Mayor of Chicago Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • 1. Draw
    • 1.1 Expand the City Grid
    • 1.2 Hire the Assistant
    • 1.3 Discard
  • 2. Place
• End of the Game
• Two-Player Cooperative Variant
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • End of the Game
• Abilities of the Assistants
  • Assistants 1 to 25
  • Assistants 26 to 31
  • Assistants 32 to 39
  • Assistants 40 to 45
• Events
• Player Aid
  • 1. Draw
  • 2. Place
  • End of the Game

Components

• 45 City cards. Front: Neighborhood. Back: Assistant.
• 6 Event cards.
• 8 Opponent cards, with a difficulty ranging from 1 star to 3 stars.
• 12 Resource tokens: Vote, Popularity, Dollar, Booze, Power, Corruption.
• 1 Resource track.

Setup

1. Shuffle the 45 City cards to form the deck and place it with the Neighborhood side up.
2. Draw the first 4 cards of this deck, one after the other, and place them in one column.
3. Shuffle the 6 Event cards (make sure you also flip some of them while shuffling) and place them in a row, forming a 4 by 6 grid with the 4 Neighborhood cards.
4. Choose an Opponent card (for your first game, we suggest you play against one of the two one-star opponents). Return the remaining Opponent cards back to the box; you will not need them in this game.
5. Lay out the Resource track and place all Resource tokens to the left of the Resource track, except for the two Dollar tokens which you should place above "20" and below "5" to indicate that you start the game with $25.

Gameplay

Each turn you have the choice between:

1. Draw the first card of the deck.
2. Place an assistant you've previously hired into a city block.

1. Draw

Take the first card of the deck and look at both sides of the card.

You have three options:

1. Expand
2. Hire
3. Discard

1.1 Expand the City Grid

Play this card on its Neighborhood side next to another card on the grid. You have to respect the following rules:

• You may not go above or below the original 4 rows.
• You may not go further than the 6 columns.
• You must place it fully aligned with another card. So, until you reach the 6th column, you have 4 possible positions.
• If you don't place the card in one of the leftmost positions, you gain one Corruption: Move your Corruption token accordingly on the track.

Example: The four possible positions for placing the next card are shown. Since the two upper positions are not the leftmost, you'll get one Corruption if you place the card in one of these positions.

When you place the fourth card of a column, the Immediate effect of the Event card at the bottom of this column triggers. See the Events section for the description of all events.

1.2 Hire the Assistant

Pay the costs indicated in the upper right corner of the card (by moving your Dollar tokens accordingly on the track), and put this card within reach on its Assistant side.

Each card has a full cost and a discounted cost. The card shows the full cost, a threshold to reach in order to benefit from the discounted cost (a level of Popularity or Power printed on the card), and the discounted cost itself.

If your Popularity or your Power have reached the indicated threshold, pay the discounted price instead. This doesn't reduce your Popularity or your Power.

If you have Booze you can spend as many Booze as you want to reduce the cost of the Assistant card; each Booze spent will reduce the printed cost by 2. You may also apply this reduction to the discounted cost. Using any amount of Booze to hire an assistant increases your Corruption by 1.

Move all tokens accordingly on the track.

You cannot hire more than 10 assistants in total during a game. You cannot discard an assistant you have hired.

1.3 Discard

If you don't want to place this card in the City and don't want to hire the assistant, or are unable to do so, you may get rid of this card. You may either:

1. Put the card on its assistant side next to your Opponent card, then take the number of Dollars indicated on the Opponent card (adjust your tokens on the track accordingly). Be aware that, at the end of the game, most opponents will have you lose one Vote for each card discarded this way!

OR

2. Put the card on its Neighborhood side in a separate discard pile. This way you will not lose any Vote at the end of the game for discarding this card but you don't get any Dollars by doing this.

You cannot have discarded more than 7 cards in total on their Assistant side during a game. The number of cards discarded on their Neighborhood side is not limited.

Be aware that, if you discard too many cards, your City grid will be less than 4x7 at the end of the game and you'll gain one Corruption for each missing card.

2. Place

This action allows you to place an assistant you previously hired into the City, and will grant you resources.

