Question 1

True or false: The game ends immediately when one player connects to 17 cities, regardless of turn order.

Accepted Answer

False. The game ends after the round in which a player reaches 17 or more cities, and the winner is the one who powers the most cities.

Question 2

True or false: In Power Grid, the order of play reverses after the first round, with the last player going first in subsequent rounds.

Accepted Answer

True. Turn order is determined by city count—fewer cities go first—but it doesn’t reverse; the leading player picks last in auctions.

Question 3

True or false: Power Grid’s map uses a fixed layout, so you always build in the same regions every game.

Accepted Answer

False. The board is fixed, but the game offers multiple maps (e.g., Germany, USA, China) and expansions, not a single static layout.

Question 4

True or false: In Power Grid, players can sell power plants back to the market at any time for half their cost.

Accepted Answer

False. You cannot sell plants back; you can only auction or discard them, usually when buying a new one or during cleanup.

Question 5

True or false: Power Grid was originally published under the name 'Funkenschlag' before being retitled for international release.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, the game debuted as 'Funkenschlag' (German for 'Spark') in 2004, then was renamed 'Power Grid' for English markets.

Question 6

True or false: The game’s resource costs never change during a single round, even if players buy large quantities.

Accepted Answer

True. Resources are purchased at current market prices, but the market resupplies each turn, so costs shift only between rounds.

Question 7

True or false: The original Power Grid board was designed for Germany, but the first English edition accidentally used a map of the USA.

Accepted Answer

True. The initial English release by Rio Grande Games swapped the German map for a USA map, causing confusion among early adopters.

Question 8

True or false: Power Grid’s resource market recycles step numbers to keep the game balanced across different player counts.

Accepted Answer

False. The step numbers (1, 2, 3) refer to game phases that change market dynamics, but they don’t recycle; they progress linearly.

Power Grid Trivia Questions