Rebuilding Chicago Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal
• General Components
• Player Components
• Central Board Setup
  • Balancing for Different Skill Levels
• Player Setup
• Overview of a Round
• 1. Increase Unhappy Population Phase
• 2. Action Phase
  • A) Buy a Building Card or Landmark
    • Building Card
    • Buildings
    • Quality Track Improvements
    • Profit Abilities
    • End of Game Abilities
    • Landmarks
  • B) Activate 1 Event
    • Expansion
    • Graduation
    • See the Sights
    • A Night on the Town (entertainment) / Shopping / Fine Dining (restaurant)
• 3. Profit Phase
• 4. Cleanup Phase
• End of Game Scoring
• Solo Rules

Goal

To have the District with the most victory points (VP) at the end of Round 3.

General Components

• 1 Central Board
• 1 Cloth Bag
• 1 Difficulty Board
• 1 Round Marker
• 2 Storage Trays
• 15 Landmark Tiles
• 154 Building Tiles (7 types, various shapes)
• 60 Suburb Tiles
• 103 Money Tokens ($1x41, $3x18, $5x17, $10x27)
• 6 Scenario Cards (Solo mode)
• 27 Automated Player Cards (Solo Mode)
• 144 Round Cards (3 decks of 48 cards)
• 7 Event Cards
• 15 Landmark Cards

Player Components

• 6 District boards
• 5 Score stars (1 per player color)
• 5 Unhappy Population tokens (1 per player color)
• 5 Law discs (1 per player color)
• 5 Reference cards
• 15 Quality Cubes (5 per color)
• 15 Amenity Discs (5 per color)

Central Board Setup

• A. Place the Central board on the table.
• B. Select a difficulty level (Easy, Standard, or Expert). If playing Easy or Expert, place the corresponding side of the Difficulty board over the pre-printed "Standard Difficulty" area in the top-left of the Central board.
• C. Place the Round marker on the Round 1 space of the Difficulty track.
• D. Shuffle the 3 Round decks separately and place them on their designated spaces on the Central board.
• E. Deal one card from the Round 1 deck faceup onto each space of the Building Market.
• F. Place all the Event cards faceup near the board.
• G. Place the Money tokens and Building tiles in the trays as shown.
• H. Place the Suburb tiles in the cloth bag and carefully shuffle them.

Balancing for Different Skill Levels

Rebuilding Chicago has 3 difficulty levels: Easy, Standard, and Expert. If there are players at different levels of familiarity or skill (for instance, if adults and children are playing together), you can have some playing at Easy and some at Standard, or some at Standard and some at Expert. Place the Difficulty board next to the Central board accordingly and assign each player to one or the other. Use the Standard one for the Round marker.

The Difficulty board's track (the unhappy population value for each round): Easy: Round 1 start at 11, Round 2 +11, Round 3 +11. Expert: Round 1 start at 13, Round 2 +13, Round 3 +13.

Player Setup

• I. Whoever most recently ate a deep dish pizza is the Starting Player (you may also determine it randomly). Player order proceeds clockwise. Each player begins with an amount of money determined by their place in turn order: 1st = $10, 2nd = $11, 3rd = $12, 4th = $13, 5th = $14.
• J. In turn order, players choose which District board to play as. For your first game, we recommend dealing each player a random District board.
• K. Each player is given an Unhappy Population token, Law disc, and Score star in the same color. Players place their Law disc on the space to the left of the word Laws on their District board, their Unhappy Population token on the Amenity Track on their District board (on the number indicated by the Round 1 space of the Difficulty track), and their Score star on the 10 space of the Victory Track of the Central board.
• L. Each player places a blue, pink, and orange Quality Cube on the 0 space of the 3 Quality Tracks.
• M. Each player places a blue, pink, and orange Amenity disc on the Amenity Track space equal to how many of each of these symbols (entertainment = blue, shopping = pink, restaurant = orange) they have on their Building tiles in their starting Neighborhood (the top-right area of the District board). (In the example, the West Town District has 3 shopping symbols and 3 entertainment symbols in their starting Neighborhood, so the blue and pink discs are placed on the 3 space to reflect this. West Town also has 6 restaurant symbols, so their orange disc is placed on the 6 space.)
• N. Deal 3 Landmark cards to each player, returning any remaining Landmark cards to the box. Each player chooses 2 of their Landmark cards and places them beside their District board together with the matching Landmark tiles. Return the unchosen Landmark card to the box.
• O. Give each player a Reference card.

