City Blox Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
  • 1. Choose Your Construction Block
  • 2. Place Your Construction Block
  • 3. Place a Landscape Card
  • 4. Draw an Event Card
• Event Cards
• Winning the Game
• Level Up
  • Level 1B
  • Level 2 – Construction on Two Levels
  • Level 2B – Construction on Two Levels (Advanced)

Components

• 77 construction blocks: 17 × 1x1, 17 × 1x2, 4 × corner blocks (white), 14 × 2x2, 14 × 2x3, 11 × 2x4
• 12 building lots
• 36 landscape cards: 12 green residence cards, 12 yellow school cards, 12 brown supermarket cards
• 12 event cards

Players: 2–4. Ages: 6 and up. Playing time: about 15 minutes.

Setup

1. Give each player three building lots and three landscape cards, one of each color (green residence, yellow school, brown supermarket). Arrange them as illustrated.
2. Shuffle the event cards and place them face down on the table.
3. Spread all the construction blocks out in the bottom of the box and leave them within reach of all players. This is the reserve.

How to Play

1. Choose Your Construction Block

Construction is played in turns. Each turn begins with one player choosing the construction blocks that will be used for building during that turn. The youngest player starts.

Choose 3 or 4 different construction blocks from the bottom of the box and place them in the center of the table. This is the Construction Pile.

• 2 or 4 players: choose four different blocks for the Construction Pile.
• 3 players: choose three different blocks for the Construction Pile.

Players now take turns, each choosing one block from the Construction Pile to place on one of their building lots. The player who made the Construction Pile chooses the first block. The turn then passes clockwise to the second player, and so on, until every player has been able to choose a block. In a 2-player game, each player chooses two blocks: the first player chooses the 1st and 3rd blocks, and the second player chooses the 2nd and 4th blocks.

If you cannot (or do not want to) use one of the blocks available in the pile, return it to the reserve and hope for a better choice of blocks on the next turn.

Once all blocks have been taken, a new turn begins. Clockwise, the next player makes the new Construction Pile and chooses the first construction block.

2. Place Your Construction Block

Construction blocks should be placed on the building lots so that they match the cut-out shapes on each landscape card. Once you have placed a construction block on a lot, the block may no longer change position. If you notice that one or more construction blocks were placed in the wrong position, you may move them to a different position on your next turn instead of choosing a new construction block. You may also return the wrong block to the reserve. Apply the same rule if you discover that one of your blocks is the wrong size.

The cards: each of the three landscape cards needs a different number of construction blocks to be completed. Residence cards need at least two construction blocks to be completed, school cards need at least three blocks, and supermarket cards need at least four blocks. You may be able to finish your constructions with fewer blocks if you find a clever way to use the white corner blocks, or if you build on several levels. But beware: your building strategy may be thwarted.

Helping younger players: players aged 8 or younger are allowed to place their landscape cards on top of their lots at the end of each turn, after placing a construction block on the lot. The landscape card must be returned to its place before the start of the next turn.

3. Place a Landscape Card

When you think all your construction blocks have been placed correctly on a lot to complete a landscape card, you may take the landscape card and place it on the building(s) to check whether it matches.

• If the landscape card fits over the lot and all the cut-out shapes are filled with blocks (seen from above), the lot is complete.
• If the landscape card does not fit over the lot, or if one or more construction blocks are missing, put the landscape card back in its place and return one construction block to the reserve as a penalty.

Examples from the rules sheet:

• CORRECT: the landscape card fits perfectly over the lot and the cut-out shape is completely filled.
• INCORRECT: the cut-out shapes are filled, but the landscape card does not fit directly over the lot.
• INCORRECT: the landscape card fits perfectly over the lot, but the cut-out shape is not completely filled.

4. Draw an Event Card

When you have completed a lot and all the other players have placed their construction block on a lot, you must draw an event card and follow the action described on it. If you gain or lose a construction block from that action, you must carry it out immediately, before starting a new turn.

Note: the actions described on event cards apply only to lots that have not yet been completed. Completed lots are not affected.

Event Cards

Each event card shows icons for who it applies to and what it does:

• Single outline person: applies to you.
• Single solid person: applies to another player (you give the card to that player).
• Three persons: applies to all players.
• +1 block: gain one construction block.
• −1 block: lose one construction block (return it to the reserve).
• Hourglass: skip the next turn.
• Exchange icon (1 → 3): exchange one block for three blocks.

The twelve event cards are:

• Water Leak (Fuite d'eau), applies to you, −1 block: Return one of your construction blocks to the reserve.
• Lunch Break (Pause déjeuner), applies to another player, hourglass: Give this card to any player so that they skip their next turn.
• Hurricane (Ouragan), applies to all players, −1 block: All players return one of their construction blocks to the reserve.
• Faulty Construction (Construction défectueuse), applies to all players, −1 block: Each player must return a yellow 2x2 construction block to the reserve (if possible).
• Block Swap (Échange blocs de construction), applies to you and another player, exchange one block: Exchange a construction block of your choice with a construction block of another player.
• Extra Subsidy (Subvention supplémentaire), applies to all players, +1 block: Each player receives one construction block of their choice from the reserve.
• Double (Doubler), applies to another player, +1 block: Give this card to another player so that they can choose one additional construction block from the reserve on their next turn.
• Storm (Orage), applies to another player, −1 block: Give this card to a player who must return a construction block to the reserve.
• Donation (Donation), applies to another player, +1 block: Give this card to a player who may choose one additional construction block from the reserve.

Winning the Game

The game is won by the first player to correctly place their three landscape cards on their completed lots. Do not draw an event card when you have just completed your last lot.

If several players place their third landscape card in the same turn, the winner is the player among them who chose their construction block first that turn.

Once the winner is known, the other players continue playing to determine second and third place.

Level Up

You can increase the difficulty of the game by applying these additional rules.

Level 1B

Choose a different trio of landscape cards at the start of the game. For example, choose one school card and two supermarket cards, but no residence card, to make the game harder.

If you run out of a block size during the game, you may return the construction blocks of a completed lot to the reserve. Then turn that lot over to its back side to show that it has been completed.

Level 2 – Construction on Two Levels

In this version of the game, you must build on two levels. At least one construction block must be placed on the 2nd level, and one white notch must remain uncovered on the 1st level.

When a landscape card is placed over the completed lot, the white notch must be visible from the side and covered by one of the level 2 blocks when seen from above.

When you have completed a lot, remove the landscape card, return the construction blocks to the reserve, and turn the building lot over to its back side. The first player to turn their three lots over to their back side wins the game.

(The rules sheet shows correct and incorrect examples for this level, marked with check and cross symbols.)

Level 2B – Construction on Two Levels (Advanced)

In this version of the game, you must build on two levels. At least one construction block must be placed on the 2nd level, while one white notch must remain uncovered on the 1st level of a residence, two white notches on the 1st level of a school, and three white notches for a supermarket.

When the landscape card is placed over the completed lot, the white notch or notches must be visible from the side and covered by one of the level 2 construction blocks when seen from above.

The white notches on schools and supermarkets do not need to be visible from the same angle. One notch may be visible from one side, and one or two other notches visible from another side. As long as no notch is visible when looking from above, the lot is considered complete.

(The rules sheet shows correct and incorrect examples for this level, marked with check and cross symbols.)