Power Grid

Power Grid is a game in which players compete to build a network of cities powered by the power stations they purchase and supply with raw materials. While there seems to be a lot going on at once, the phases in each round keep things organized. Players purchase new power plants through an auction at the beginning of each round. Power plants have the ability to power different amounts of cities and require different amounts of raw materials. Raw materials go up in cost as the demand goes up, but the player in last position is given the advantage in this purchasing phase. The cities in a player's network are important because they earn money when powered using raw materials, but they also cost money to build. At the end of the game, whoever has the ability to power the most cities is the winner, regardless of how much money they have amassed. This makes it important to pay attention to the impending end game, because it can happen very quickly. While not exactly fast-paced or exciting, this game is a fun way to simulate the production of electricity through the use of coal, oil, garbage, uranium, wind, and fusion.