Underwater cities - solo
I. setup
 Place the Game Board the 2 player side up.
 Put the following game components at hand:
Resource tokens (Kelp, Steelplast, Science, Biomatter, and
Credits), Buildings (green Kelp Farms, white Labs, and yellow
Desalination Plants), Tunnels, Cities (white) and 7 Symbiotic Cities
(dark red).
 Separately shuffle the Era 1-3 decks. Place the Era 1 deck on the
board (upper right) and deal each player 6 cards.
 Separate the Special “S” cards into “1 or 2-cost” cost cards and
“3” cost cards. Shuffle the “1” and “2” cost deck, and place it in
its space on the board face-down. Flip the top card over and
leave it on the top of the deck. Randomly pick 6 of the “3” cost
cards and lay them out face-up on their board spaces. The rest of
the “3” cost cards go back to the box, out of play.
 Take a Player Board. Use the advanced game side.
 Choose your colour. Take 2 wooden markers in that colour (Score
and Federation Track markers) and one white marker (Era
marker). Take a starting Personal Assistant “A” card, a Player Aid
card and an End-Game Scoring card. Take also 3 action tiles in
your colour, 3 “opponent” action tiles in a different colour and 1
penalty action tile in yet a different colour.
 Put a Score marker on space “0” of the score track, a Federation
Track marker on its space below the Federation Track (ignore the
player order track completely), and finally put an Era marker at
the starting box of the Time Track (bottom right).
 Take 1 Kelp, 1 Steelplast, 1 Science and 2 Credits.
 Place 1 non-Symbiotic City on the bottom right round space of
the Player Board. This is your starting City.
 Take 2 random blue and 1 random brown Metropolis tile (don’t
use the brown tile that awards a number of cities built) and place
them face-up on the player board in the 3 corners (the brown tile
must go to the upper left) .
 Take the 3 “opponent” action tiles 1 in each right-most action
slot of each of the 3 coloured slot areas.
 Government Contract Cards are not used in solo play.
II. play 10 rounds over 3 eras
Underwater Cities is played over 3 Eras. Each Era is divided into
Rounds (4,3 and 3). Each Era is ended by a Production Phase. Each
Round consists of 3 consecutive Turns. On each Turn, you play one
card, take one action slot and resolve all allowed actions, mainly
building your underwater Network. After the final Production Phase,
the game ends and End Game Scoring occurs.
Start of a Round
1. If you did not advance on the Federation track on your previous
Round, you will have a 4th slot blocked this Round. Flip over the
top Era card, note the number at the bottom, and add its digits
together. Starting with the right-most green space, count out the
equal number and action slots clockwise and block off the slot
you reach with the penalty tile. If the slot is already blocked,
place the penalty tile on the next empty slot.
2. Discard from your hand down to 3 cards. The “1 or 2-cost”
Special cards are put on the bottom of their deck, the ”3-cost”
Special cards are removed from the game and the Era cards from
previous eras are put with their particular decks.
v.1.
game flow in short
I. SETUP
II. PLAY 10 ROUNDS OVER 3 ERAS
ONE ROUND
th
1. Block a 4 slot with the penalty tile if you haven’t
progressed on Federation Track last Round.
2. Discard from your hand down to 3 cards.
3. TAKE 3 CONSECUTIVE TURNS (see below).
4. Take back your action tiles, move all “opponent”
blocking tiles one slot clockwise and remove the
penalty tile (if any).
5. Return your Federation Track marker below space “4”.
6. Any time it reaches a Production symbol box, execute
the PRODUCTION PHASE AND CONCLUDE THE ERA (see
below).
7. Start another Round. If you have finished your 10th
Round, execute the END GAME SCORING and end the
game.
ONE TURN
1. Play one card AND take one action slot.
2. Resolve all actions you are allowed to (the action slot,
the card just played, the claimed cards)
3. Draw one card.
PRODUCTION PHASE / COCNLUDE ERA
1. Produce resources and feed the Cities.
2. Replace the current Era cards with the next Era cards
and draw 3 cards from the new deck.
3. Ready all used Action cards.
4. Advance the Era marker to the next box.
III. END GAME SCORING
Play 3 Turns
1. Place 1 of your action tiles on an empty slot in the yellow, green,
or red areas (or use the “always open”, “colourless” slot in the
middle) AND play one card from your hand.
