Ore City Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 2. Game Objective
• 3. Components
• 4. Card
  • 4.1. Construction Cards
  • 4.2. Public Works Cards
• 5. Game Preparation
  • 5.1. Construction Space
  • 5.2. Acquisition Space
  • 5.3. Specific Rules for Public Works Cards
  • 5.4. Public Information
• 6. Turn Procedure
  • a) Construction
  • b) Book-closing
  • c) Accomplishment
  • d) Exchange
  • e) Flush
• 7. End of Game
• 8. An example of book-closing
• 9. Individual Card Descriptions
  • 9.1. Residential Cards
    • 9.1.1. Single House (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 10)
    • 9.1.2. Apartment House (Cost: 1, Cards in the game: 5)
    • 9.1.3. Condominium (Cost: 3, Cards in the game: 5)
    • 9.1.4. Park (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 5)
  • 9.2. Commercial Cards
    • 9.2.1. Small Store (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 10)
    • 9.2.2. Convenience Store (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 5)
    • 9.2.3. Restaurant (Cost: 3, Cards in the game: 5)
    • 9.2.4. Department Store (Cost: 5, Cards in the game: 5)
• 10. Comments From the Game Designer

2. Game Objective

Number of players: 2-6. Playing time: 30-60 minutes. Age recommended: 10 or older.

You are City Creators who design and build your own cities, and your goal is to collect 10 Victory Points by accomplishing several public works.

You need a stack of coins to accomplish a public work, so you have to earn coins by constructing residential, commercial, and industrial facilities.

3. Components

150 cards:

• 25 Residential cards (red)
• 25 Commercial cards (blue)
• 25 Industrial cards (yellow)
• 35 Public Works cards (purple)
• 20 1G / 3G coin cards
• 20 5G / 10G coin cards

1 Rulebook (this document)

4. Card

4.1. Construction Cards

Residential cards (red), Commercial cards (blue), and Industrial cards (yellow) are collectively called construction cards.

Card layout (Small Store example):

1. Construction Cost: coins required to construct this card.
2. Number of cards of the same name in the game.
3. Card Text: construction abilities and/or book-closing abilities are written here.

4.2. Public Works Cards

Card layout (Hospital example):

1. Accomplishment Cost: coins required to accomplish this card.
2. Number of cards of the same name in the game.
3. Card Text: playable condition and/or accomplishment abilities are written here.
4. Amount of Victory Points scored when accomplished.

5. Game Preparation

1. For each of the four card types (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Public Works), shuffle all cards of that type and place them face down at the center of the table. That makes four draw piles.

2. Randomly determine the first player in any method. Beginning with that player, players take turns going clockwise.

3. Each player draws one Residential, one Commercial, and one Industrial card.

4. After drawing those three cards, in turn order, players now draw a certain number of cards from the Residential draw pile, and discard that many cards of any type from their hand. Discards go in face-up discard piles by type, next to their appropriate draw piles.

Player order	# of Residential cards to draw	# of cards to discard
First	0	0
Second	1	1
Third	2	2
Fourth	3	3
Fifth	4	4
Sixth	5	5

[Tip] You should keep cards with 0 cost because you initially don't have any coins.

* Do not reshuffle any discards yet. From now on, when a draw pile runs out, reshuffle the corresponding discards into a new draw pile.

5. Draw five cards from the Residential draw pile and spread them face-up in the center of the table, forming a common space. Cards in the common space are placed face-up, except for Public Works cards (purple) which are always face-down in the common space.

5.1. Construction Space

You have one construction space in front of you. When you construct your cards in your construction space, simply place them in a vertical orientation.

You may also construct your cards in either adjacent player's construction space. To do so, place these cards into that player's construction space horizontally to that player, so that they show vertically to you. Likewise, your adjacent players may place their cards into your construction space, orientated horizontally to you (vertically to them). In this way, you can see which cards in your space have been constructed by you, and which by either player adjacent to you.

When you construct your cards, follow the construction limitations below.

1. A construction space can contain only one of three types of cards (Residential, Commercial, or Industrial) at a time.
2. A construction space can contain any number of cards as long as all of them are of the same type.
3. You may not change the type of card in your construction space directly. If you want to do so, you have to take a book-closing action first.
4. You may not construct your cards in an adjacent player's construction space if it is currently empty.

5.2. Acquisition Space

You have an acquisition space in front of you, separated from your construction space. When you acquire a card, place it into your acquisition space face-up but turned upside-down. Most of the Industrial cards and all of the Public Works cards, which explicitly state "acquire this card", can be acquired.

5.3. Specific Rules for Public Works Cards

You may have only one Public Works card in your hand.

Public Works cards must be face-down while they are in the common space.

5.4. Public Information

At any time, you must disclose the total number of cards in your hand and the types, by showing the backs of the cards. The face of cards in your hand should be kept secret. You must also disclose the total value of coins you have, and the Victory Points you have scored. Your construction and acquisition spaces must also be public.

