# Power Grid

Power Grid is a board game for 2–6 players. It plays in 120 minutes and is meant for ages 12 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7.5 out of 10 by 190 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $35.94 (United States).

- **Players:** 2–6 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 12+
- **Complexity:** 3.2 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2004
- **Categories:** Industry / Manufacturing, Economic
- **Mechanics:** Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, Income, Auction: Turn Order Until Pass, Variable Set-up, Turn Order: Stat-Based, Market, Catch the Leader
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.5 out of 10, from 190 reviews
- **Owned by:** 346 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 879
- **Unique players:** 1,231

**Designers:** Friedemann Friese

**Artists:** Domonkos Bence, Antonio Dessi, Lars-Arne "Maura" Kalusky, Jorge Tabanera Redondo, Harald Lieske, Prapach Lapamnuaysap

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rampi Games | 31.5 € | https://www.rampigames.com/juego-de-mesa/alta-tension/ |
| eFantasy | 34.99 € | https://www.efantasy.gr/en/products/board-games/71323-board-game-power-grid-%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C |
| Alphaspel | 349 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/356723-power-grid-eng-regler |
| Milan Spiele | 35.1 € | https://www.milan-spiele.de/funkenschlag-recharged-version-p-24663.html |
| Outlet Games | 40.23 € | https://www.outletgames.es/juegos-de-mesa/2-tomatoes-games/alta-tension-edicion-reenergizada-p-2TG-2TAT01.html |
| Dungeon Marvels | 44.06 € | https://dungeonmarvels.com/alta-tension-edicion-reenergizada-2026-99695.html |

## Expansions

- [Power Grid: The New Power Plants – Set 1](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-the-new-power-plants-set-1)
- [Power Grid: Benelux/Central Europe](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-beneluxcentral-europe)
- [Power Grid: France/Italy](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-franceitaly)
- [Power Grid: China/Korea](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-chinakorea)
- [Power Grid: The Robots](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-the-robots)
- [Power Grid: Brazil/Spain & Portugal](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-brazilspain-and-portugal)
- [Power Grid: Russia & Japan](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-russia-and-japan)
- [Power Grid: Northern Europe/United Kingdom & Ireland](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-northern-europeunited-kingdom-and-ireland)
- [Power Grid: Australia & Indian Subcontinent](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-australia-and-indian-subcontinent)
- [Power Grid: Québec/Baden-Württemberg](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-quebecbaden-wurttemberg)
- [Power Grid: BGG Promo Card Set](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-bgg-promo-card-set)
- [Power Grid: Flux Generator](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-flux-generator)
- [Power Grid: Taxes](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-taxes)
- [Power Grid: The Stock Companies](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-the-stock-companies)
- [Power Grid: Transformer Station](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-transformer-station)
- [Power Grid: Supply Contract](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-supply-contract)
- [Power Grid: Fabled Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-fabled-expansion)
- [Power Grid: Oracle & Industrial Espionage](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-oracle-and-industrial-espionage)
- [Power Grid: Warehouse](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-warehouse)
- [Power Grid: Theme Park](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-theme-park)
- [Power Grid: Middle East/South Africa](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-middle-eastsouth-africa)
- [Power Grid: The New Power Plants – Set 2](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-the-new-power-plants-set-2)
- [Power Grid: High-Voltage DC Transmission Passage C](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-high-voltage-dc-transmission-passage-c)
- [Power Grid: Europe/North America](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-europenorth-america)
- [Power Grid: Bremen/Manhattan](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-bremenmanhattan)
- [Brettspiel Adventskalender 2015](https://www.ludoya.com/games/brettspiel-adventskalender-2015)
- [Atolla Modulis (fan expansion for Funkenschlag)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/atolla-modulis-fan-expansion-for-funkenschlag)
- [Funkenschlag: Speicherkraftwerk](https://www.ludoya.com/games/funkenschlag-speicherkraftwerk)
- [Hoogspanning: Het Verre Oosten](https://www.ludoya.com/games/hoogspanning-het-verre-oosten)
- [New Plants (fan expansion for Power Grid)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/new-plants-fan-expansion-for-power-grid)
- [Power Grid: Industrial Espionage](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-industrial-espionage)
- [파워그리드 재충전 확장: 지도 모음집 (Power Grid Recharged – Map Collection)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-recharged-map-collection)
- [Funkenschlag: Die Ersten Funken – Orakel](https://www.ludoya.com/games/funkenschlag-orakel)
- [Morphogea: A Modular Hex Map (fan expansion for Power Grid)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/morphogea-a-modular-hex-map-for-power-grid-fan-expansion-for-power-grid)
- [Hoogspanning: Uitbreiding Benelux](https://www.ludoya.com/games/hoogspanning-uitbreiding-benelux)

## Similar games

- [Power Grid Deluxe: Europe/North America](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-deluxe-europenorth-america)
- [Power Grid: Outpost](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid-outpost)
- [Mégawatts](https://www.ludoya.com/games/megawatts)
- [Funkenschlag: EnBW](https://www.ludoya.com/games/funkenschlag-enbw)
- [Funkenschlag](https://www.ludoya.com/games/funkenschlag)
- [The Great Zimbabwe](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-great-zimbabwe)
- [Food Chain Magnate: Deluxe Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/food-chain-magnate-deluxe-edition)
- [Barrage](https://www.ludoya.com/games/barrage)
- [Brass: Pittsburgh](https://www.ludoya.com/games/brass-pittsburgh)
- [Age of Industry](https://www.ludoya.com/games/age-of-industry-2)
- [Underwater Cities](https://www.ludoya.com/games/underwater-cities)
- [Trans-Siberian Railroad](https://www.ludoya.com/games/trans-siberian-railroad)

## Rules questions

### How is player order determined each round?

The player with the most cities is first; ties are broken by who owns the largest‑numbered power plant — place that player in first and continue likewise (Phase 1). (See page 3.)

### How many power plants can I own — what if I buy a fourth?

Normally a player may own only 3 power plants; if you buy a fourth you must immediately discard one of your other plants and may move matching resources to your remaining plants, otherwise returned to the resource supply (not the market). (See page 3; 2‑player exception listed on page 7.)

### How much resource can each power plant store — can I stockpile?

Each power plant can store up to twice the number of resources it consumes when producing (but it still only produces the stated number of cities); hybrids may store either resource they use, ecological plants store none. (See page 4.)

### When do we buy resources and who buys first?

Resource buying is Phase 3 and is done in reverse player order (the last player in turn order buys first); you may only buy resources for plants you own and only up to each plant’s storage limit. (See page 4.)

### How many cities can I build in one turn and do they have to connect?

You may add any number of cities in a round as long as you can pay the connection and building costs, but every new city must connect to your existing network (you cannot start a second network); place your house on the lowest available price slot in the city. (See pages 4–5.)

### What if there aren’t enough resource tokens to re‑supply the market?

If the supply lacks enough tokens you only place what remains (resources in the game are limited); uranium is refilled one token per specified high spaces and is never placed more than once per space. (See page 6.)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/power-grid)
- [Power Grid in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/power-grid)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._