The Building Shuffle

I really like that part of the game “Lords of Waterdeep” where you buy buildings. Then others can use it for their own gain (the building’s special power), but the owner also gets some benefit (different, indicated underneath).

So, I was inspired to distill that down to its own game, with some twists.

Gameplay

Setup

Players start with low resources: X meeples.

The map starts with a single tile. There’s always a market of three tiles showing somewhere.

Start tile = multiple meeples can stand here to build a building, shows the start of the two rivers

Turns

Each turn, you can use your resources to use one of the buildings in the city. Once used, they do not return, not even meeples.

A building will give you something (new resources, a conversion, an action). But the owner will also get something.

Rounds

Once all building actions are taken (start tile + any additional ones), the round ends.

Each player checks their buildings and how to handle them. Can’t do any action at this given moment? Give away what you have to other players, as you see fit, and grab any three resources.

Check if the game ends (civilization floods). If not, continue play.

Objective & Winner

Play continues until the civilization floods. Over time, water tokens build up left and right. As soon as there is more water than buildings, or at least one water on each building, the game ends.

The player who is best equipped to survive after the flood wins. Count your resources, including those on buildings you own. Add extra points for buildings that stay standing. Highest number wins.

This should create a nice tug of war between “being prosperous and expansive now” and “stockpiling and being reserved for the future”

Buildings

Actions

Static = the building always does the same thing, on its own
Dynamic = the action depends. On neighbors, on row/column, on how resources are distributed on it or its neighbors, on how its connected to the rivers.
Stockpile = each round, more resources are added here, and someone using the building simply takes it all.

Rewards

Owner = the owner gets something from it
Generous = the neighbors get something from it
Picky = pick someone who gets the reward.

Rounds

Clear = completely clear all content
Take one = take one thing lying on top of the building.
Leave alone = do nothing with it
Trigger = some special unique action (that doesn’t depend on turn order or other players)

Limits

Most buildings show limits for how many meeple it can have. They might also have a limit on the other resources or stockpiling.

Possible Actions

Build a building. (The price of a building is included on the tile you use to build it? Maybe tiles restrict then what types of buildings you can build? Like, for 1 meeple only, you can only build a white building, nothing more complicated than that.)
Destroy existing building
Move/rotate existing building
Get a new meeple. (Return one meeple.)
Capture all the meeples on another building. (Capture all resources, or all resources of type X, from another building.)
Steal a resource on a neighbor building

Yeah, seems sensible to group buildings with color/pattern anyway. Otherwise, actions might get out of hand or always have a “superior option”.

Resources

People, Food, Water, Stone.

Buildings often give more water if they are connected to the river.

Campaign

Gradually build the game.

Level 1 = only basic buildings (cheap, three resources, no special limits or anything)
Level 2 = more complicated buildings (expensive, four resources, special stuff, give points at the end)
Level 3 = all buildings and all rules

Theme

Themed around the Indus River Civilizations? The early civs around the Tigris & Euphrates?

The starting tile has two rivers. All other tiles can also show rivers. Either:

Your tile must match the current river layout. (The Tigris/Euphrates must always keep running.)
You get great bonuses (or penalties) by being a part of the river.

Themed around the idea of “resource scarcity”. You don’t have a fixed supply of “meeple” to use each round. Whenever you use a resource for something, it is used and doesn’t return.

As such, you must constantly ensure you gain enough from what you invest.

(The same is true for all other resources: there should be two or three of them.)

Questions / Issues

QUESTION 1: How to clearly indicate who owns a building, without it becoming a mess? Do a reserved section, a cut-out, on the tiles? (In which people places their tokens.)

QUESTION 2: The start player will always build that first building now, and other players will be able to do resource stuff. Doesn’t that leave the start player without any resources? => NO, because others will use that first building of his, which will give him something.

QUESTION 3: What if the type of building you’re allowed to build (“white building”) simply isn’t in the market?

