Rival Cities Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Playing the Game
  • Taking Your Turn
  • The Actions on the Action Cards
• Off-season
• End of the Game
• Important Notes Regarding the Limitations of Items
• Overview of the Benefits of Alliance Cards
• Overview of the Effects of Ship Cards
• Credits

Components

• 1 game board
• 15 basic action cards
• 24 special action cards
• 8 alliance cards
• 10 lawsuit cards
• 1 game overview
• 21 ship cards
• 1 off-season overview
• 48 products (12 x beer, 12 x leather, 12 x cloth, 12 x furniture)
• 12 letters
• 12 factories
• 3 lawsuit pieces
• 12 star tokens
• 1 ink jar
• 1 prestige marker
• 3 lawsuit markers
• 1 bell token
• 4 storage boxes

Setup

1. Decide who is going to play Hamburg (red) and who Altona (blue). Then, place the game board between both players in such a way that each city's name on the prestige track is pointing towards its player. The red side of the prestige track belongs to Hamburg and the blue side to Altona.

2. Fit the off-season overview at the edge of the game board where the bell is located. Then place the bell token onto that bell.

3. Take the 15 basic action cards. If this is your first time playing, flip their back side up and arrange them in ascending order from 1 to 15. Then, starting to the right of the off-season overview and going clockwise, place these 15 face-down cards around the board in ascending order. Make sure that each of the 15 free light edge spaces receives one of these cards (leaving the dark yellow edge spaces empty for now). Afterwards, flip all 15 cards face up.

   If you know the game already, shuffle the 15 basic action cards and randomly place one face up at each light edge space.

4. Shuffle the 24 special action cards and place them as a face-down action stack onto their space on the game board (a). Then, draw 4 and place one face up at each of the 4 dark yellow edge spaces (b). Leave some room beside the off-season overview for a special action card discard pile (c), which will form during the game.

5. Shuffle the 21 ship cards. Place 10 face down as a ship stack onto their space on the game board (d). Return the remaining 11 face down to the game box as they are not used in this game. Then, draw 4 cards from the ship stack and place one face up onto each of the 4 ship spaces (e).

6. Shuffle the 8 alliance cards, draw 4, and place one face up onto each of the 4 alliance spaces (f). Return the remaining 4 to the game box as they are not used in this game.

7. Shuffle the 10 lawsuit cards. Place 7 face down as a lawsuit stack onto their space on the game board (g). Return the remaining 3 face down to the game box as they are not used in this game. Then, draw 3 cards from the lawsuit stack and place one face up onto each of the 3 lawsuit spaces (h).

8. Place a lawsuit piece beneath each of the 3 lawsuit cards in such a way that the numbers (printed on the game board) can be seen through the pieces' holes. Place a lawsuit marker onto space 0 in the center of each lawsuit piece.

9. Place the game overview onto the empty wooden area on the game board. This overview outlines the sequence of play and the end conditions.

10. Place the ink jar onto the ink space next to the off-season overview and the prestige marker onto the neutral space in the center of the prestige track.

11. Next to the game board, form a common supply for the 48 products, 12 letters, 12 factories, and 12 star tokens.

12. Each player takes 1 factory from the supply and places it, pliers side up, in front of them.

13. Determine a starting player at random. This player takes 1 beer and 1 product of their choice from the supply and places them as their personal stock in front of them. Afterwards, the other player takes 2 beer and 1 product of their choice from the supply and places them in their own stock. (If you are not sure which product to choose, we recommend taking a furniture as it is the most valuable.) Once these preparations are complete, the starting player takes their first turn.

Playing the Game

In Rival Cities, you and your rival take alternating turns. On your turn, you advance the ink jar clockwise along the ink spaces of the game board. Depending on the ink space on which you stop, you perform certain actions. Whenever a player moves the ink jar past the bell, the game is paused and an off-season is carried out. Afterwards, the interrupted player continues their turn.

The game ends after the off-season in which at least one of the end conditions has been met (at the latest after the 7th off-season). Then, the player with the most stars wins.

However, most of the time, the game ends before this with a player achieving an instant win. This can happen in 4 ways:

• The player has 3 more ship cards than their rival.
• The player wins their 3rd lawsuit card.
• The player has all 4 alliance cards.
• The prestige marker reaches the player's city name at their end of the prestige track.

Taking Your Turn

On your turn, you must first advance the ink jar in a clockwise direction along the ink spaces of the game board. You must advance it at least to the next ink space, but may advance it as far as you like if you can afford to.

If you advance the ink jar one or two ink spaces, you don't have to pay anything. From the third space onward, however, you must pay for the movement: The third space costs one product, the fourth space also costs one product, and each additional space beyond the fourth costs two products. Which products you pay is up to you, but you can't move onto an ink space if you can't pay for it.