The assistant must be played on a city block (made of the corners of four cards).

Choose the city block you want to play the assistant in, then choose one type of resource shown in the city block, and take an amount equivalent to the number of icons of the chosen resource (adjust the corresponding Resource tokens on the track):

• 1 icon: 1 resource
• 2 icons: 3 resources
• 3 icons: 5 resources
• 4 icons: 8 resources

Note: The Flag symbol is wild, and can be combined with any other icons (but has no value in itself, so a city block made of only flags will not bring you any resources).

Immediately gather the resources that the special ability of the Assistant will grant you. See the Abilities of the Assistants section for the explanation of the abilities. Note that not every assistant's ability brings you extra resources.

Example: Placing an assistant into a neighborhood gains you 8 Dollars, and its ability gains you 4 Votes (two per Power symbol around the neighborhood the assistant was placed on).

End of the Game

The game ends after the last card of the deck has been drawn and played and you have placed all your hired assistants.

If your city grid is less than 4x7 cards (i.e., you have played fewer than 24 cards on their Neighborhood side), you gain one Corruption for each missing card. Next, apply any remaining Immediate effect of Event cards that did not trigger during the game (from left to right).

After this, all the End Game effects of the events trigger, from left to right (see the Events section for the description of those effects).

Then, you must either pay 2 Dollars or lose 1 Vote for each Corruption you have.

Finally, apply the penalty for all cards discarded next to the Opponent card.

If you have more Votes than the opponent, you win the game.

If you're tied and have fewer Corruption than the opponent, you also win the game.

Otherwise, you lose.

Two-Player Cooperative Variant

To play this variant, each player will need a copy of the game.

Setup

Each player sets up the game as per the usual, solo rules, with the following exceptions:

• The players choose who is going to be the first player: this player shuffles their deck of cards, while the other orders their cards using the numbers on the assistants. The first player then draws the top 4 cards of their deck, and places them in a column; the other player then searches for the same 4 cards and places them the same way as the first player; each player has their own city to expand.
• Each player shuffles their own set of Event cards and places them in a row below their city (each player thus has their own row of Event cards, which may differ entirely from the other player's row).
• Players decide which opponent they want to face and take the same Opponent card.
• Each player has their own Resource track and tokens.

Gameplay

Each turn, the first player draws the top card of their deck and the other player must search for the same card in their own (pre-ordered) deck.

Then, each player decides what they want to do with their card, with one major restriction: only one of the players may hire the assistant. The other player must either play the card in their City or discard it (next to their opponent or in the discard pile).

Of course, both players may decide not to hire the assistant and choose another option (the same, or different ones).

At any time, one player may give any amount of Dollar and/or Booze to the other player. The players move the tokens on their Resource tracks accordingly, then each player gains one Corruption.

When a player decides to play a hired assistant in their City, the other player must not necessarily do the same (they might not even have any hired assistants at this point). The player who places the assistant resolves all effects, then the game resumes.

When a player completes a column in their city, they must resolve the Immediate effect of the Event card at the bottom of this column. This doesn't affect the other player.

End of the Game

Each player counts their score as in the solo game. To win, both players must defeat the opponent.

Abilities of the Assistants

Assistants 1 to 25

These assistants trigger an effect according to the symbols on the 12 neighborhoods around them.

Note: The Flag does not count as a valid symbol for those effects.

• Bart: When you place this assistant, each Dollar symbol around it earns you 2 Votes.
• Howard: When you place this assistant, each Flag symbol around it allows you to remove two Corruptions.
• Nick: When you place this assistant, each Power symbol around it allows you to exchange one Booze for 5 Dollars.

Assistants 26 to 31

These assistants trigger an effect multiplied by the number of assistants already played in the neighborhoods around them.

• Daisy: When you place this assistant, each other assistant adjacent to it (also diagonally) earns you 2 Popularity.

Assistants 32 to 39

These assistants have a special ability, active as soon as they are played in the City: from this point on, they will trigger an effect each time you discard an assistant next to your Opponent card.

• Wanda: Gain one Vote when you discard an assistant.

Assistants 40 to 45

These assistants have a unique ability.

