San Francisco (2000)

San Francisco (2000) Rulebook

Table of Contents

What Is San Francisco All About?

In order to renew a city district, a player has to secure the majority on investment privileges for a certain district. Investment privileges are issued through requests for bidding (RfB's). RfB's are obtained through the use of influence cards, checks, and option cards. Whoever obtains one of the highly demanded investment privileges puts one of the small wooden sticks on a street around a district in order to announce or to indicate his investment.

An investment in a city district must be carefully planned for each district holds a different amount of value indicated through prestige points. In addition, the number of checks and influence points is restricted for each player.

Once a player holds the majority on small wooden sticks for a certain district, he may rebuild it. He or she will receive prestige points for each reconstruction of any one district. The player owning the highest number of prestige points is the winner of the game.

Components

87 small wooden sticks in 6 colors (15 each in 5 player colors, 12 white)
35 city districts: 5 condominium districts, 5 residential districts, 5 market districts, 5 amusement park districts, 5 office districts, 5 industrial districts, 3 parks, 1 bank district, 1 city hall district
15 option cards (5 per combination)
50 influence cards (10 for each player)
Pouch to shuffle the city district cards
Game board
10 game stones (2 per player)
36 "Request for Bidding" cards (RfB-cards)
60 checks
18 action cards

Game Preparations

What Each Player Receives

Each player receives (of one color):

15 small wooden sticks,
10 influence cards (showing the values "0" through "9"),
3 option cards (one each with the combination residence/condominium district, market/amusement park district, industrial/office district),
2 game stones.

In addition, each player receives 12 checks (2x $10,000 and $20,000 each, 1x $30,000 up to $100,000 each).

The wooden sticks, the option cards, the checks, and the influence cards are placed face down and readily available in front of each player.

What Is Placed on the Game Board

The game board is placed in the middle of the table.

The 18 action cards are shuffled and placed face down on the proper field of the game board to form a stock.
A game stone from each player is placed on field number "30" of the influence scale.
One game stone from each player is placed on field number "0" of the prestige scale.
Use the bank field to discard the checks during the game.
The RfB-cards are placed face down on the proper field of the game board to form a stock. To this field's right discard the RfB-cards at the end of each round on the proper field.
The city hall district is placed face up on the proper field in the middle of the game board.
As the game proceeds 12 action cards are discarded on the fields marking the years 1907 through 1918.

Except for the city hall district, all other city districts are put into the pouch and well shuffled therein. Then, all of the players take turns in drawing one card each, with the cards being randomly placed on the fields of the game board. Those sides of the cards showing numbers must be visible.

Attention: When distributing the city districts no two parks may be placed alongside the city hall or the bank. Since the city districts are distributed randomly there will be a different situation at the beginning of each game.

Put the white sticks at all four sides of the three parks. These sticks may not be removed while the game is in progress.

The oldest player begins and he is the first starting player. Then, at the end of each round, the player to the starting player's left becomes the new starting player. When taking turns during the game, follow a clockwise rotation.

Progress of the Game

The game is played in individual game rounds. Each game round is divided into four phases and has to be played always following the same order:

Draw an RfB-card
Conduct the Request for Bidding
Invest
Discard an RfB-card

I. Draw an RfB-Card

The proper starting player draws the top RfB-card from the appropriate stock. He may refuse taking this card. If he does so, he must place it face up beside the stock and draw another card which he has to play with. The player reads the text printed on the card to all other players and then places it easily visible in front of him or her. This indicates that he or she is the starting player of one given round.

The RfB-cards contain the following information:

The numbers indicate how many players will be allowed to acquire one investment privilege each during one round.
The big illustration in the middle shows which districts (residence district, office district, etc.) may be marked off with a wooden stick, be it a district still destroyed or one which is already built up.
The symbols for checks, influence cards and option cards indicate which cards players need in order to acquire the investment privilege for a certain district (see Conduct the Request for Bidding).

Symbols on the cards:

1 player maximum on any given border of a city district: with checks
5 players maximum on the city boundaries only: with influence cards
1 player maximum for each option card depending on the option card: with option cards and checks

The Privilege of Investment: A player acquires the privilege to invest in a city district through a request for bidding (RfB). A player receiving the privilege to invest is called an investor. A player invests by placing a wooden stick on a street running around a city district.

Q: So, as the player starting a new round I have to draw an RfB-card. And if I don't like it, I may discard it and draw a new one? A: Exactly, but then you have to accept that new card.

