
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,807
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Machi Koro: Bright Lights, Big City
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2016

Rules assistance for Machi Koro: Harbor
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Machi Koro: Harbor is an expansion for Machi Koro released in 2012 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Masao Suganuma and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Dice Rolling.
Its election time in Machi Koro and your mayorship is in peril. The citizens are no longer wowed by Cheese Factories and Coffee Shops. Winning reelection means going big. Remember that bay that the cheese factories have been dumping their unsold Gouda into all these years? Your salvation lies in rehabbing that polluted body of water northeast of town. So get ready to roll up your sleeves and earn those votes. A harbor with fancy boats and sushi bars and a shiny new airport will surely bring more gold to town and more gratitude! Sure, the city might not have the money in its coffers to pay for all this, but that never stopped you before. The Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion injects further excitement into the game that has everyone talking! Want even more fun in your box?! Perhaps ten new establishments, one new starting establishment and two new landmarks will help? Machi Koro the Harbor expansion requires the base game Machi Koro to play and is designed to add more variety, strategy and a 5th player to the smash hit Machi Koro. Say hello to more variety, more nail biting and MORE players! The Harbor Expansion is an absolute must for bonafide Machi- whizzes and newbies alike! Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion includes cards that allow for up to five players to compete at the same time (82 cards total), as well as all the new cards from Machi Koro Plus.
Machi Koro: Harbor supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Machi Koro: Harbor is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Machi Koro: Harbor for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Machi Koro: Harbor has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Machi Koro: Harbor belongs to these categories: Card Game, Dice, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Machi Koro: Harbor are: Masao Suganuma. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Machi Koro: Harbor as an expansion for Machi Koro. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Machi Koro to use it. Check that your edition of Machi Koro is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.