously purchased vigorously. The acquired raw materials may be placed on the appropriate power adapters. A power plant can be up to twice the amount of the specified symbols stored as raw materials.

In Phase 4 will be built.

Again, start the "worst" player. He must now choose a region on the map, in which he would like to join his first city mains. Depending on the number of players while various regions on the board are available. Are there many players, many regions are playable, so that sufficient space is available for construction.

The initial connection of a city electric costs 10. If you want to connect a second city to the grid, it must be accessible via a line with his own city. So you have to pay again for the initial 10 electric plus the cost of the power line. For every purchased "city", the upper, right Zähleiste is updated. This indicates how many cities have been connected to its own power supply. In order to make the game more strategic, there are 3 stages. In the first stage, each player may use only the initial connection. As soon as "occupied" a player has a city, no one else can provide the city with electricity. At level 2, and the second port of a city are used, but this will cost 15 Electric. At the very beginning we have placed under the stack of cards, the card power plant "Level 3". Once this is discovered, begin stage 3, and each player must now use the third port of a city, which costs 20 power.

Phase 5 is bureaucratic.

Beginning with the "best" player is now seen, has as many cities, each player connected to the grid and produce as much energy its power plants. Corresponding to the number of cities it served a payment in accordance with the attached map. If a player can, for example, 6 cities, with its power supply works but only 4 cities with energy, then he gets only 4 cities this money! It is up to each player if he wants to use its power plants. But when they are used, each number is shown completely consumed in raw materials. In addition, electricity produced falls.

Once each player's turn, the commodity market, according to a table is replenished. Depending on the number of players and level a certain number of raw materials is new to the market. It is always filled by expensive to cheap. Also, the power plant market is updated according to the instructions. At the end of this phase, the game begins again with phase 1 The more rounds were played, the better the plants come into play, including the technologies continue to evolve over time. Commodities such as coal becomes more expensive and "rare". So you should consider early use of other energy supplies, or create.

The game ends as soon as in Phase 4 have one or more players a certain number of cities (see table) connected to its own power supply. The victory condition is now bringing power into play properly again. The winner is the player who can supply the most cities with power. The winner is not always the one who has joined the 17 cities, as this may not be able to provide all cities with energy.

Power Grid is a highly successful, complex and strategic board game that is designed uniquely for frequent players and strategists. Granted, it takes a while until you read all the rules and has internalized, but definitely worth it and after a few rounds, you can place the instructions safely aside. The game also simulates the wonderful reality.

I particularly liked the fact that in reality are always better technology on the market and the commodities such as coal / oil over time become increasingly scarce, but with the volume of waste continues to rise. Very good one also has the problem solved with the number of players. Sparks can be played with 2-6 players, while there is no number with which it can be "very good" play. For each case has been set aside. The attached table is just broken, what raw materials are added, for example if 4 people or how many regions are used. This principle I have seen so often in board games.

Leaves over 12 years, sparking play well, but there is a game about 2 hours, young players quickly lose interest and endurance. For this reason, I would recommend this game more 16 years, not least because it acquired as more experience in dealing with money and forward thinking.

The smart victory condition allows the game to life again from scratch. You have to think several times and plan ahead when you hook up the last city to the grid. If you can not get enough to supply cities, ultimately winning another player. On the other hand, one must always have the financial resources and the reserve players in mind, it does not pull the them. Since power plants need to be bought and can not simply be bought, is also a sense of fighting spirit into the game. Everyone wants to get his "dream plant" and it can snatch away reluctantly. But not even get his way, one must retaliate on the commodity market and other commodities may wegkaufen in his face, so that they have to pay much more.

At the material there is nothing wrong. The game are settled more than 200 pieces of wood (shelter, raw materials) and not as often as plastic parts. I see this as a great advantage because it makes the game more authentic and beautiful. Also, the fact that players can choose which card they want to use (Germany, USA) under games in the basic version are very rarely used and another plus for me. Later you can buy more new power plant cards or fixtures, if you also in other countries such as Russia, China wants to play, etc.. Also in repeated games will not be bored, which is due to the diversity and variety. In conclusion, we say, sparking an electrifying game fun for all strategists and many players

Name: sparks
Year: 2004
Players: 2-6
Age: 12 years
Duration: 2 hours
Author (s): Friedemann Friese
Publisher: 2F-Games

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Tags: 2F-Games