Overview of a Round

The game is played over 3 rounds. Each round consists of 4 phases, carried out in the following order:

1. Increase Unhappy Population Phase
2. Action Phase
3. Profit Phase
4. Cleanup Phase

1. Increase Unhappy Population Phase

Skip this phase in Round 1. During this phase, increase your unhappy population on your Amenity Track by the amount specified on the Round track. The number of unhappy population you gain each round depends on what difficulty you're playing the game on. Unhappy population count can never fall below 1 or exceed 40.

Unhappy Population: Your token represents the unhappy people living in your District. The more unhappy people you have, the harder it is to score points during some Events. You will want to take actions to reduce the number of unhappy population in your city by appeasing them. When an effect appeases your population, that means you decrease your token by the specified number of spaces.

2. Action Phase

Beginning with the Starting Player and going clockwise, each player takes a turn. Players will each take multiple turns within this phase.

Before taking your turn, you MAY pay $1 to refill all of the empty Building Market spaces with cards from the current Round Deck unless the Round Deck is empty. If there are fewer cards remaining than empty spaces, fill as many as you can.

Then, you must perform one of the following actions:

• A. Buy a Building card or Landmark
• B. Activate 1 Event
• C. Enact 1 Law (only once per round)

Players cannot pass and must continue to take turns until the last Event has been activated, immediately ending the Action Phase. The Starting Player for the next round is the next player clockwise from the player that ended the current Action Phase.

A) Buy a Building Card or Landmark

Building Card

To buy a Building card from the Building Market, first pay the cost listed above it, then take the card and place it faceup near your District board.

When placing the card, choose which half of the card you wish to use and place it so that the chosen half is the right way up.

Finally, resolve the half of the card you chose:

• One half provides two benefits, such as Buildings or Quality Track improvements. If you choose this half of the card, resolve all of the benefits and then place the card facedown in a personal discard pile next to your District board. If you are unable to place all of the Buildings shown, you cannot choose this half of the card.
• The other half provides a Profit Phase ability, an End of Game ability, or allows you to Gain 2 Suburb tiles. Cards with Profit Phase or End of Game abilities are placed faceup in the designated space below your Reference card. Ones that gain you Suburb tiles are placed facedown in your discard pile.

Buildings

For each Building depicted on the chosen half of the card, take the corresponding Building tile from the supply and place it in your Neighborhood (your District board and/or any Suburb tiles).

Buildings can be placed on empty spaces, spaces containing Rubble symbols, or spaces containing 'See the Sights' symbols (three different symbols). You cannot place Buildings over existing Buildings, nor have Buildings overhang an edge of your Neighborhood.

Neighborhood Symbols: You will be rewarded for covering up Rubble symbols, and for not covering up See the Sights symbols.

If the Building tile you placed contains entertainment, shopping, or restaurant symbols, move the corresponding disc on your Amenity Track to reflect how many more of those symbols you now have in your Neighborhood (as indicated on the card by the pointing-hand icon).

Example: When you purchase this Building card and choose to gain the two benefits, take the blue T-shaped Building tile, place it in your Neighborhood, and advance your Entertainment disc 4 spaces on your Amenity Track. Additionally, improve your Shopping quality by 1, explained on the right.

Running out of Buildings: If a card provides a shape and there are none left in the supply, take a different shape of the same building type from the supply (moving your disc based on the number of symbols on the replacement tile). If there are no Buildings left of that type in the supply, you do not receive a new tile.

Starting Buildings: The Buildings printed on the starting Neighborhoods also count as Building tiles.

After buying a Building card, you may experiment with different layouts for your new purchases while it is still your turn in the Action Phase. However, once your turn is over, they can no longer be moved.

All District boards have two areas with empty spaces that are unconnected from the starting Neighborhood. You cannot build in these areas until they have been orthogonally connected to your Neighborhood via Suburbs. (Orthogonal means side-by-side.)

(Illustrated: an area connected orthogonally to a Suburb tile can be used; an area not connected orthogonally to a Suburb tile cannot be used.)

Quality Track Improvements

These immediately advance the corresponding Quality Cube by the amount indicated on the card.

All Quality Tracks have a maximum value of '5'.

If a benefit would cause a Track to exceed '5', nothing happens. (This is different than in Rebuilding Seattle, for those that have played it!)

