“When I get to your age I want my name to be a Verb too”. Quote of the evening. The Expression “To Drax it” came from playing Powergrid. It means to fatally overextend yourself. In the case of Powergrid to spend all your money on a fantastic powerstation but then realise you have nothing left over to pay for fuel for it. Fur coat, no plutonium if you will.
I have a love hate relationship with Powergrid. I love it, it hates me. Well that’s not true, I’m fond of it and it hates me. I have never EVER won a game of it and I can’t say why. Just like Modern Art the maths are complicated and unlike other games where I get a feel for them. I can’t put my finger on a way of winning Powergrid. That is all.
As as game it’s good. It’s been around as long as Adam’s fig leaf and it’s one of the popular kids like Catan, Caracassone. Ticket to ride. It’s a wholesome, safe, nice game. It hates me.
Drax had a new shiny copy of it so it was important to play it and put our mark on it. Guess who won! ? wasn’t me. Guess who came last?… good guess.
Powergrid is a worker placement game with a limited bit of map based conquest. Each player takes the part of a power company who bid and build ever more efficient power stations and try and expand the amount of households they power. Powering houses equals more income that can be spent on building more connections, better power stations and most importantly fuel to power them. The cock blockery (because it wouldn’t be a real game if there wasn’t some) comes in outbidding your opponents on power stations, making them pay more than they should for them in bidding, bumping up the price of fuel and sneaking in ahead of someone else and stealing a good spot on the map.
The game is pure attrition, make the others pay more than you for everything whilst you pay less and you should win… well I’m still waiting on a win.
the game has more expansions than Malibu Stacey has outfits, some of which I’ve played and have been good fun.
It’s a fine game. It’s NOT an essential game for your collection. If I wound up with a copy of it I’d be happy as a pig in muck. I’m quite happy to play it and one day I’m sure I may even win but there’s a lot of other games out there that are better. The Maths in the game are a bit of a pain especially later as you’re figuring out what to buy and it does lend itself to analysis paralysis if your group indulges it.
If you get your hands on this game at a good price go for it. If you get a chance to play it, go for it. Chances are it doesn’t hate you
Huzzah!
Vic
Victor Gannon Games 
The tenth Anniversary edition will be released this Autumn.
Great game. Yes, very mathy and prone to AP but for me the mechanics (auction, area control-ish, economic management and cock-blockery) along with the beautiful map(s) make it great. Oh I also have yet to win a game. Some day, some day….
Yeah, the maths side tends to push people off when it comes to adding up the cost of connecting, I find.