I really like that part of the game "Lords of Waterdeep" where you buy *buildings*. Then others can *use* it for their own gain (the building's special power), but the owner also gets some *benefit* (different, indicated underneath). So, I was inspired to distill that down to its own game, with some twists. ## Gameplay ### Setup Players start with low resources: X meeples. The map starts with a single tile. There's always a market of *three tiles* showing somewhere. > **Start tile =** multiple meeples can stand here to *build a building*, shows the start of the two rivers ### Turns Each turn, you can use your resources to use one of the buildings in the city. Once used, they do not return, not even meeples. A building will give *you* something (new resources, a conversion, an action). But the owner will *also* get something. ### Rounds Once all **building actions are taken** (start tile + any additional ones), the round ends. Each player checks their buildings and how to handle them. Can't do any action at this given moment? Give away what you have to other players, as you see fit, and grab any three resources. Check if the game ends (civilization floods). If not, continue play. ### Objective & Winner Play continues until **the civilization floods.** Over time, water tokens build up left and right. As soon as there is more water than buildings, or at least one water on each building, the game ends. The player who is **best equipped to survive after the flood** wins. Count your resources, including those on buildings you own. Add extra points for buildings that stay standing. Highest number wins. > *This should create a nice tug of war between "being prosperous and expansive now" and "stockpiling and being reserved for the future"* ## Buildings ### Actions * **Static =** the building always does the same thing, on its own * **Dynamic** = the action depends. On neighbors, on row/column, on how resources are distributed on it or its neighbors, on how its connected to the rivers. * **Stockpile =** each round, more resources are added here, and someone using the building simply takes it all. ### Rewards * **Owner** = the *owner* gets something from it * **Generous** = the *neighbors* get something from it * **Picky =** pick *someone* who gets the reward. ### Rounds * **Clear** = completely clear all content * **Take one** = take one thing lying on top of the building. * **Leave alone** = do nothing with it * **Trigger =** some special unique action (that doesn't depend on turn order or other players) ### Limits Most buildings show limits for *how many meeple* it can have. They *might* also have a limit on the other resources or stockpiling. ### Possible Actions - Build a building. (The price of a building is included on the *tile* you use to build it? Maybe tiles restrict then what *types* of buildings you can build? Like, for 1 meeple only, you can only build a *white* building, nothing more complicated than that.) - Destroy existing building - Move/rotate existing building - Get a new meeple. (Return one meeple.) - Capture all the meeples on another building. (Capture all resources, or all resources of type X, from another building.) - Steal a resource on a neighbor building Yeah, seems sensible to group buildings with color/pattern anyway. Otherwise, actions might get out of hand *or* always have a "superior option". ## Resources People, Food, Water, Stone. Buildings often give more *water* if they are *connected to the river*. ## Campaign Gradually build the game. - **Level 1 =** only basic buildings (cheap, three resources, no special limits or anything) - **Level 2 =** more complicated buildings (expensive, four resources, special stuff, give points at the end) - **Level 3 =** all buildings and all rules ## Theme Themed around the Indus River Civilizations? The early civs around the Tigris & Euphrates? The starting tile has two rivers. All other tiles can also show rivers. Either: - Your tile *must* match the current river layout. (The Tigris/Euphrates must always keep running.) - You get great bonuses (or penalties) by being a part of the river. Themed around the idea of "resource scarcity". You *don't* have a fixed supply of "meeple" to use each round. Whenever you use a resource for something, it is *used* and doesn't return. As such, you must constantly ensure you *gain* enough from what you *invest*. (The same is true for all other resources: there should be two or three of them.) ## Questions / Issues **QUESTION 1:** How to clearly indicate who *owns* a building, without it becoming a mess? Do a reserved section, a cut-out, on the tiles? (In which people places their tokens.) **QUESTION 2:** The start player will *always* build that first building now, and other players will be able to do resource stuff. Doesn't that leave the start player without any resources? => NO, because others will use that first building of his, which will give him *something*. **QUESTION 3:** What if the type of building you're allowed to build ("white building") simply isn't in the market?