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Saint Petersburg (Second Edition)
Hans im Glück · 2014
2–560 min13+ yrs2.7/5 complexity7.4 BGG#981 BGG4,2 KStrategy
⚡ short answer
How do you play Saint Petersburg (Second Edition)?
The objective of Saint Petersburg is to accumulate the most victory points by building an efficient tableau of cards. Players will strategically acquire cards that provide immediate income, ongoing victory points, or special abilities. While there isn't a strong thematic narrative, the game focuses on mechanical efficiency and strategic card acquisition to maximize your scoring potential throughout the game's rounds and at final scoring.
To find the best price for Saint Petersburg (Second Edition), howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01
Setup
Place the game board, shuffle and place card decks, sort market tiles, give each player two meeples and $25, and randomly distribute start player tokens.
The rules, step by step
Setup
To set up the game, first lay out the game board, choosing either the Market side or the base game side. Shuffle each of the five card decks (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red, Exchange) and place them in their designated spots on the board. If playing with the Market side, sort the market tiles numerically and place them face-up on the board. Each player receives two meeples: one for the score track and one to indicate their color. Distribute $25 to each player. Finally, shuffle the wooden start player tokens (matching the card deck colors) and randomly hand them out to players to determine who starts each phase.
Objective
The objective of Saint Petersburg is to accumulate the most victory points by building an efficient tableau of cards. Players will strategically acquire cards that provide immediate income, ongoing victory points, or special abilities. While there isn't a strong thematic narrative, the game focuses on mechanical efficiency and strategic card acquisition to maximize your scoring potential throughout the game's rounds and at final scoring.
On your turn
During your turn, you have four possible actions: 1. Buy a card for your tableau: Pay the cost shown on the top-left of a card from the main display and add it to your personal tableau. Discounts apply if buying from the second row (-$1) or if you already have a card of the same name in your tableau (-$1 per matching card). 2. Buy a card for your hand: Pay the card's cost and add it to your hand. You have a strict hand limit of three cards, though some special cards can increase this. 3. Play a card from your hand: Pay the card's cost and add it to your tableau. 4. Pass: If you pass, you cannot take any more actions in the current phase. A phase ends when all players pass in sequential order.
Scoring
Scoring occurs at the end of each phase (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red), except for the Exchange phase. In each scoring step, players activate all cards of the current phase's color in their tableau, gaining income (coins) or points as indicated on the card. For Market cards (Yellow deck, Market side only), players also advance their discs on the goods track based on icons on the cards. Some special orange Market cards require an upkeep payment to retain their benefits. The Market board is scored by awarding points to players with the highest and second-highest positions on each goods track, based on the numbers indicated on the board.
Game end
The game concludes when any of the five card decks (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red, Exchange) runs out. The current round is completed, and then final scoring takes place. During final scoring, players add three components to their current score: 1. Lose 5 points for each card remaining in their hand. 2. Gain 1 point for every $10 they possess (round down). 3. Score points for unique Noble cards (Red deck) in their tableau, based on a progressive scale (e.g., 1 unique Noble = 1 point, 8 unique Nobles = 36 points). The player with the highest total score wins the game.
Tips
To optimize your strategy, consider utilizing card discounts by purchasing cards from the second row of the display or by acquiring multiple cards of the same name. Efficiently manage your hand limit of three cards, deciding whether to play cards immediately or save them for future turns. When playing with the Market module, prioritize gaining goods to secure high positions on the goods tracks, as these provide significant points. Also, be mindful of the upkeep costs for certain powerful Market cards. For additional complexity, explore the extra modules, such as the extra cards, assistants, events, end-game objectives, and obstacles, but be aware that some modules can significantly alter game length and complexity.
game anatomy
Complexity2.7 / 5
BGG rating7.4 / 10
Vibe
Strategy
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
Play time
60 min
Players
2–5
Recommended age
13+ yrs
BGG rank
#981
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The objective of Saint Petersburg is to accumulate the most victory points by building an efficient tableau of cards. Players will strategically acquire cards that provide immediate income, ongoing victory points, or special abilities. While there isn't a strong thematic narrative, the game focuses on mechanical efficiency and strategic card acquisition to maximize your scoring potential throughout the game's rounds and at final scoring.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up the game, first lay out the game board, choosing either the Market side or the base game side. Shuffle each of the five card decks (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red, Exchange) and place them in their designated spots on the board. If playing with the Market side, sort the market tiles numerically and place them face-up on the board. Each player receives two meeples: one for the score track and one to indicate their color. Distribute $25 to each player. Finally, shuffle the wooden start player tokens (matching the card deck colors) and randomly hand them out to players to determine who starts each phase.
Q3How does a turn work?
During your turn, you have four possible actions: 1. Buy a card for your tableau: Pay the cost shown on the top-left of a card from the main display and add it to your personal tableau. Discounts apply if buying from the second row (-$1) or if you already have a card of the same name in your tableau (-$1 per matching card). 2. Buy a card for your hand: Pay the card's cost and add it to your hand. You have a strict hand limit of three cards, though some special cards can increase this. 3. Play a card from your hand: Pay the card's cost and add it to your tableau. 4. Pass: If you pass, you cannot take any more actions in the current phase. A phase ends when all players pass in sequential order.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Scoring occurs at the end of each phase (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red), except for the Exchange phase. In each scoring step, players activate all cards of the current phase's color in their tableau, gaining income (coins) or points as indicated on the card. For Market cards (Yellow deck, Market side only), players also advance their discs on the goods track based on icons on the cards. Some special orange Market cards require an upkeep payment to retain their benefits. The Market board is scored by awarding points to players with the highest and second-highest positions on each goods track, based on the numbers indicated on the board.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes when any of the five card decks (Green, Yellow, Blue, Red, Exchange) runs out. The current round is completed, and then final scoring takes place. During final scoring, players add three components to their current score: 1. Lose 5 points for each card remaining in their hand. 2. Gain 1 point for every $10 they possess (round down). 3. Score points for unique Noble cards (Red deck) in their tableau, based on a progressive scale (e.g., 1 unique Noble = 1 point, 8 unique Nobles = 36 points). The player with the highest total score wins the game.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
To optimize your strategy, consider utilizing card discounts by purchasing cards from the second row of the display or by acquiring multiple cards of the same name. Efficiently manage your hand limit of three cards, deciding whether to play cards immediately or save them for future turns. When playing with the Market module, prioritize gaining goods to secure high positions on the goods tracks, as these provide significant points. Also, be mindful of the upkeep costs for certain powerful Market cards. For additional complexity, explore the extra modules, such as the extra cards, assistants, events, end-game objectives, and obstacles, but be aware that some modules can significantly alter game length and complexity.
Q7How much does Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) cost?
No store is currently tracking Saint Petersburg (Second Edition). Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play Saint Petersburg (Second Edition)?
Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) is a age of reason game, for 2–5 players, taking ~60 minutes, featuring income. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) support?
Saint Petersburg (Second Edition) is played by 2–5 players.
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Regatul JocuriloreasyboxCultural voucher
Saint Petersburg (2014 German Second Edition)
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RON 169
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Price history
Price trend over the last 90 days: minimum 135 lei, maximum 169 lei, now 135 lei.
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