• Edgar: When you place this assistant, you may buy one Booze for one Dollar each.
• Helen: When you place this assistant, additionally gain the resources of one adjacent city block, as if you had also placed an assistant on this city block.
• Ernest: When you place this assistant, double the number of resources you gain from the city block it is placed on.
• Pharell: When you place this assistant, you may copy the ability of any other adjacent assistant. This ability applies to the assistant you just played. You may not copy an ability numbered 32 to 39.
• Gabrielle: When you place this assistant, you may turn an Event card upside down: this event will be ignored for the rest of the game.
• Sigmund: When you place this assistant, you may copy the ability of any discarded assistant. You may not copy an ability numbered 32 to 39.

Events

Each Event card shows an Immediate effect (resolved when the column above it is completed, or at the end of the game if it never triggered) and an End Game effect (resolved at the end of the game). The 6 Event cards are double-sided, giving 12 possible event faces:

1. Immediate: For each Power you have more than the opponent, gain one Dollar or lose one Dollar to gain one Vote. End game: For each Power you have less than the opponent, lose one Popularity or one Vote.
2. Immediate: For each Power you have less than the opponent, gain one Corruption or lose one Vote. End game: For each Power you have more than the opponent, you may lose one Power to lose one Corruption.
3. Immediate: For each Power you have less than the opponent, lose one Dollar or lose one Vote. End game: For each Power you have more than the opponent, gain one Vote.
4. Immediate: For each Popularity you have more than the opponent, you may lose one Dollar to gain one Vote. End game: For each Popularity you have less than the opponent, lose one Dollar or one Vote.
5. Immediate: For each Corruption you have more than the opponent, lose one Vote or one Power. End game: For each Corruption you have less than the opponent, gain one Vote.
6. Immediate: You may lose one Booze to gain two Dollars (up to all the Booze you have). End game: Gain one Corruption for each Booze you have, then lose all your Booze.
7. Immediate: Lose one Vote for each Booze you have. End game: Gain one Vote for each Booze you have, then lose all your Booze.
8. Immediate: For each Popularity you have less than the opponent, lose one Vote. End game: For each Popularity you have more than the opponent, gain one Vote.
9. Immediate: For each Power you have more than the opponent, gain one Dollar or lose one Dollar to gain one Power. End game: For each Power you have less than the opponent, lose one Vote.
10. Immediate: For each Popularity you have more than the opponent, gain 2 Dollars. End game: For each Popularity you have less than the opponent, lose one Dollar or one Popularity.
11. Immediate: For each Corruption you have less than the opponent, you may lose two Dollars to gain one Popularity. End game: For each Corruption you have more than the opponent, lose two Dollars or lose one Vote.
12. Immediate: For each Power you have less than the opponent, lose one Dollar or lose one Power. End game: For each Power you have more than the opponent, you may lose one Dollar to lose one Corruption.

General note: If an event gives you a choice, it is allowed to combine both.

Player Aid

1. Draw

1.1 Expand

• Any of the 4 rows. No gaps.
• If not leftmost position overall: gain 1 Corruption.
• When 4th card of a column: Immediate event triggers.

1.2 Hire

• Discount if threshold reached in Popularity or Power.
• Possibility to reduce the cost by 2 Dollars for each Booze spent, then gain 1 Corruption (no matter how many Booze were spent).

1.3 Discard

• On Neighborhood side: no effect. No limit per game.
• On Assistant side: gain amount of Dollars on Opponent card + placed assistant 32 to 39. Limit of 7 per game.

2. Place

a) Choose one type of resource in city block and gain:

• 1 icon: 1 resource
• 2 icons: 3 resources
• 3 icons: 5 resources
• 4 icons: 8 resources

b) Trigger the assistant's ability (unless 32 to 39).

End of the Game

1. If 4x7 grid not complete: gain 1 Corruption for each missing card and resolve each unresolved Event card's Immediate effect (from left to right).
2. Resolve all End Game events from left to right.
3. Lose 2 Dollars or 1 Vote per Corruption.
4. Lose 1 Vote per discarded assistant next to the Opponent card if it presents this symbol.