6. Turn Procedure

During your turn, you may play one of the following actions.

a) Construction b) Book-closing c) Accomplishment d) Exchange e) Flush f) Pass (End your turn without taking any action)

At the end of your turn, if you have less than three cards in your hand, draw cards from any piles, one by one, until you have three cards. Remember that you may have only one Public Works card in your hand.

In the unlikely event that when you would draw a card, if there are no cards at all in any draw piles or any discard piles, or if there are cards only in Public Works draw pile and you already have one, you may not draw a card at this moment.

a) Construction

You construct your Residential, Commercial, or Industry card in order to earn coins and/or hinder your adjacent players.

Take one Residential, Commercial, or Industry card from your hand, pay its cost, and place it into your or one of your adjacent players' construction space. Then its construction ability, if any, is activated once.

Instead, you may take two or more cards of the same name from your hand, paying only one single-card worth of cost. Place them together either into your or one of your adjacent players' construction space. Then their construction ability, if any, is activated only once.

In either case, follow the construction limitations. (See "Construction Space" section above.)

b) Book-closing

You take a book-closing action in order to earn coins and/or gain technology from Industrial cards. Also, you clear your construction space, and later you can construct other types of cards. Note that your adjacent players also earn coins and/or gain technology from their cards in your construction space.

Resolve all cards' book-closing abilities in your construction space, including adjacent opponents' cards in your construction space. You and your adjacent players gain benefit from the cards they constructed in your construction space.

If you are to resolve Residential cards, do the following for each card name in your construction space.

1. Count up the total number of cards of that name in your construction space. Now use the table shown on one of those cards to find the coins earned. First, find the row with the total number (coin stack icon).

2. Now, for each player concerned, count the number of cards of that name that each player constructed. Decide who is 1st and 2nd majority holder (tied players will get the full amount of coins, not a split).

3. On the card's table, look across the row to pay out the correct coins earned to the 1st and 2nd majority holders.

See chapter 8 "An example of book-closing" for details.

If you are to resolve Commercial or Industrial cards, do the following. For each card in your construction space, the player that constructed that card gains the benefit written in the book-closing ability on the card.

If some of these cards state "acquire this card" as part of their book-closing ability, the players who have constructed them acquire them (See "Acquisition Space" section above). They have some effects as long as they are acquired.

When the resolution is finished, discard all cards in your construction space unless they are acquired.

c) Accomplishment

Accomplishing a public work is the most important action because this is the only way to score Victory Points.

Some Public Works cards have a condition that begins with the phrase "To play this card, ...". Before playing a Public Works card, make sure that the condition is met.

Take a Public Works card from your hand, pay its cost, and place it into your acquisition space face-up but turned upside-down. You now score the number of Victory Points written on it. Then its ability is activated.

d) Exchange

You may exchange any number (including zero) of cards in your hand with cards in the common space.

Discard any number of cards from your hand and place them into the common space. A Public Works card which is to be placed into the common space must be face-down. Then, take that many cards from the common space and add them to your hand.

During the exchange action, you may see the faces of the Public Works cards in the common space. You may then choose to take one of them or not at all. Remember that you may have only one Public Works card in your hand.

e) Flush

If you do not like the cards in your hand and in the common space, you may flush them all at once.

Discard all cards in your hand and all cards in the common space, and draw three cards from the Residential draw pile. Then take five cards from the Residential draw pile and spread them in the common space.

In the unlikely event that the Residential draw pile runs out with no Residential discards, you may choose other draw piles to draw cards from. Remember that you may have only one Public Works card in your hand.

7. End of Game

When any player has accumulated 10 Victory Points by accomplishing public works, the game immediately ends with that player's victory.

8. An example of book-closing

The manual's example is shown in a diagram of Player A's, Player B's and your construction spaces (cards constructed by Player A, cards constructed by you, cards constructed by Player B, and your construction space). Printed diagram labels: "Player A constructed", "You constructed", "Player B constructed", "Your construction space". Callout box: "Single Houses — Total: 6 — Player A: 3 — Player B: 1 — You: 2" and "Apartment Houses — Total: 3 — You: 2 — Player B: 1".

You have just taken a book-closing action. Now resolve book-closing abilities of all cards in your construction space. There are two instances to be resolved: Single Houses and Apartment Houses.

a) Single Houses

Total number of cards in your construction space: 6 Individual number of cards in your construction space: Player A: 3 / Player B: 1 / You: 2 Player A is the 1st majority holder. Player A gains 11G. You are the 2nd majority holder. You gain 4G.

b) Apartment Houses

Total number of cards in your construction space: 3 Individual number of cards in your construction space: Player B: 1 / You: 2 You are the 1st majority holder. You gain 5G. Player B is the 2nd majority holder. Player B gains 3G.

9. Individual Card Descriptions

9.1. Residential Cards

Residential cards earn you coins through book-closing only. Residential cards are essential resources because Commercial cards and Industrial cards cannot earn you any coins without Residential cards.

