How To Play: Metropolis

Metropolis is a city-building game where you claim spots, block opponents, and manage resources. I played with friends, blocked Steve’s ‘perfect’ city, and won. For those searching 'How To Play metropolis,' remember: pick your spaces well, plan ahead, and never let your friends get too cozy in their neighborhoods. Fun chaos!

The City: Box Cover Front

Overview

If you’ve ever wanted to build the best city since SimCity but with more cardboard and less mouse-clicking, Metropolis is for you. I’ve played it with my friends, and let me tell you, things got heated! This guide covers an outline of the rules, plus sneaky, not-so-sneaky, and actually genius ways to win. You’ll learn How To Play Metropolis and, more importantly, how to crush your competition.

What’s in the box

  • 1 Game Board
  • 85 Building Tiles
  • 20 Bonus Tiles
  • 50 Player Markers
  • 5 Player Screens
  • 5 Scoring Tokens
  • 1 Rulebook

How To Play Metropolis: Rules Summary

Setup

  1. Lay out the city board in the center of the table.
  2. Give each player their colored building pieces and one reference card.
  3. Shuffle and deal property cards to each player.
  4. Place the neutral markers and bonus tokens near the board within reach of everyone.
  5. Choose a starting player. The tallest person goes first, because—why not?

Gameplay

  1. On your turn, claim a property tile by placing your building on it, or challenge your friends for a property they already have.
  2. If you challenge, compare your offer (sum of building heights) to theirs. Highest total wins. If you lose, you get your building pieces back, but you might also get mocked.
  3. Collect bonus tokens for claiming special properties or completing districts.
  4. Play passes clockwise. Don’t forget to glare at the person blocking your perfect city block.

Winning

  1. The game ends when all properties are claimed or no one can make a legal move.
  2. Each player totals their points from properties and bonus tokens.
  3. The player with the most points is the winner—and probably the new mayor of your friend group.

Special Rules & Conditions

  1. If two players tie for a property, the one with fewer properties takes it. If still tied, settle it with a thumb-war. (Or, you know, the official tiebreaker rule in the manual.)
  2. You can never split your building pieces between properties during one turn.
  3. Bonus tokens can only be used once and must be declared before building.
  4. Don’t eat the building pieces. Even if they look like tasty little candies.

There you go! With this summary on how to play metropolis, you’re ready to jump in (not literally, please) and have a blast ruling your own cardboard city. Good luck!

Best Metropolis Strategies

Mastering Metropolis: Crush It With City Placement!

Pick Prime Real Estate

First, snag those high-value city spots. You’ll want to claim them before someone else does. Think location, value, and how you can block rivals.

  1. Claim city spaces near bonuses.
  2. Expand in areas with fewer opponents.
  3. Control corners for smart growth.
Connect for Power

Next, link your cities. Metropolis rewards players who connect their buildings. Linking helps you snag more points and keeps others from splitting your base.

  1. Chain your buildings for bonuses.
  2. Plan paths that block others.
Stay Flexible

Even when a rival grabs your spot, adapt! Stay alert and shift your plan fast. This way you can stay in control of the board, no matter what. Check your options every turn as you expand.

Resource Wizardry: Turn Every Token Into a Victory

Know When to Spend
  1. Always check what you need before spending tokens.
  2. Save high-value tokens for key rounds.
Trade Smart, Not Hard
  1. Negotiate with other players, even if it means giving up a little.
  2. Try to swap tokens you don’t need; it’s all about balance.
Count Ahead
  1. Keep track of how many tokens you and your friends have left.
  2. Plan your big moves when you know others are low on resources.

With these tips, you’ll soon be the master of resource management and answer the question of How To Play metropolis well!

Block Your Friends, Win Big: Opponent Blocking in Metropolis

When you play Metropolis, blocking other players can be as satisfying as actually building stuff. I learned this the hard way when my buddy Tom cut off my entire corner of the city. If you really want to know how to play Metropolis and stop someone else from winning, try these sneaky moves:

Corner Off Key Areas

  1. Grab valuable intersections before others do.
  2. Extend your buildings to choke points and cut routes.

Force Pricey Moves

  1. Block cheap plots, making others spend big to expand.
  2. Place small buildings just to make them pay more.

Create Dead Zones

  1. Build in spots that make it impossible for others to complete sets.
  2. Leave awkward gaps that only you can fill later.

Just remember, when you master how to play Metropolis, your friends might start hiding the rulebook from you!

Master the Concrete Jungle

Alright, now you know the secrets for winning Metropolis. My friends say I think like a real estate tycoon now—which sounds fancier than I feel. Remember, smart city placement, watching your resources, and blocking your greedy pals is how you rule the board.

The best tip? Don’t be afraid to make bold moves! And always hide the snacks from Steve, he eats everything. Happy building!

How To Play metropolis like a champ: focus, adapt, and laugh when rain wipes out your plans.

Want to know what we think of Metropolis? Read our detailed review of Metropolis here

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.