How To Play: Simplicity

Overview

Ever wonder why your friends keep winning Simplicity and you end up last, eating stale pretzels? You’re in luck! I’ve put together a guide that gives you the game rules in plain English (because the rulebook made my head hurt) and the best strategies to win. After many snack-fueled battles, I can promise you: mastering How To Play simplicity is your ticket out of last place.

What’s in the box

• 1 Game board
• 120 Resource cards
• 40 Player tokens
• 8 Player boards
• 1 Rulebook
• 60 Building tiles
• 35 Coin tokens
• 16 Reference cards

How To Play Simplicity: Rules Summary

Game Setup

1. Place the game board in the middle of the table. Make sure it’s not upside-down. (Very important!)
2. Give each player a set of colored tokens and a personal player board.
3. Shuffle the resource and action cards. Deal three to each player.
4. Put the resource tiles and coins within everyone’s reach. If you have T-Rex arms, scoot your chair up.
5. Decide who goes first. The player with the loudest sneeze wins the honor, or just pick randomly. I won last time by sneezing and startling the cat off the table. Bonus points for style.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, draw one resource card and one action card.
2. Spend your resources to build buildings, roads, or parks on the board. Building parks is fun and blocks your friend Matt’s sneaky strategies.
3. Place your tokens on new buildings you control. Fancy!
4. You may use one action card to mess with other players or help yourself. (I recommend messing with others. It’s fun.)
5. End your turn and pass to the next player. If you try to play out of order, everyone gets to heckle you.

Winning

1. Keep building and collecting coins by finishing projects.
2. The game ends when a player runs out of building tokens or when the resource deck is finished.
3. Everyone counts their coins. The player with the most coins wins! If there’s a tie, whoever built the most parks wins. That happened once. We almost had to arm wrestle for the trophy.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If two players want the same building spot, they both draw a card: highest card wins. I lost so many showdowns to Emily, it’s not even funny. (It is a bit funny.)
2. If you can’t pay for what you want, you can trade with another player. Bribes with snacks are allowed.
3. Resource bonuses activate if you build three of the same type in a row. Triple donut shop? Yes please.
4. If you break any rules, the table gets to give you a silly nickname for the rest of the game. “Captain Oops” has a nice ring to it.

With this How To Play Simplicity rules summary, you’ll leap right into the game and have a blast—unless the cat knocks over the board. That’s a rule in my house, anyway.

Best Simplicity Strategies

Pick Smart Building Locations and Crush Your Friends

Study the Map Before You Place

Before I plop down my first building, I scan the whole board. Look for spots near resources and choke points. It always helps in How To Play simplicity and win big.

1. Eye those juicy resource tiles.
2. Find open spaces with lots of building options.
3. Stay close, but not too close, to rivals.

Block Opponents Sneakily

If you see an opponent eyeing a great spot, snipe it first. You’ll thank yourself later when they glare at you across the table.

1. Anticipate their moves.
2. Take spots that block their expansion.
3. Smile innocently while doing it.

Resource Balance: The Secret Sauce for Victory

Plan Your Spending

Spend resources wisely. Save just enough but never let anything go to waste. Every token counts when the finish line sneaks up on you.

1. Track your income and spend each turn.
2. Leave a cushion for emergencies.
3. Prioritize upgrades that boost future turns.

Expand Slowly But Surely

Grow your empire bit by bit. Don’t try to build everywhere in one game. Use How To Play simplicity: pick a few key spots and build on them.

1. Expand only when you can support new buildings.
2. Stay close to your base to keep costs low.
3. Connect buildings for surprise bonuses.

Keep One Eye on Opponents

Watch what your friends hoard. If someone collects lots of wheat, maybe you should grab stone. Balance gets much easier if you stay flexible.

Keep Your Enemies Closer: Outsmarting Friends in Simplicity

Read the Table

First, scan the faces around you. Then, look for sneaky smiles or quiet plotting. Noticing these hints can help you spot danger before it arrives.

Track Patterns

Next, watch for habits. Does Jake always snatch wood? Does Paula save up coins? Spotting patterns lets you predict future moves.

1. Observe what resources each player collects.
2. Note if someone avoids conflict.
3. Check for players hoarding cards.

React and Adapt

Finally, use what you learn. If someone aims for a mega-build, block them. If they look lost, maybe help—or just laugh. Stay alert, and you’ll have the upper hand when it counts.

That’s “How To Play simplicity” with a keen eye on your rivals!

Grab Some Friends and Out-Smart Them!

Alright, that wraps up my top tips for winning at Simplicity. To be honest, my friends still glare at me every time I win (which is most nights). But hey, following these strategies and focusing on “How To Play simplicity” makes all the diffrence.

Just remember—block those sneaky moves, balance your resources, and watch your rivals like a hawk. If you ever lose, just blame your chair or the dice.

Now go upset your game group, and may your victory chants be loud enough to scare the cat. Good luck!

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