Q: And on the RfB-card I will find all necessary information relevant to the RfB. A: Right!

Advice: At the start of the game a player's possibility to draw a second RfB-card is not that important; however, at a later time into the game the following thoughts may well be game deciding:

The higher the number on the RfB-card, the higher is a player's own chance to acquire an investment privilege.
Once biddings have been requested for a city district, it is very interesting for the player since he already has invested in it.
Once biddings have been requested for a city district, it is of no immediate interest to the other players because they have not invested there yet. This increases own chances to win the request for bidding at low costs.
Once biddings have been requested for a city district, it becomes very interesting for other players since that drives up their respective biddings.
The way the request for biddings is conducted is not favorable, because a player only has left a small number of checks or influence points.

II. Conduct the Request for Bidding

The investment privilege may be acquired using one of the following three possibilities depending on the individual RfB-card:

with influence cards
with checks
with option cards and checks

The RfB-card in front of the starting player determines which of the cards are necessary for the request for bidding.

Investment Privilege with Influence Cards

Each influence card shows a person with a value reaching from "0" to "9". These persons have a certain influence on affairs concerning the city. Each player tries to make good use of this influence in order to acquire an investment privilege. The fortune teller shows a value of "0" which is of the least influence, the mayor's value of "9" gives him the most influence. (The persons are: 0 Fortune teller, 1 Saloon owner, 2 Bishop, 3 Gangster, 4 Newspaper publisher, 5 Judge, 6 Building contractor (Bauunternehmer), 7 Banker, 8 Police Chief, 9 Mayor, in the order shown on the components page.)

Players take their influence cards in their hands. Players each choose one of their own influence cards without letting other players know of their choice. Each player then places that card in front of him or her with its face down. When each player has an influence card in front of him or her, all cards will be shown simultaneously.

The player with the highest influence card played acquires the investment privilege. If the RfB-card allows for more than one player to acquire such a privilege, then players with influence cards of a lesser value will also acquire investment privileges.

Stalemate: If one or two players have played a card showing the same value, the result is a stalemate. These players do not acquire investment privileges in that playing round. It is possible for all players to be in a stalemate with no player acquiring any investment privileges. It is also possible for a player to acquire an investment privilege even when he has played an influence card showing the value "0".

Example #1: Player yellow (7) is allowed to invest first. Player blue (5) and player red (5) are in a stalemate, leaving player green (4) the second player to be allowed to invest. Due to the stalemate, the third investment privilege is not issued.
Example #2: Player yellow (6) and player blue (6) are in a stalemate, thus player red (4) may invest first and player green (0) is allowed to be the second player to invest.
Example #3: All players may invest in a street of their choice at the city's boundaries. The fifth investment privilege is not used, since only four players participate. Player yellow may invest first, followed by players blue, red, and green.

Attention: A player may never play an influence card with a higher value than that player's influence points on the influence scale.

Once the investment privileges have been issued, all players take their influence cards back in their hands. These cards may be used again in the rounds to follow.

Players having acquired an investment privilege with their influence card move their game stone on the influence scale in the direction of the field "0" according to the value of the influence card they played.

Players who have not acquired an investment privilege do not have to pay influence points. The same applies to players who have been in a stalemate.

Investment Privilege with Checks

At the beginning each player possesses 12 checks with a total value of $580,000. Players may use the checks to buy investment privileges.

Each player takes his checks in his hands. Beginning with the starting player who has drawn the RfB-card, each player, one after the other, makes an offer by playing one or more checks openly, placing them before him or her. In doing so, each player must outbid the offer the player to his or her right has made.

Attention: Once a check has been played it may not be exchanged or changed, i.e., a player may only bid with checks he or she still has in his hand.

If a player does not want to outbid the check previously submitted, he is out and he takes the checks back in his hand which he has played already. They may be used again in the next rounds. The RfB is finished when only one player has left checks laying in front of him or her. That player acquires the investment privilege.

Example: Player red offers $20,000, player blue bids $30,000, player yellow offers $50,000, player green does not place any checks before him (he's out), player red adds $40,000 to his initial $20,000, which amounts to $60,000, player blue is also out and takes his check back in his hand, player yellow offers an additional $30,000 to the first $50,000 bringing his total offer to $80,000. Now, player red is out and takes his checks back in his hand. Player yellow acquires the investment privilege for the total amount of $80,000.

