Power Grid

Power Grid is a classic economic strategy board game for 2 to 6 players, taking approximately 90 to 120 minutes to play. Designed for players aged 12 and up, this medium-heavy game combines network building, tense auctions, and a fluctuating commodity market as players compete to supply electricity to the most cities.

Power Up Your Network

In Power Grid, players secure routes between cities and bid against each other to purchase power plants. As plants are bought, newer and more efficient models enter the market, meaning that buying early might inadvertently hand your opponents superior technology. Players must also carefully manage their wealth to secure the raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) needed to fuel their grids, or invest in renewable wind and solar plants that require no ongoing fuel costs.

Distinctive Gameplay and Economics

What makes Power Grid truly distinctive is its balancing act between physical expansion and financial flexibility. Players must constantly upgrade their plants for maximum efficiency while retaining enough capital to expand their grids. Turn order plays a crucial role: players who are behind often gain cheaper access to resources, making for a highly competitive and interactive experience right up to the final round.

From Funkenschlag to Power Grid

Originally designed by Friedemann Friese, Power Grid is the updated release of his crayon-based game Funkenschlag. This version preserves the intense market mechanics and auction structures of the original while streamlining the board state for a cleaner, more strategic experience.

Unlike the original edition, which required players to draw network lines with crayons, this updated version features pre-existing routes on the board, making connections faster to evaluate and visually clearer. It retains the fluctuating, demand-driven commodity market and high-stakes auctions that made the original concept so compelling.