Last Updated on December 13, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Power Grid is a strategic economic board game where players compete to build electrical networks, purchase power plants, manage resources, and supply electricity more efficiently than their rivals. Using auctions, resource markets, and careful expansion, players must balance growth with timing to power the most cities when the game ends. Here’s a complete breakdown of the rules and how to play:

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How to Play Power Grid (Complete Rules)

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Objective

At the end of the game, the player who can supply power to the most cities wins.

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Components

• Game board with regional map, city connections, resource market, and income table
• Power Plant cards, including the Step 3 card
• Resource tokens: coal, oil, garbage, uranium
• Player houses (wooden pieces)
• Player money (Elektro)

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Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.
2. Separate the Step 3 card from the Power Plant deck.
3. Sort the remaining Power Plant cards by number.
4. Remove Power Plant cards 3 through 10 from the game and return them to the box.
5. Shuffle the remaining Power Plant cards and place them face down as a draw deck.
6. Reveal the top 8 Power Plant cards:
   • The lowest 4 form the Actual Market
   • The highest 4 form the Future Market
7. Place resources into the market according to the printed setup chart on the board.
8. Each player chooses a color and takes the matching houses and starting money:
   • All player counts: 50 Elektro
9. Choose regions to be used based on player count, following the map’s instructions.
10. Randomly determine the starting player.

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Game Structure

The game is played over multiple rounds. Each round consists of five phases, played in the same order every round:

1. Determine Player Order
2. Auction Power Plants
3. Buy Resources
4. Build Cities
5. Bureaucracy

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Phase 1: Determine Player Order

Player order is determined by:

1. The number of cities in each player’s network (most cities first)
2. If tied, the player with the highest-numbered power plant goes first

This order is used for Phase 2 (Auctions). The reverse order is used for Phases 3 and 4.

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Phase 2: Auction Power Plants

• The first player must either start an auction or pass.
• Only power plants in the Actual Market may be auctioned.
• The starting bid must be at least the printed value of the plant.
• Players bid clockwise.
• A player who passes may not re-enter that auction.
• The highest bidder pays the bank and takes the plant.
• Each player may own no more than three power plants. If a fourth is acquired, one must be discarded immediately.

After a plant is purchased:

• Remove the lowest-numbered plant from the market.
• Draw a replacement card from the deck and place it in the Future Market.
• Reorder the market so the lowest four are the Actual Market.

If all players pass without an auction, skip this phase.

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Phase 3: Buy Resources

Players purchase resources in reverse player order.

• Resources are bought from the market at the prices shown.
• Resources must be placed directly on a specific power plant.
• Power plants may store resources up to twice their consumption value.
• Hybrid plants may use either resource type shown.

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Phase 4: Build Cities

Players build cities in reverse player order.

• A player must connect new cities to their existing network.
• Each city can hold:
  • Step 1: 1 house
  • Step 2: 2 houses
  • Step 3: 3 houses
• Building costs include:
  • City cost: 10 / 15 / 20 Elektro (depending on step)
  • Connection cost shown on the map

Players may build any number of cities they can afford.

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Phase 5: Bureaucracy

1. Power Cities:
   • Players choose which power plants to activate.
   • Required resources are spent.
   • Income is paid based on the number of cities powered.
2. Resource Refill:
   • Resources are replenished according to the chart and player count.
3. Power Plant Market Refresh:
   • Discard the lowest-numbered plant.
   • Draw a new plant from the deck.
4. Step Check:
   • Step 2 begins immediately when a player builds their 7th city.
   • Step 3 begins when the Step 3 card is revealed.

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End of the Game

The game ends at the end of a round when a player builds:

• 21 cities (2 players)
• 17 cities (3–4 players)
• 15 cities (5–6 players)

During the final Bureaucracy phase, players power cities one last time. The player who powers the most cities wins. Ties are broken by remaining money.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Strategy Notes

• Early expansion can be expensive and inefficient.
• Managing player order is critical, especially before auctions.
• Triggering Step 2 or Step 3 at the right moment can significantly affect opponents.

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Conclusion

Power Grid rewards careful economic planning and precise timing. Players who balance expansion, resource efficiency, and power plant selection will gain the advantage and control the grid.