Profit Abilities

These provide money during the Profit phase.

End of Game Abilities

These provide additional scoring opportunities at the end of the game.

Landmarks

To build a Landmark, pay the cost listed on one of your unbuilt Landmark cards. Place the Landmark tile in your Neighborhood in the same way as you would place a Building tile and then resolve any immediate effects as described on the chosen Landmark card. Landmarks may have an immediate effect and/or an End of Game scoring ability.

In this example, when you build the City Market Landmark, you immediately increase your restaurant Quality Cube by 2 if possible. Then at the end of the game, you earn 10 VP if your restaurant Quality Cube is at the top of its Quality Track, and you also earn 10 VP if your restaurant Amenity Disc is higher on the Amenity Track than your current unhappy population.

B) Activate 1 Event

You may only activate a faceup Event card (one that has not yet been activated this round). Each Event card has one part that affects only the player who activated the card, and another part that impacts every player (including the one who activated the Event). The term "All Players" means that all the players are affected by the Event if they qualify.

Starting with the player that activated the Event and continuing clockwise, each player chooses which reward or punishment they receive. Each effect must be resolved unless it specifies "may", in which case, it is optional.

After resolving the Event, flip the card over.

Announce Events: Whoever activates an Event should clearly call out to the other players that they should do something, like "Trains give Suburbs now" or "Everyone scores Restaurants now."

Expansion

If you activate this Event, immediately gain 1 Suburb from the bag. Then, all players immediately gain as many Suburbs from the bag as train (Expansion) symbols they have in their Neighborhood.

Players must then place all Suburb tiles they have just gained. Each tile must be placed so that one space of the tile is orthogonally adjacent to either your starting Neighborhood, or a space of another of your already placed Suburb tiles.

A Suburb tile cannot be placed so that it is overlapping any other tile or your District board, nor can it be placed adjacent to an unconnected area of your District board unless that tile also connects to your Neighborhood.

(Illustrated: a new Suburb tile that does not connect to your existing Neighborhood cannot be placed; here, you connect your Neighborhood to a new Suburb tile, and the previously unconnected area of your District board.)

Graduation

If you activate this Event, immediately either appease your unhappy population by 1 or gain $3. Then, all players appease 1 unhappy population for each graduation symbol they have in their Neighborhood.

See the Sights

If you activate this Event, gain $3. Then, all players gain a benefit for each uncovered 'See the Sights' symbol they have, based on the current round.

A Night on the Town (entertainment) / Shopping / Fine Dining (restaurant)

If you activate one of these Events, choose to gain either 3 VP or the Building indicated on the card. If you choose to gain the Building tile, build the Building as normal, and then advance the corresponding disc on your Amenity Track to reflect the extra symbols you gained.

Then, depending on which Event was just activated, players will either compare the number of entertainment, shopping, or restaurant symbols they have to their current unhappy population.

If that number is equal to or greater than your unhappy population, gain the reward indicated by the position of your cube on the corresponding Quality Track.

If you have fewer symbols than your unhappy population, gain 1 less of each reward for each missing symbol. You cannot earn negative rewards from these Events – the worst result you can get is no reward.

• A NIGHT ON THE TOWN (entertainment) gives both $ and VP.
• SHOPPING gives a choice of $ or VP.
• FINE DINING (restaurant) gives VP.

TIP: If you're new to the game, don't try to score points on all 3 of these Quality Track related Events - instead, pick 1 or 2 to focus on.

Scoring example: You are scoring the Fine Dining Event. As you have 4 more unhappy population than restaurant symbols, you subtract 4 from your reward. Since your current Restaurant Quality provides a maximum of 18 VP, you score 14 VP instead.

On the World Stage

This Event can only be activated if 3 or more Events have already been activated this round.

If you activate this Event, gain 1 Statue Building tile. Then, each player subtracts their number of uncovered Rubble from their number of Statues to determine their World Stage score this round. Next, each player receives a reward or punishment based on where they fall on the current round's score threshold.

The Event card's table (as far as legible in the rulebook illustration): Round 1: -2 or lower = Lose 6 VP; -1 or higher = Gain 6 VP. Round 2: +1 or lower = Lose 10 VP (or the Round 2 penalty described below); +2 or higher = Gain 10 VP. Round 3: +3 or lower = Lose 15 VP; +4 or higher = Gain 15 VP. (The remainder of the card is not legible in the rulebook illustration; the Round 2 option "Lose 1 owned End of Game or Profit Phase ability" and the option of $ in place of VP are referenced below.)

