Downtown (1996)
Downtown (1996) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preparation
Sort out the money, the construction tiles and the small end tiles.
Each player gets:
- one lobby disc
- two player aids
- three voting cards (Housing, Industry and Commerce)
- 15 markers and a dial in their color
- 30 money in any combination
The First Constructions
Pile the zoning tiles numbered 1-12 (shuffle face down) to the left of the board and tiles numbered 13-24 to the right.
Take the top three tiles from both piles, shuffle together and turn face up. Place Parks on the 1st three zones, Housing on the 4th, Commerce on the 5th and Industry on the 6th zone.
Give the mayor token to the first player.
Gameplay
The game is played over several rounds, each consisting of five phases:
- Zoning
- Voting
- Buying spaces
- Valuation and income
- Change of the mayor
1. Zoning
The mayor draws a zoning tile from either of the two piles and reveals it. If the tile has an odd number, he draws another tile from the other pile.
2. Voting
Players vote on which construction is to put on the revealed zone. If two tiles were revealed, they are individually dealt with.
Each player chooses secretly one voting card. You cannot vote for a construction that has no suitable (square/rectangular) tiles left.
Each player has once in the game the option to double his vote by placing his lobby disc onto his card prior to revealing. The mayor states first whether he will be using a lobby disc. The other players follow in clockwise order. Reveal the cards simultaneously.
A simple majority wins the vote. The mayor breaks all ties.
Place a tile of the selected construction type on the zone. Markers (if any) on that zone are placed on the tile.
3. Buying Spaces
3.1. Zone Selection
Use your dial to select the zone (constructed or not) you wish to buy space(s) from. You may pass by selecting any Park zone. Put the dial face down.
Select an appropriate voting card to indicate how many spaces you wish to buy (max. 3 spaces in a 3-4 player game and max. 2 spaces in a 5-6 player game). Put the card face down on top of your dial.
Reveal the dials and voting cards simultaneously.
3.2. Space Costs
You must pay for all the spaces you wished to buy regardless of how many you actually get.
For 1/2/3 spaces, the cost is 3/7/12 (2/5/9) money with (without) a construction on the zone (see the player aid).
3.3. Space Distribution
Starting with the Mayor, each player places one marker on any free space in their selected zone. Repeat until all possible markers are placed.
4. Valuation and Income
4.1. Conditions
A zone immediately grants a one-time income, when (1) it has a construction and (2) all its spaces are bought.
4.2. Desirability
The income depends on whether the construction is "desirable". Desirability depends on the adjacent constructions (see the player aid):
- Housing is desirable if there is no Industry.
- Industry is desirable if there is at least one Commerce.
- Commerce is desirable if there are at least two Housing.
Parks are neutral.
4.3. Valuation
The base value of each space is the number of adjacent constructions (Parks included). The value is doubled, if the space is in a desirable construction.
4.4. Bonus
If only one/two players are present in the construction, he/they get an additional bonus of 5/1 money. The bonus is doubled to 10/2 money, if the construction is desirable (see the player aid).
4.5. After the Income
Hide the number of the scored construction with the corresponding small end tile and return the four markers to their owners. No further markers can be placed on that zone.
5. Change of the Mayor
At the end of the round, pass the mayor token to the next player clockwise.
End of the Game and Winner
The game ends when all zones have been constructed. The current round is completed. Constructions with empty spaces at the end of the final round have no value.
The richest player(s) win.