"Paying" and "gaining": Whenever the rules say that you must pay products or letters, it means you must return them from your stock to the supply. Whenever the rules have you gaining products or letters, take them from the supply and place them in your stock.

Example: If you advance the ink jar to ink space 1 or 2, you don't have to pay anything. If you want to advance it to ink space 6, however, you must pay a total of 6 products of your choice: 1 product for space 3 + 1 product for space 4 + 2 products for space 5 + 2 products for space 6.

After advancing the ink jar to an ink space and paying any costs for doing so, choose one of the following 4 options to carry out on that ink space:

Option A: Perform the actions of the action card by that ink space (see below for performing actions). After you've used the card, it remains where it is.

or

Option B: Play 1 special action card from your hand, perform its actions, and then discard it face up onto the special action card discard pile.

or

Option C: Pay 1 letter to carry out both Option A and Option B, in either order. (However, you must finish one option before starting the other one and thus cannot mix up their actions.) Also, you must pay the letter before using either card (and cannot, for example, do so after receiving it through one of them).

or

Option D: If the action card next to the ink jar is a special action card, you may pick it up and put it concealed in your hand. (So instead of using it now, you keep it for a later turn – see Option B.) The empty edge space next to the ink jar remains empty for now. Basic action cards cannot be picked up this way.

After you've carried out one of these options, your rival takes their turn.

The Actions on the Action Cards

Each action card shows one or more actions.

If it is a split action card (recognizable by the tear), choose one of its halves.

Otherwise, you may perform all of the actions shown on the card in any order. Actions you cannot or do not want to perform are forfeited.

Action: Production

Gain the depicted products. (= 2 beer, = 1 cloth, = 1 leather, = 1 furniture)

In addition, you may use as many of your active factories as you like to produce more products of that type: For each factory that you flip to its inactive side now, gain 1 additional product of that type.

Note: Your factories stay with you for the game. However, a factory is only active if its pliers are facing up. When its cross is facing up, it is inactive. To use an inactive factory again, you must reactivate it first. (This happens automatically in the off-season and can be done via certain special action cards and lawsuit cards.)

Action: Gift

Gain the depicted products. Examples: = 1 product of your choice; = 2 products of your choice.

Action: Donation

Pay the depicted products to gain the depicted number of star tokens from the supply. You can do so as many times during this action as the central arrow indicates.

Examples: Pay any 2 products to gain 1 star token. Pay 1 leather to gain 1 star token (up to twice). Pay 2 furniture to gain 3 star tokens.

Keep your star tokens in front of you. Their value will be known at the end of the game, because they are only counted if the game doesn't end with an instant win.

Action: Product Swap

Do this up to twice: Exchange any one product from your stock for any one product from the supply.

Action: Gain a Letter

Gain as many letters as shown. (Letters are not products but are sometimes required as a cost for certain actions.)

Also, letters can be used in the following way: Whenever you like, you can pay one letter to exchange any one product from your stock for any one product from the supply. (As a reminder, this is noted on the back of each letter.)

Action: Draw a Special Action Card

Draw one special action card from the action stack and put it concealed in your hand.

Action: Build a Factory

Pay any 2 products to take one factory from the supply and place it, pliers side up, in front of you.

Or: Take one factory from the supply free of charge and place it, pliers side up, in front of you.

Action: Earn Prestige

Move the prestige marker on the prestige track 1 space towards your city's name.

Note that the icons along the edge of the track only take effect in the off-season, giving income to the player on whose side of the track the prestige marker is located then (see the Off-season section).

The dark stars printed on the spaces of the track are not relevant until the end of the game and are only counted if the game doesn't end with an instant win.

Instant win: If the prestige marker reaches the space with your city's name, you win the game immediately.

Action: Form an Alliance

Take one alliance card either from the game board or from in front of your rival and place it in front of you. If you take it from the game board, do so free of charge. If you take it from your rival, you must pay 1 letter to the supply.

Each alliance card gives you a permanent benefit (see the alliance card overview below).

Note that in each off-season, you have to pay upkeep for each alliance card you want to keep. Otherwise you must return it to the game board (see the Off-season section).

Instant win: If you have all 4 alliance cards, you win the game immediately.

Action: Purchase a Ship

Choose one of the face-up ship cards on the game board and pay the costs shown in its top left corner. Then, place the ship face up in front of you.

If it has an immediate effect, carry it out now. If it has a different type of effect, make sure that you do not forget about it in the relevant situations.

After purchasing the ship, reveal the top card from the ship stack and place it face up onto the now empty ship space on the game board. If the ship stack has run out, ship spaces are not refilled any more.

Any ships you purchase stay with you for the rest of the game.