9.1.1. Single House (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 10)

No construction abilities. Upon book-closing, players earn coins according to number of cards of the same name they constructed.

9.1.2. Apartment House (Cost: 1, Cards in the game: 5)

No construction abilities. Upon book-closing, players earn coins according to number of cards of the same name they constructed.

9.1.3. Condominium (Cost: 3, Cards in the game: 5)

No construction abilities. Upon book-closing, players earn coins according to number of cards of the same name they constructed.

9.1.4. Park (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 5)

When constructed, this construction space is not affected by Industrial cards. Upon book-closing, players earn coins according to number of cards of the same name they constructed.

9.2. Commercial Cards

Commercial cards earn you coins mainly through construction, but the incomes depend on Residential cards constructed in adjacent construction spaces.

9.2.1. Small Store (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 10)

When constructed, you earn 2G if there is any Residential card in any adjacent construction space. Upon book-closing, you earn 1G.

9.2.2. Convenience Store (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 5)

When constructed, you earn 1G for each Residential card in any adjacent construction space. (Max 10G) Upon book-closing, you earn 1G.

9.2.3. Restaurant (Cost: 3, Cards in the game: 5)

When constructed, you earn 2G for each Residential card in any adjacent construction space. (Max 20G) Upon book-closing, you earn 1G.

9.2.4. Department Store (Cost: 5, Cards in the game: 5)

When constructed, you earn 10G if there is any Residential card in any adjacent construction space. Upon book-closing, you earn 1G.

9.3. Industrial Cards

Industrial cards mainly hinder your opponents and save you construction cost.

9.3.1. Highway (Cost: 0, Cards in the game: 10)

After construction, you earn 1G whenever any Commercial cards in any adjacent construction space earn coins for any players. Upon book-closing, you earn 1G.

9.3.2. Wind Turbine (Cost: 3, Cards in the game: 5)

No construction abilities. Upon book-closing, you gain Technology 1 (One less cost for construction and accomplishment).

9.3.3. Small Factory (Cost: 4, Cards in the game: 5)

After construction, whenever Residential cards or Commercial cards in any adjacent construction space would earn coins for any player, that player earns only 1G. Upon book-closing, you gain Technology 1 (One less cost for construction and accomplishment).

9.3.4. Chemical Factory (Cost: 9, Cards in the game: 5)

After construction, whenever Residential cards or Commercial cards in any adjacent construction space would earn coins to any player, that player earns only 1G. Upon book-closing, you gain Technology 2 (Two less cost for construction and accomplishment).

9.4. Public Works Cards

Accomplishing a Public Works card is the only way to gaining Victory Points. Some Public Works cards have a condition to be met before playing.

9.4.1. City Hall (Cost: 4, Cards in the game: 10, Victory Point: 1)

When accomplished, players with 10G or more lose 5G, and players with 0G earn 5G.

9.4.2. Hospital (Cost: 6, Cards in the game: 5, Victory Points: 3)

To play this card, you must have at least 5 Residential cards in your construction space.

9.4.3. University (Cost: 12, Cards in the game: 5, Victory Points: 3)

To play this card, you must have at least 1 Commercial card in your construction space.

9.4.4. Airport (Cost: 8, Cards in the game: 5, Victory Points: 3)

To play this card, you must discard one of your Industrial cards with technology in a construction space or in your acquisition space.

9.4.5. Police Station (Cost: 7, Cards in the game: 10, Victory Point: 1)

You may take any 1 card from any one opponent's hand and add it to your hand. That opponent draws one card from any draw pile. (You may look at the back of that player's cards in hand, but not the face.)

9.5. Details on Card Description

If a card states:	It refers to:
you / your	the player who played this card
this construction space	the construction space in which this card is placed
your construction space	the construction space in front of you
adjacent player(s)	one or both of the players next to you
adjacent construction space(s)	one or both of the construction spaces next to the one in which this card is placed

9.5.1. Continuous

If a card states "(Continuous)" in its construction ability, its effect lasts as long as this card is in its construction space.

If a card states "(Continuous)" in its book-closing ability, its effect lasts as long as this card is in your acquisition space.

9.5.2. Technology

Technology effects are cumulative. If you have 1 Chemical Factory and 1 Small Factory in your acquisition space, you have total of 3 technology, which means you may construct or accomplish any card at a cost of 3 less.

With enough technology, a cost may be reduced to 0, but not below 0.

9.5.3. Effects that limit incomes

Small Factories and Chemical Factories have an effect that limit incomes from Residential cards and Commercial cards. These effects don't accumulate even if there are multiple copies of these cards in a construction space.

In a single construction or book-closing, all income is earned at once. Therefore, if these incomes are affected by a factory effect, each eligible player earns only 1G this turn.

10. Comments From the Game Designer

Designer's closing comments and credits (thanks, game designer, contact, translator and proofreader attribution) are omitted as credits.