2. Then
a. If the card colour matches the slot colour, the card may also
be used (see “The Cards” below.) You can carry out all the
actions on the chosen slot (in any order) before or after you
use the action on your card. The card action cannot interrupt
the slot actions being carried out though (if more than one).
Note: The “colourless” slot never matches.
b. If the card colour doesn’t match the slot colour, the card is
simply discarded without any effect. You can carry out all the
actions on the chosen slot
Note: A slot can offer more than one action (build two Tunnels).
You have to be able to execute at least a part of the slot action
(build one Tunnel), otherwise you cannot choose it.
3. Draw 1 card from the Era deck and start another Turn.
If you have placed your last action tile, the Round is over.
End of a Round
1. Take back your action tiles, move all the “opponent” tiles 1 slot
clockwise and remove the penalty tile (if any).
2. Return your Federation Track marker below space “4”.
3. Advance the Era marker. If it reaches a Production symbol (gears)
box, proceed with a Production Phase. Otherwise, start another
Round. If this was the end of Round 10, execute the last
Production Phase and then proceed to End Game Scoring.
Production Phase:
1. Connected Buildings, Tunnels, Cities and some Metropolises will
produce resources and VPs now.
 The “Underwater Network” chapter on the next page lets you
see when the parts are connected to your Network.
 Upgraded Structures produce extra.
 If you have 2 upgraded Buildings of the same type next to the
same City, there is a synergetic Production bonus.
 Symbiotic Cities produce 2 VP each, non-symbiotic Cities do
not produce anything.
2. Your claimed cards with Production symbol will produce.
3. Feed the connected Cities. Discard 1 Kelp per City. If you run out
of Kelp, use Biomatter and if you run out of Biomatter, spend 3
VPs per City left (can’t go below 0 VPs).
4. Ready all used Action cards by rotating them to the upright
position. They are ready to be used during the next Era.
5. Remove all the finished Era’s cards, and put the next Era’s deck
on the board.
6. Draw 3 cards from the new deck (you will discard down to 3
cards at the start of the next Round).
7. Advance the Era marker to next Round box.
III. End-game scoring
Score End-Game VPs in the following order:
1. Check your connected brown Metropolis tile. Score VPs based on
how well you satisfied the conditions.
2. Score VPs earned from all cards you have claimed. Some End-
Game cards require you to “spend” resources to earn the VPs
shown.
3. Going City by City, score VPs based on different Building types
surrounding the City. Score 2 /3 /4 / 6 VPs for each connected
City that has 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 different Building around it (upgraded or
not).
4. Cash in your Biomatter for 2 Credits each, then cash in your Kelp,
Science, and Steelplast for 1 Credit each.
5. Lastly, for every 4 Credits you now have, earn 1 VP.
Victory conditions
You win if you have 7 connected cities and at least 100 VPs at the end
of the game.
The cards
Each card has a colour (yellow, red or green). Cards are first played
from your hand (as you are taking a slot), and then they are:
 discarded without using (the colour doesn’t match)
 discarded without using (Player’s decision)
 used and discarded (Instant cards)
 claimed (non-Instant cards). Claimed cards go to the claimed
cards area where they either have lasting effect or wait for their
moment to trigger.
Era Cards:
Era cards are drawn from their deck at the end of each Turn.
In the upper left corner, each card has a symbol defining its type:
Instant cards.
 When played, use its effect and discard it.
Action cards.
 They must be claimed to be used.
 Claimed Action cards can be executed when an “A”
card/slot action permits them. After using it, rotate it 90
degrees to mark you cannot use them again this Era.
 You can only have a maximum of 4 Action cards (that
includes Personal Assistant) in front of you at any time. If
you want to claim a 5th “A” card, discard down to 4 first.
 If the “A” card you are discarding hasn’t been used yet
this Era, you can use it before you discard it.
 You can use an Action card during the same slot action
you have played it for, if the slot action permits it.
Permanent Effect cards.
 They must be claimed to be used.
 The abilities on these cards are lasting, and happen
usually when a condition is met, even on the same turn
they have been claimed.
Production cards.
They must be claimed to be used.
They trigger only during the Production Phase.
End-Game scoring cards.
They must be claimed to be used.
They trigger only during the End-Game Scoring.
Special Cards:
Special cards comprise of the all above mentioned types.