The dark stars in the top right corner of ship cards are not relevant until the end of the game and are only counted if the game doesn't end with an instant win.

You can look up details of each ship card's effect in the overview below, using its ID in the bottom right.

Instant win: If you have 3 more ship cards than your rival, you win the game immediately.

Action: Advance a Lawsuit

Choose one of the 3 face-up lawsuit cards on the game board and pay the legal costs shown in its top left.

After paying the legal costs, you receive the bonus shown to their right, which may include gaining items from the supply and performing certain actions. The following action is always included in that bonus: Sway the lawsuit in your favor by moving its lawsuit marker 1 space towards your city's name. If the marker is on space 4 of your side, any additional movement towards your side is ignored.

Afterwards, attend to the dark box to the right of the bonus. There you can see how many additional times you may pay the legal costs right now to perform the action (and only that one) that many times again. (For the lawsuit on lawsuit space II, you can do this up to once, for the one on III, you can do this up to twice.)

Note that you can ignore the bottom part of the lawsuit card for now. It will only take effect when the lawsuit is resolved later on.

Example: With their action, the player of Altona decides to advance the lawsuit on lawsuit space III. They pay the legal costs of 1 leather (a) to gain 1 furniture and one action (b). Accordingly, they move the lawsuit marker from the red 1 to space 0 (c). In addition, they could then do the following up to twice: pay 1 leather to move the lawsuit marker 1 additional space towards their blue side (d). However, they decide to forgo this opportunity.

Action: Court Ruling

Look at the foremost lawsuit (the one on lawsuit space I). If the lawsuit marker there is on space 2, 3, or 4 of your side, you may resolve this lawsuit (see step 5 "Resolve the foremost lawsuit" in the Off-season section).

Alternatively, you may swap the positions of two face-up adjacent lawsuit cards on the game board, along with their lawsuit pieces and markers (adjacent means you cannot swap the I with the III). Make sure that the lawsuit markers don't slip out of position while doing so.

Action: Reactivate a Factory

Flip one of your inactive factories so that its pliers side faces up again.

Action: Piracy

Take one product of your choice from your rival's stock and place it in your stock.

Or: Take up to 3 products of your choice from your rival's stock and place them in your stock. In return, your rival may immediately perform the "Earn prestige" action (see above).

Off-season

If you advance the ink jar past the bell, first finish moving it (by advancing it to the ink space you want to use). As usual, pay any costs for that movement. However, before you choose an option, the game is paused and the off-season is carried out. To mark this, take the bell token and place it in front of you.

Note: At the bottom of the off-season overview, there is a regular action card. You can move the ink jar to that card's ink space just like any other action card. However, since this always requires you to move the ink jar past the bell, you can only perform its action after the off-season has been completed.

Carry out the off-season by following these 8 steps in order (which are also shown on the off-season overview):

1. For each alliance card in front of you, choose either to pay its upkeep cost shown in its top left corner beside the bell icon or return it to any free alliance space on the game board.

2. The player who has more ship cards may perform the "Earn prestige" action (see above). In the case of a tie, nothing happens.

3. If you have any ship cards that have an income effect (card IDs 6 to 10), gain that income.

4. The player whose side of the prestige track the prestige marker is on gains: the income depicted on the marker's space AND each income depicted on the spaces between the marker and the bell icon. (Example: Since the prestige marker is on the fourth space of Altona's side, the player of Altona gains 1 leather, 1 cloth, and 1 beer.)

5. Resolve the foremost lawsuit: Look at the lawsuit piece and marker at lawsuit space I:

   • If the marker is on space 0, return the card from lawsuit space I to the game box.

   • If the marker is on space 1 of either side, the player of that side gains one star token from the supply. Then, return the card from lawsuit space I to the game box.

   • If the marker is on space 2, 3, or 4 of either side, the player of that side wins the lawsuit. That player takes the lawsuit card from lawsuit space I, places it face up in front of them, and gains the bonus at its bottom. That bonus usually includes gaining items from the supply and/or performing certain actions. The dark stars in the bottom right corner are only relevant if the game doesn't end with an instant win.

     Instant win: If you win your third lawsuit, you win the game immediately.

   After the foremost lawsuit has been resolved, refill the now empty lawsuit space I as follows:

   1. Move the lawsuit piece at lawsuit space I temporarily to the side.
   2. Move the lawsuit card from lawsuit space II (including its lawsuit piece and its marker) onto space I.
   3. Move the lawsuit card from lawsuit space III (including its lawsuit piece and its marker) onto space II. Make sure that the lawsuit markers don't slip out of position while doing so.
   4. Reveal the top card from the lawsuit stack and place it face up onto lawsuit space III.
   5. Below the new card, place the lawsuit piece you previously moved aside and place its lawsuit marker onto space 0.