The player who has acquired his investment privilege with checks places the checks he has played face down on the bank field.

Advice: When bidding and paying with checks players should pay attention to paying a big offer with big checks. Checks may not be changed. Thus, the possession of checks with lower values might be game deciding.

Q: How many different ways are there to conduct a request for biddings? A: Three: RfB with influence cards, with checks and with option cards together with checks. Which way is being used for a given round is determined by the RfB-card.

Q: If I have won the bidding with influence cards, do I have to subtract the value of the influence card from my influence points on the influence scale? A: Yes, but you may keep the card.

Q: But when using checks I have to give away the checks. A: Yes, but only if you have won. Otherwise you take them back in your hand.

Investment Privileges with Option Cards and Checks

If an RfB-card is drawn showing a question mark, then all players may choose their city district using one of their three option cards. On each of these cards you will find illustrations of two city districts.

Players take their three option cards in their hands and discard one of them before them, face down. Then, all cards will be shown simultaneously.

If a player is the only one to have played a specific option card he immediately acquires the investment privilege. This player then may invest in one of the districts shown on the option card he has played (for example, with the industrial/office card, either in an office district or in an industrial district).

If a player is the only one to have played a specific option card, he puts a check of his choice face down on the bank field in order to pay for his investment privilege.

If more than one player has played the same option card, they will have to use their checks to decide who will acquire the investment privilege. Each of these players places a maximum of five checks at one time face down before him or her, then all checks will be shown simultaneously. The player offering the highest amount acquires the investment privilege. Players who were unable to obtain an investment privilege take their checks back in their hands. The player having received the privilege places the checks he played face down on the bank field.

Attention: The rules for stalemate also apply to same check amounts (see Stalemate above).

When conducting the RfB with option cards, that player may invest first who has played the option card with the industrial district/office district combination. He or she is then followed by the player with the combination market district/amusement park district. The third player to follow is the one whose combination is residence district/condominium district.

Example: Player red has played option card residence district/condominium district. Since players blue and green both have played the same option card (market district/amusement park district) they have to decide the outcome of the bidding with their checks. Player blue offers $120,000, while player green bids $70,000. Player yellow has played option card industrial district/office district. This results in player yellow receiving the first investment privilege, with players blue and red obtaining the second and third privilege respectively.

Attention: When all players make the decision for one and the same option card (the illustration shows residence district/condominium district) only one investment privilege is given out during these RfB procedures. When all players decide for two different cards (the illustration shows residence district/condominium district and industrial district/office district), two privileges may be acquired. When the players choose to use all three option cards, three investment privileges will be issued.

Q: During the RfB, where may I invest with option cards and checks? A: This is determined by the option card you have played. The card always shows two city districts, and in one of them you may invest.

Q: When I am the only one using a specific option card may I use any check I wish even if it is my lowest one? A: Of course!

Q: But what happens when several players have played the same option card? A: Then these players all have to bid for the investment privilege with up to five hidden checks each.

III. Invest

When investing, a certain order of events has to be followed regarding different RfB's:

When conducting the RfB with influence cards, the player whose influence card shows the highest value may invest first. If the RfB-card currently in use provides for additional investors, the other players follow according to the respective values of their influence cards (also see examples above).
When conducting the RfB with checks, only one player is allowed to invest.
When conducting the RfB with option cards the following order has to be followed: industrial district/office district, market district/amusement park district, and residence district/condominium district.

Attention: Only the player who has obtained a privilege and who has paid may put one of his wooden sticks on a street available for investments.

The RfB-card currently in use determines if the wooden stick has to be placed on a free street between two districts or on a street available at the city boundaries. If placed on a street, a wooden stick marks both districts opposite to each other. The city boundaries are an exception to that rule (a stick on the city boundary marks only the one district it borders).

Attention: When a player who has obtained an investment privilege does not have available a wooden stick any more he may use any stick already placed on the game board belonging to him to put it on a new street. However, the player should keep in mind that his majority on a district might be lost.

A Player Gains the Majority on a City District

1) Rebuild the district

The objective of any investment is to hold the majority on wooden sticks placed on the streets surrounding a city district.

Majority: A player holds a majority on wooden sticks if he has placed a certain number of sticks at a district not allowing other players to add the same number of sticks (or more) to that district.

