- BGG rating
- 6.8
Small City: Character Meeple Expansion 1 – The Political Activist
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,977
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Small City
2015
Rules assistance for Small City
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Small City
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Small City is a board game released in 2015 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Alban Viard and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Majority / Influence, and Simulation.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Small City: Player boards Expansion #1 – The Beach
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2015
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Small City: Character Meeple Expansion 2 – The Godzillas
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Small City: Player boards Expansion #2 – The Rivers
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Small City: Player boards Expansion #3 – The Forests
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Small City: The Big Tiles Expansion #1
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Small City around the world #1: Asian Cities
- 1–4 players
- 60–180 min
- 2017
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About the game
You are the mayor of one borough of Small City, and you have eight turns to secure enough votes to be re-elected. To do this, you have to attract more citizens, encourage the growth of residential areas for them to live in, and aid the expansion of both the commercial and industrial sectors – though the latter sector also brings pollution with it, and you need to deal with that, too, as high pollution levels will have a negative effect on your score at the end of the game. If you build suitable infrastructure, your citizens will undoubtedly vote for your re-election, but beware of false promises! Votes can be earned over the course of the game by placing citizens in the residential spaces, by erecting cultural buildings, by keeping commercial buildings in suitable areas, and also by making good on the promises that you made to the citizens at the beginning of the game. The player with the most votes (i.e., victory points) after eight turns wins.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- AVStudioGames
Questions and answers
Small City supports 1–4 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 Small City is 60–120 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 Small City 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.
Small City has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Small City belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Majority / Influence, and Simulation. 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 Small City are: Alban Viard. 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 Small City 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.