   If the lawsuit stack has run out, empty lawsuit spaces are not refilled any more and any idle lawsuit pieces and lawsuit markers are returned to the game box.

6. Discard any special action cards from the 4 dark yellow edge spaces face up onto the special action card discard pile. Then, draw 4 cards from the action stack and place one of them face up at each of the 4 dark yellow edge spaces.

7. Reactivate all your inactive factories by flipping their pliers side face up.

8. Finally, check whether at least one of the following end conditions has been met:

   • There are no ship cards left on the game board.
   • There are no lawsuit cards left on the game board.
   • There are no factories left in the supply.
   • There are no star markers left in the supply.

   If at least one is true, the game ends and you determine the winner by means of the star scoring (see End of the Game below). Otherwise, the player with the bell token returns it to its spot on the game board. They then continue their turn by choosing one of the usual options of the ink space where they had placed the ink jar before the off-season began.

End of the Game

If the game doesn't end due to a player pulling off an instant win, it ends with step 8 of the off-season in which at least one of the listed end conditions has been met.

In the latter case, the winner is determined by means of the following star scoring:

• Add up the dark stars on the cards in front of you.
• If the prestige marker is on your side of the track, also add the dark stars on its space.
• Finally, add to your total the star tokens in front of you.

Whoever has the higher total wins the game. In the case of a tie, whoever has the bell token wins.

Important Notes Regarding the Limitations of Items

• There is no limit to the number of special action cards that you may keep in your hand.
• If the action stack should run out, shuffle the special action card discard pile and place it as the new face-down action stack.
• There is no limit to the items you may have in your stock or in front of you.
• Whenever you would gain a product from the supply that is not there any more, take it instead from the stock of your rival if your rival has more products of that type in their stock than you do. If this is not the case, you must forgo that product. The same is true for letters.
• If the supply of star tokens has run out, you cannot gain them any more. The same is true for factories.

Overview of the Benefits of Alliance Cards

• Oslo, London, Novgorod: Whenever you perform a Production or Gift action during which you gain at least one product of the depicted type, gain one additional product of that type. Note that this only applies to actions that are specifically captioned with "Production:" or "Gift:".
• Amsterdam: Whenever you perform a Donation action, gain one additional star token.
• Gdánsk: Whenever you use a split action card, you may perform the actions on both of its halves, in either order.
• Bruxelles: Whenever you perform an "Earn prestige" action, you may pay one furniture to repeat the action immediately. However, you can't use this benefit again for the repeated action.
• Le Havre: Whenever you perform an "Advance a lawsuit" action, you may pay one product of your choice to repeat the action immediately. However, you can't use this benefit again for the repeated action.
• Kjøbenhavn: Whenever you perform a "Draw a special action card" action, you may pay one beer to repeat the action immediately. However, you can't use this benefit again for the repeated action.

Overview of the Effects of Ship Cards

• 1: When you buy this ship, perform the "Earn prestige" action twice. If you have the alliance card Bruxelles, you can apply its benefit to each of these actions once. If you have ship card 16, you can also apply its effect to each of these actions once.
• 2: When you buy this ship, perform the "Advance a lawsuit" action up to twice. If you have the alliance card Le Havre, you can apply its benefit to each of these actions once.
• 3: When you buy this ship, perform the "Draw a special action card" action twice. If you have the alliance card Kjøbenhavn, you can apply its benefit to each of these actions once.
• 4 and 5: When you buy this ship, gain the depicted number of letters.
• 6 to 10: Gain the depicted income in step 4 of each off-season.
• 11 to 14: Whenever you perform any Production action, gain one additional product of the depicted type, regardless of what type of product the action produces.
• 15: Whenever you win a lawsuit, gain 2 star tokens.
• 16: Whenever you perform an "Earn prestige" action, you may pay 2 beer to repeat the action immediately. However, you can't use this benefit again for the repeated action.
• 17: Whenever you advance the ink jar, you may advance it one ink space farther than usual without charge.
• 18: You don't have to pay a letter to carry out Option C.
• 19: Each ship that you purchase after this one costs 1 product less than usual.
• 20: This ship provides 5 dark stars.
• 21: This ship provides as many dark stars as you have ship cards in front of you (including this one).

Credits

Game design: Andreas Steding Artwork: Annika Heller Development: Viktor Kobilke, Peter Eggert Rulebook: Viktor Kobilke Proofreading: Neil Crowley

© 2025 Deep Print Games GmbH, Sieglindestr. 7, 12159 Berlin, Germany. All rights reserved.

Distribution: Pegasus Spiele GmbH, Am Straßbach 3, 61169 Friedberg, Germany.