Happy City

Buy buildings, collect income and race to ten cards in a small, speedy city-building card game.

Designers: Airu Sato, Toshiki Sato
Published by: Cocktail Games
Editions by: Gamewright, Rebel Sp. z o.o., Broadway Toys LTD, Reflexshop, ADC Blackfire Entertainment, Lifestyle Boardgames Ltd, Ghenos Games, Game Factory, Happy Baobab, Coiledspring Games, Ігромаг

You start with a humble market and want a thriving mini-metropolis of ten buildings by the end. Every round you collect coins from the income symbols on your cards, then take your turn: optionally bin one building from the market, reveal up to three cards from any of the three building decks, and then either buy one card from the supply or buy nothing and take a coin. No duplicates in your city, so you have to diversify. Bonus buildings are up for grabs when your city meets their conditions. The moment someone adds a tenth card, the game ends and everyone finishes the round. Happy City is a small card builder with a light hand and a quick pace, about half an hour, and its cheerful look fools nobody about the little economic decisions inside.

Reveal up to three cards from three decks each turnNo duplicate buildings in your cityBonus buildings for meeting set conditions

Who it's for

You want a short, light city builder with decks and an economy, for two to five people, that plays in about thirty minutes.

Not for you if…

You want deep planning or lots of player interaction. It is a quick tableau race, and the decisions stay small.

Vibe's take

Breezy and cheerful, with real little decisions: which deck to reveal from, whether to save a coin or buy now. The economy ticks upward quickly and the end arrives sooner than you expect.