They are gained via. the “S” slot action from their designated board
deck/space. When gained, they go into your hand like the drawn Era
cards. The main difference is that when you later play them, you also
have to pay 1-3 Credits as shown on each card. If you ever decide to
discard a Special card, the “1” and “2” cost cards go on the bottom of
their deck and the “3” cost cards go to the game box (out of play).
There are 3 ways to gain a Special card via the “S” action:
 Take the top card from the “1” and “2” cost deck (which is always
face-up). Put it in your hand. Flip the next card face-up.
 Put the face-up card from the top of the “1” and “2” cost deck to
the bottom and draw 3 cards from that deck. Pick one to put in
your hand, and the other 2 on the bottom of the deck. Turn over
the top card, so it is face-up.
 Take 1 of the remaining 3 cost cards (don’t replace it) and put it
in your hand. These are all end game scoring cards.
The underwater network
Starting with you starting City and spreading over your Game Board,
you build a Network of underwater Cities. The Cities are connected
with Tunnels and surrounded by supporting Buildings. The whole
Network can be later connected to ground-based Metropolises.
 You can only build a part of your Network on an empty site
(designated for that part) when a slot or card action lets you.
 Building parts of your Network and connecting them to your
Network so they can produce, are two different things. Built parts
are not automatically connected to your Network.
Metropolises
 Building restrictions: There are none. Metropolises are placed
during the Setup. You don’t build them.
 To make it connected: You must reach it with a legally built
Tunnel (or two on one site if needed).
 As soon as you connect a Metropolis to your Network, you can
use its immediate bonus . Later on, you can use its Production
or End-Game Scoring bonus.
 Metropolises cannot be upgraded.

Cities GENERAL BUILDING notes

 There are 2 types of Cities in the game - common Cities (white)  Building site bonuses: If you ever build on a site with a symbol,
and Symbiotic Cities (dark red). The only differences are the price take that bonus immediately.
and the fact that the connected Symbiotic Cities produce VPs.  Surcharges: Some building sites are framed in red. Those sites
 All players start with 1 “starting” common City which is the have an extra building cost pictured on them and an extra
starting point for everything in your Network. Production Bonus pictured next to them. The surcharge cost
 Building restrictions: The new City must be adjacent to an must be paid after any discounts or cost reductions have applied.
existing City, which means there must be a Tunnel or one empty  You can always substitute Kelp or Steelplast with Biomatter while
Tunnel site between them. paying the building cost but not for the Surcharge cost.
 To make it connected: There must not be an empty Tunnel site  Production multipliers: Some building sites multiply their
between this city and the starting City. standard production. The multiplier is printed next to the site.
 Cities cannot be upgraded.
 To build a City, choose which type and pay the appropriate cost
as shown on your Player Aid. Follow the building restrictions
Assorted notes
Buildings • Only Cities, Metropolises and Structures connected to your
 Also referred as “Structures” along with Tunnels. network will produce during the Production Phase.
 There are 3 Buildings in the game represented by small discs - • If you use an Instant Special Card, don’t discard it. Keep it under
green Kelp Farms, white Laboratories, and yellow Desalination your player board.
Plants.
• Card actions are always optional.
 Each City space has 3 available circular building sites for
Buildings. City can have multiple Buildings of the same type. The • When you are choosing a slot to take, you must be able to carry
extra dotted-line sites can only be accessed via cards that allow it. out at least one of its actions, otherwise you cannot chose it .
 Building restrictions: A Building can be build next to an existing
City or next to an empty building site where a City could be
legally build.
 To build it, pay the cost and follow the building restrictions.
 To make it connected: It must be next to a connected City.
 Buildings do 2 things - if built around a connected city, a Building
will produce during Production Phase. Also, at the end of the
game, the more different types of Buildings you have around a
connected City, the more VPs that City will be worth.
 Buildings can be upgraded to produce more. After you have paid,
place a 2nd disc on top of the 1st one to mark it has been
upgraded.
 Synergetic production: If a connected City has 2 upgraded
Buildings of the same kind, they synergize to produce even more
stuff (see the upper right area of the Player Aid).

Tunnels
 Also referred as “Structures” along with Buildings.
 Building restrictions: Tunnels must be built so there is no empty
Tunnel site between two Tunnels (there can be an empty City site
though).
 To build a Tunnel, pay the cost and place the Tunnel with the
basic side up, following the building restrictions.
 To make it connected: There must not be an empty City site
between this Tunnel and the starting City.
 Tunnels can be upgraded to produce more. After you have paid,
simply flip it over.