For the Round 2 penalty, if you choose to "Lose 1 owned End of Game or Profit Phase ability," this may affect a Landmark End of Game ability. If so, discard the Landmark's card, but keep the Building tile as well as any other benefits it already provided.

For the Round 2 reward, if there are no Building cards available, you must gain 10 VP.

You may choose a penalty even if the punishment wouldn't negatively affect you or would only partially affect you.

Scoring example: On The World Stage is being scored in Round 1. You have 3 Statues and 2 uncovered Rubble, for a net total of 1, which means you must choose to either gain 6 VP or $4.

C) Enact Law

Choose to Enact 1 of the Laws on your District board. To do this, place your Law disc onto the chosen Law and then resolve its effect. You may only enact a Law once per round, but you may enact the same Law in subsequent rounds.

You may only Enact a Law if you meet its requirements, such as being able to spend a certain amount of money.

The law that refers to 'Building types' refers to these 7 symbols: Expansion (train), money, graduation, entertainment, shopping, restaurant, and statue.

3. Profit Phase

During the Profit phase, each player earns $5 for each money symbol they have in their Neighborhood.

Additionally, any cards you have underneath your Reference card that mention gaining additional money during the Profit phase provide that money now.

Profit example: If you have an Ability that says "$2 per shopping tile," and there are 3 shopping tiles in your Neighborhood, during the Profit phase you will earn an additional $6.

Note that some game effects are based on how many 'symbols' you have, while others are based on how many 'tiles' you have. (Example: one shopping tile shows 3 shopping symbols and another shows 5 shopping symbols; in total, you have 2 tiles showing 8 symbols.)

4. Cleanup Phase

SKIP THIS PHASE IN ROUND 3 AND PROCEED TO END OF GAME SCORING.

• Return all remaining unpurchased Building cards from the Building Market facedown back to the corresponding deck and refill each empty Building Market space with a Building card from the deck for the next round.
• If you enacted a Law, return your Law disc to the space to the left of the word Law on your board.
• Flip all Event cards back to their available side.
• Move the Round marker to the next space of the Round Track.

End of Game Scoring

At the end of the game, all players score VP for their End of Game abilities. You must have built a Landmark to benefit from its End of Game ability. Unspent money is worth 1 VP per $5, rounded down.

The player with the most VP wins. If tied, the tied player with the lowest unhappy population wins. If still tied, the tied players share the victory.

100+ Points: If your score exceeds 99 points, place a $10 token under your Victory Star token to represent 100 VP and start scoring again from zero. When losing VP, players cannot drop below 0.

Solo Rules

For a solo game, the Central Board and District Board setups are the same; you will only set up one District Board. Additionally, shuffle and place facedown the Automated Player and Scenario decks. You are always Starting Player in Round 1, and you begin with $10. The rules are the same as in other player counts, with these additions.

At the start of each round, draw a card from the Scenario deck.

The Scenario card tells you ahead of time the order that the Automated Player will choose to activate Events.

The Scenario card also tells you to add a $1 token to three specific Building cards and one Event. If you buy one of the cards or activate the Event with $1 on it, gain that money.

However, if the Automated Player removes that Building card or activates that Event, remove the $1 token and you must also lose $1 if possible.

After each of your turns, draw a card from the Automated Player deck and carry out its instructions. Most of the cards tell you to remove a specific Building card from the Building Market if available, and if not, to activate the next Event. Place removed Building cards in a discard pile. Some cards simply activate the next available Event. When the final Event is activated, move onto the Profit and Cleanup phases as normal. If you activated the final Event, the Automated Player takes the first turn on the next round, and vice versa. During the Cleanup phase, return the drawn cards to the Automated Player deck and shuffle it in preparation for the next round.

If you score 150 points or more, you win! Remember that you can always adjust your difficulty level for the next game if you find this score too easy or hard to achieve.

Example Scenario card: "This round, the automated second player activates Events in this order: 1. Fine Dining 2. Graduation 3. See The Sights 4. On The World Stage 5. A Night on the Town 6. Expansion 7. Shopping. Place $1 token on: the leftmost $4, $5 and $6 Building cards; Graduation Event."

Example Automated Player card: "Remove leftmost $6 building card if available. If not, trigger the next available event."