In example 1 player green holds the majority with two wooden sticks because players blue and yellow each have only placed one stick.
In example 2 player violet holds the majority with just two sticks, since there already lies a neutral white stick.
In example 3 players yellow and green are in a stalemate. Both have placed 2 wooden sticks each at the district.
In example 4 player blue already has secured a majority with his three sticks. It is not necessary to place a fourth stick.

Majority on city hall and bank: In order to obtain the majority on the city hall district or bank district a player must have placed all four wooden sticks at these districts. When a white stick is already lying at the city hall district or at the bank district, then three wooden sticks (belonging to one player) are enough.

In example 1 player red has gained the majority on the city hall district with four wooden sticks.
In example 2 three sticks are sufficient for player blue to obtain the majority on the bank district since there lies a neutral white stick at the bank.

Once a player has gained the majority on a city district after placing the wooden sticks, that district will be rebuilt. Rebuilding a city district allows a player to gather prestige points. (In the illustrated example, player red has gained the majority on both the city hall district and the amusement park district.)

The meaning of 'rebuild': The player holding the majority immediately turns around the corresponding city district card and moves his game stone forward on the prestige scale. For rebuilding a district the player receives the points shown below:

District	Prestige points
City hall district / bank district	10
Industrial district / office district	6
Market district / amusement park district	5
Residence district / condominium district	4

The card of a district once rebuilt may not be turned around again. During the rebuilding period the wooden sticks remain in their place. As the game proceeds, sticks may be placed at district cards previously turned around, provided there lies no other wooden stick on the street in question.

Q: When investing, I place a wooden stick at a district. The more prestige points I receive, the better this is for me, right? A: Yes, but do observe that only the player who gained the majority on a city district will receive prestige points.

2) Draw an action card

After all players have invested, thus rebuilding at least one city district in one round, the starting player has to draw an action card from the supply stock which has to be executed. Such a drawn action card is binding for all players.

Most of the action cards will tell the players to search for investors. The RfB determines who the respective player will be, and all players may participate in the RfB. If, through the execution of an action card, a new district is rebuilt, a new action card must be drawn and executed. Thus, more than one action card may be executed during one round of the game.

Action cards may also be used to end a stalemate in a city district.

The exact contents of all the action cards is to be found under Action Cards below.

Once the action card has been executed, it will be discarded face down on a field marking years. The first field to be used is the "1907" field.

Allowances

Some action cards do include allowances and give out influence points and checks to players. All players may benefit from these cards. If these cards enter the game, players may choose between influence points and checks.

If a player decides to take influence points, he or she moves his or her game stone forward on the influence scale according to the value shown on the action card.

When a player decides to take checks, he or she may receive checks up to the maximum value indicated on the action card. Before, the checks forming the stock on the bank field are shuffled and placed back on the bank field, face down. Then, all players who have decided to take checks each draw one check from the proper stock until they want to finish or until the total of their drawn checks has surpassed the maximum amount. Checks drawn are placed face up in front of each player.

When a player decides to finish drawing checks before surpassing the maximum amount, he may keep the checks already drawn.

If a player surpasses the maximum amount, he or she does not receive any checks. Checks already drawn must be returned onto the bank field, face down, after the allowances have been given out.

Example: Player red has drawn checks which total $110,000. Therefore, he has to return the checks. Player green has drawn checks with a total value of exactly $100,000. He or she may keep them. Player blue has drawn checks which amount to $80,000. He or she may keep them.

Advice: Each player should be mindful of the number of checks (and their respective values) lying on the bank field, thus increasing the chances for allowances.

Q: Every time when I or another player has rebuilt a city district, an action card is drawn... A: ... and executed immediately.

IV. Discard an RfB-Card

The RfB-card in front of that player who has just had his or her turn is placed face up beside those RfB-cards forming the stock. This ends that round of the game. The player to the left of the player mentioned before becomes the new starting player. He or she will start the next round by drawing a new RfB-card.

End of the Game

As soon as the 12th action card has been executed and put onto the "1918" field the game ends. The player with the highest number of points on the prestige scale is the winner. If in a tie, the player with the highest number of wooden sticks lying on the game board is declared the winner.

Two Variants

Investment Privileges with Option Cards and Checks

If more than one player has played the same option card, they may bargain for an investment privilege offering checks to each other. Thus, a player may submit offers such as:

"If you give me $50,000 in checks, I'll let you invest."
"Let me draw 3 checks from your hand and you may invest."
"I'll give you $80,000 plus you may draw a check from my hand, if you allow me to invest."
"I let you invest, if you give me $100,000, but you may not place the wooden stick at that place."
"I'll give both of you $40,000 each, if you let me invest."

