Pencil Park
Pencil Park Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Set Up a Game
- You need three standard six-sided dice. Keep them handy. You'll roll them a lot.
- You need a pencil and one of the city sheets in this document.
How to Play
You'll play the game over a series of turns. To start a turn, roll the dice. This represents the Committee giving their guidelines and budget for what you may build this turn.
Choose two dice results and add them together. That number determines which zone you will draw this turn.
The third die result is how many and the arrangement of zones you may build. Each die face uses pips as the literal arrangement that your zones must be in when you place them this turn. See the diagram below for reference.
The diagram on the rules sheet shows the pip arrangement for each die face from 1 to 6. Some faces are shown with two arrangements separated by "OR"; these are printed as alternatives in the diagram.
Once you have zoned, proceed to the next turn.
Rules for Zoning
- To zone, draw its symbol in an white empty square.
- You may not zone the blue reserve spaces.
- You may not zone a space that is already zoned.
- You must draw the entire arrangement dictated by the third die result.
- The entire arrangement must be in the borders of your city.
Placing an X
If you wish to ignore the dice results this turn or cannot use the dice results this turn, you must write an X into one white empty space in your city instead. You may have a maximum of three Xs in your city.
Otherwise, if you can zone, you must zone.
Game End
When you are unable to use any dice results and have used all three of your Xs, then your game is over. Proceed to scoring.
Scoring
Each zone card scores in a different way at the end of the game. See the zone description for more details and examples.
Your goal is to become an elected official by scoring points exactly within the goal ranges of the city.
Scoring conditions commonly use the terms Adjacent and Group.
Adjacent: Zones are only considered adjacent to something above, below, to the left, or to the right. Diagonals are not adjacent.
Group: A contiguous area of adjacent zones of the same type. One zone is considered a "group" of one.
Example: The pink squares in the diagram are all one contiguous group containing seven zones. The purple squares are one group with four zones. Each of the red zones is an individual group. If you were to zone the orange space, you would merge the pink and purple groups together to form one group of thirteen zones.
Natural Reserve
The blue spaces represent pristine natural and cultural attractions that must remain unzoned for the entire game.
Nevertheless, the committee wants you to zone as close to these reserves as you can for the enjoyment of all citizens.
You earn bonus points at the end of the game if you surround a reserve on all adjacent sides with zones or Xs. The bonus points are noted within the reserve.
Example: The larger reserve in this example (showing 9) is considered surrounded, because every orthogonally adjacent space has been filled with a zone or an X. The smaller reserve (showing 4) has not been surrounded because the space below it has not yet been filled.
Zone Scoring
The zone sections below are headed by the dice total that draws each zone, as printed on the rules sheet.
2-3: Park Zone
Parks should be next to scenic vistas!
If a Park zone is adjacent to a blank space or a reserve, it scores you 1 point. If adjacent to both, it scores you 3 points. (Note: X's are not blank.)
Examples: A Park zone adjacent to a reserve and a blank space scores 3 points. Park zones adjacent only to blank spaces each score 1. A Park zone adjacent to neither a reserve nor a blank space scores no points.
4-5: Monument Zone
Monuments should stand apart!
Score 2 for each group of Monument zones.
Example: This example shows three groups of Monument zones. One group has six zones. The rest each have just one. The size of a group doesn't matter, though. All that matters is that each group is separate from each another. These three groups score a total of 6 points.
6: Business Zone
Businesses should be unique!
Score 3 points for each group of Business zones that are a unique quantity.
Example: You have three scoring groups of Business zones: a one-zone group, a three-zone group, and a four-zone group. Each of these scores you 3 points. Since you have two 2-zone groups, neither will score any points.
7: Residential Zone
Residents should be diverse!
When you draw this zone, choose whether to draw Residents as circles, triangles, or squares. All residents from the same roll must be the same shape.
Score 4 points per type of Resident zone you have the fewest of. (It is possible to score 0 points.)
Example: Here you have six circle residents, six square residents, and 3 triangle residents. Three is the fewest of either of the types of residents, scoring you 12 points total.
8: Civic Zone
Civic zones should support the residents!
At the end of the game, each Civic zone turns any one Resident zone into a smiley face. Each smiley face scores 3 points.
Example: You have five Resident zones and four Civic zones. This means you have four happy faces in your city, scoring you a total of 12 points.
9-10: Industry Zone
Industry should be concentrated!
Score 1 point for each Industry zone in the largest group of Industry zones.
Pollution Penalty: Lose 1 for each other Industry zone outside of that group.
If you have only two groups of Industry zones tied for largest, only score one of them. The other group will be considered Pollution.
Example: Your largest group of Industrial zones has six zones, so you score 6 points total. However, you also have three other Industrial zones elsewhere in your city. These will lose you 3 points total.
11-12: School Zone
Schools should support lifelong education!
A group of two contiguous school zones are a Primary School. A primary school scores 0 points.
A group of three, four, five, or six contiguous school zones are High School. A High School must be supported by a Primary School being zoned somewhere in your city. Score 1 point for each supported High School zone.
A group of seven or more contiguous school zones are University. A University must be supported by a High School somewhere in your city. Score 3 points for each supported University zone.
A primary school can support any number of high schools.
A high school can support any number of universities.
Examples: On the left is a Primary School. It scores 0 points, but is important for the higher levels of education. In the middle is a High School which scores 1 point per zone because you have a Primary School. On the right is a University which scores 3 for each zone because you have a High School.
Optional District Restrictions
Each city map includes special restrictions that present an additional challenge to advanced players. You may ignore these restrictions during your learning game.
- Non-Residential District (red octagon outline): This space may not contain a 6, 7, or 8 zone.
- Specialty District (oval with a symbol): These spaces must have matching zones.
- Mandatory District (red outline with #): Lose the noted number of points if this space is not zoned at the end of the game.
- Arts District (grey outline with ≠ symbol): All of the highlighted spaces must have different zones.
- Energy District (lightning bolt): If you write an X in this space, you may draw one zone of your choice anywhere in the city.
City Sheets
The document includes two city sheets. Each has its own printed grid with blue reserve spaces, numbered spaces and district outlines, a goal track, and a key of the zone totals. The goal tracks are transcribed below. The grid layouts are graphics on the sheet and are not reproduced in text; consult the PDF for them.
Pipsburg
Goals:
- 40-49: Clerk
- 50-59: Council
- 60: Mayor
- 61-70: Council
- 71-80: Clerk
Inkstanbul
Goals:
- 60-69: Clerk
- 70-79: Council
- 80: Mayor
- 81-90: Council
- 91-100: Clerk