<p>The Benelux map only has 5x7=35 cities, which is too few for 5 players. We should have played the Middle Europe map limited to 40 cities, but the house rule of starting phase 2 when phase 1 houses are sold out still made for a close and fun game:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mLKorLZD.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mLKorLZD.jpg" alt="Power Grid Benelux, new plants, too many players for this map." /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T13:37:08.007Z
2024-09-03T10:40:31.730Z
2024-09-03T10:40:31.730Z
Cees Timmerman
<p><strike>You have the rules wrong</strike></p>
<p>In a 5 player game, 7 cities are required to trigger step 2. I'm finding it difficult to find an online copy of the official rules for the original (non-&quot;recharged&quot;) variant, but here's the table from page 7 of my Rio Grande copy (copyright 2004, 2011 2F-Spiele):</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/0kJqSq1C.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0kJqSq1C.jpg" alt="Photo of page 7 of the Power Grid rulebook, showing how various properties change with the number of players" /></a></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.riograndegames.com/games/power-grid-benelux-central-europe/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">official Benelux rules from the Rio Grande website</a> do <em>not</em> change the trigger conditions, so my current theory is that whoever did the &quot;translation&quot; of the rules into the Dutch version you have shown took some fairly large liberties they shouldn't have taken.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T12:39:43.350Z
How do you know OP's not recharged? (FWIW, this particular aspect seems to be the same in both)
Andrew Savinykh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T12:44:26.590Z
@AndrewSavinykh Fair point. I sort of assumed they would have said "Recharged" if they were playing that version but I admit that may not be a correct assumption. But as you say, doesn't matter.
Philip Kendall
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T13:31:15.170Z
It's my first time, new plants Benelux, not Recharged, and this map has only 5x7=35 cities.
Cees Timmerman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T13:41:40.943Z
@CeesTimmerman Hmmm, interesting. Updated this answer to show that the offical Rio Grande rules do not have that table you have shown.
Philip Kendall
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-31T12:35:33.637Z
2024-08-31T13:41:11.977Z
2024-08-31T13:41:11.977Z
Philip Kendall
<p>In this 5 player game, it appears to be impossible to reach the 8 house threshold for phase 2, so we house ruled phase 2 if all phase 1 houses are sold. Was that a good call?  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/8MGQFnnT.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8MGQFnnT.jpg" alt="Power Grid board game stalled in phase 1" /></a></p>
<p>I'm told it's the Benelux version with new plants, and the other side of the board (Middle Europe) does have enough cities.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/oJcjO14A.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/oJcjO14A.jpg" alt="Benelux rules" /></a></p>

<power-grid>
Power Grid Benelux phase 2 without one player having 8 houses
Cees Timmerman
# Power Grid Benelux phase 2 without one player having 8 houses

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-31)

In this 5 player game, it appears to be impossible to reach the 8 house threshold for phase 2, so we house ruled phase 2 if all phase 1 houses are sold. Was that a good call? [![Power Grid board game stalled in phase 1](https://i.sstatic.net/8MGQFnnT.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/8MGQFnnT.jpg)

I'm told it's the Benelux version with new plants, and the other side of the board (Middle Europe) does have enough cities.

[![Benelux rules](https://i.sstatic.net/oJcjO14A.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/oJcjO14A.jpg)

**Tags:** power-grid


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2024-08-31. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

The Benelux map only has 5x7=35 cities, which is too few for 5 players. We should have played the Middle Europe map limited to 40 cities, but the house rule of starting phase 2 when phase 1 houses are sold out still made for a close and fun game:

[![Power Grid Benelux, new plants, too many players for this map.](https://i.sstatic.net/mLKorLZD.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/mLKorLZD.jpg)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-31. Score: 2

You have the rules wrong

In a 5 player game, 7 cities are required to trigger step 2. I'm finding it difficult to find an online copy of the official rules for the original (non-"recharged") variant, but here's the table from page 7 of my Rio Grande copy (copyright 2004, 2011 2F-Spiele):

[![Photo of page 7 of the Power Grid rulebook, showing how various properties change with the number of players](https://i.sstatic.net/0kJqSq1C.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/0kJqSq1C.jpg)

The [official Benelux rules from the Rio Grande website](https://www.riograndegames.com/games/power-grid-benelux-central-europe/) do *not* change the trigger conditions, so my current theory is that whoever did the "translation" of the rules into the Dutch version you have shown took some fairly large liberties they shouldn't have taken.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: How do you know OP's not recharged? (FWIW, this particular aspect seems to be the same in both)  
> **username_1**: @AndrewSavinykh Fair point. I sort of assumed they would have said "Recharged" if they were playing that version but I admit that may not be a correct assumption. But as you say, doesn't matter.  
> **username_0**: It's my first time, new plants Benelux, not Recharged, and this map has only 5x7=35 cities.  
> **username_1**: @CeesTimmerman Hmmm, interesting. Updated this answer to show that the offical Rio Grande rules do not have that table you have shown.  

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