All concluded deals must be observed. Investment privileges may not be given away as a gift. The player allowed to invest has to pay the other players. Players who have bargained for a privilege exchange their checks according to their deal.

Example: Player green has promised players red and blue $40,000 each if he is allowed to invest. Therefore, players red and blue receive checks with a total value of $80,000 from player green.

If no deal is struck, the investment privilege is issued using checks (see Investment Privileges with Option Cards and Checks).

Players May Make Their Own Choices of How to Combine Action Cards

Playing San Francisco, it is a deciding factor for checks and influence points always being very limited. If the players do not want to depend on the random possibility of an allowance, they may make their own choice of combining twelve action cards. In that case they separate the allowances from the rest of the action cards adding for example three allowance cards to another nine action cards. So now, each player knows that there are three allowances among the action cards. Action cards not used are put back into the game box. In most of the cases 3-4 allowance cards prove to be useful.

Action Cards

Residence/condominium bonus: The next investor who will rebuild a residence district or a condominium district receives 3 additional prestige points for doing so. He moves his game stone on the red prestige scale seven fields forward. The card is placed face up on one of the fields indicating a year until after a residence district or a condominium district has been rebuilt. Then, the action card is turned around. When one of those two action cards is placed face up on the "1918" field the game ends immediately. No bonus is given out.
Two sticks: The investor may place two wooden sticks on the game board, but only around the same city district. The investment privilege may be acquired with influence cards or with checks.
Move a stick: The investor may move a stick of his choice (white neutral sticks are excepted) vertically or horizontally but not exceeding two lengths. In doing so, other sticks mustn't be moved or jumped over. The right to move wooden sticks may be acquired with influence cards or with checks.
Swap two sticks: The investor may change places of two sticks lying on the game board. The right to do so may be acquired with influence cards or with checks.
Free street: The investor may place a wooden stick on a free street of his choice. He may acquire the right to freely choose a street (and with it a city district) with influence cards or with checks.
Exchange a stick: The investor may place a wooden stick on a street around a city district, even when another stick is already placed there. He returns that stick to its owner. He may acquire the right to exchange one stick for another with influence cards or with checks.
Allowance (4 / $100,000): Each player either receives an allowance worth four influence points (the player then moves four fields forward with his game stone on the blue influence scale) or he obtains checks with a maximum total value of $100,000 (see Allowances).

Abridged Rules: How to Play One Round

I. Draw an RfB-Card

The current starting player draws a Request for Bidding card (RfB-card) and places it in front of him. The player may refuse to take this card. He puts it on the proper stock and draws a new RfB-card which he has to keep. He puts it in front of him and reads its contents to all the other players.

II. Conduct the Request for Bidding

Depending on the RfB-card, the bidding may take place in three different ways.

With influence cards: Each player places an influence card in front of him or her, face down. The cards are then shown simultaneously. Those influence cards showing the highest value decide over investments. Depending on the RfB-card, one or more players may invest.
With checks: All of the players place checks in front of them for everybody to see. The following player has to outbid the previous player or take himself out. The player with the highest offer may invest.
With option cards and checks: Each player places an option card in front of him or her. The cards are shown simultaneously. A player is the only one to play a certain option card: he may invest in one of the two districts illustrated on the option card. Several players play the same option card: each player makes a check offer, placing the checks in front of them (not openly). The player with the highest bid may invest.

Pay the Investment

Influence cards: The investors have to move their game stones on the influence scale according to the value showing on the influence card.
Checks: The investor has to place those checks on the bank field which he offered for the bidding.
Option cards and checks: A) The investor places a check of his choice on the bank field. B) The investor places those checks on the bank field which he has used for his offer.

III. Invest

The investors put a wooden stick on a street running around a city district.

Attention: Follow the order. The RfB-card provides for the type of city district.

When an investor holds the majority on wooden sticks around a district: the investor has to rebuild the city district. He turns around the city district card and receives the prestige points of that district. He moves his game stone on the prestige scale according to the number of prestige points received. If it is his or her turn, a player has to draw an action card. The contents of that card is valid for all of the players. The action card is executed. Then, the action card is discarded on a field marking a year. Once the twelfth action card is placed on the "1918" field the game ends.

IV. Discard an RfB-Card

The player places his or her RfB-card on the proper stock. Then a new round starts with phase I with the next player to the left drawing a new RfB-card.