- BGG rank
- BGG #2,749
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Nightfall
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,826
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Monster City Planners
2013
Rules assistance for Monster City Planners
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Monster City Planners
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Monster City Planners is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Gary Dahl and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Pattern Building.
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About the game
As the sun pierces the morning fog, the harbor fills with the low rumbling roar of monster contractors checking in for another day of miscreation. Your job as urban planners is to strike a balance between serving diverse public interests, and managing ten-story tall monsters who are committed to leaving their marks on Monster City. Monster City Planners is a deeply strategic game with drafting, dual use cards, and hidden goal selection. Players start each round by choosing their hand of cards through a draft. Each card has two uses: 1) a monster action that changes the city plan, and 2) a unique scoring criteria for earning points. But you can only use each card for one of its two purposes. After the draft, players take turns constructing and demolishing buildings until both players yield. They then score points based on the unused cards that remain in their hand, and how well those cards' scoring criteria are reflected in the final city plan.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Sugar Pill Studios
Questions and answers
Monster City Planners supports 2–4 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 Monster City Planners is 20 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 Monster City Planners for ages 12 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.
Monster City Planners has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Monster City Planners belongs to these categories: Card Game and City Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Pattern Building. 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 Monster City Planners are: Gary Dahl. 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 Monster City Planners as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.