- BGG rank
- BGG #75
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Power Grid
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2004
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Rules assistance for Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa is an expansion for Funkenschlag: EnBW released in 2019 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Friedemann Friese and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, and Market.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #406
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Power Grid Deluxe: Europe/North America
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,796
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Power Grid: Outpost
- 2–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,085
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Power Grid: The Card Game
- 2–6 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,984
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Funkenschlag
- 2–6 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,169
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Mégawatts
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,048
- BGG rating
- 6.2
504
- 2–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,786
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Findorff
- 1–5 players
- 75 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #366
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Great Zimbabwe
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,471
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Power Grid: Factory Manager
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,572
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Friesematenten
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,372
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Formidable Farm
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2025
About the game
Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa is a pair of expansion maps for Power Grid! • For decades, there has been an abundance of oil in the Middle East. However, in the near future the so-called "peak oil" threatens this area: This is the point in time when the output of the oil wells begins to decrease. Already, a few countries of this region have nuclear power plants, and that number will increase in the future as the amount of oil from the wells diminishes. Most likely, other energy sources will play a part, too, such as the recycling of plastic waste. The players start the game with an excessive supply of oil. Additionally, the players have access to plenty of natural gas (using the coal tokens of the base game) and a few solar plants (the green power plants). However, at the start of the game the players cannot buy nuclear or garbage power plants. During Step 2, the abundance of oil and natural gas will run dry. Both nuclear and garbage power plants will then be available as alternatives. Thus, in the middle of the game the players are forced to adjust their power plant mix. • The energy supply in South Africa is executed almost exclusively by a single trust, which is the seventh biggest energy supplier in the world measured against the production of energy. Roughly 90% of the energy is produced in coal power plants. Additionally, South Africa uses a few nuclear power plants and both water and wind ecological power plants. Because of its size, the trust also supplies half of the rest of Africa with energy. Thus, the game board contains six international power connections and a lot of available coal.
Designers
Publishers
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Rio Grande Games
- 2F-Spiele
Questions and answers
Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa supports 2–6 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 Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa is 120 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 Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa 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.
Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa belongs to these categories: Economic, Industry / Manufacturing, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, and Market. 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 Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa are: Friedemann Friese. 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 Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa as an expansion for Funkenschlag: EnBW. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Funkenschlag: EnBW to use it. Check that your edition of Funkenschlag: EnBW is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.