How to Play

Carson City

2-5 players 90-90 min 7.2 Board Game Geek Rating

Players select characters offering unique advantages, then place cowboys on action spaces to build, claim land, or earn points. When multiple players occupy the same location, they duel with dice rolls. Victory goes to whoever accumulates the most points through buildings, territory, money, and strategic development over four rounds.

Published 2009

Carson City

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Prepare player components
Each player receives $15, 1 road, 12 property tiles of their color, and 3 cowboys of their color to form their personal reserve
2
Create central bank
Place remaining money near the board as the Central Bank
3
Establish general reserve
Place houses, victory points markers, roads, and remaining cowboys near the board
4
Determine city center
Roll both dice to find the intersection (white die for column, black die for row) and place a house on that parcel
5
Place initial roads
Put four roads along the central house, one per side
6
Place mountains
Randomly place 9 mountains on the board using dice rolls; if a designated parcel is occupied, roll again
7
Set up buildings for purchase
Place one ranch on the $3 square and another on the $10 square; place one mine on the $4 square and another on the $12 square
8
Draw random buildings
Draw three buildings from the bag and place them on the $5, $6, and $8 construction squares
9
Place special gun tile
Set the 3-guns chip on its designated square
10
Determine initial turn order
Randomly choose turn order and place markers on the turn order track
11
Set turn counter
Place the round token on the start position
12
Select starting parcels
In turn order, each player places one property tile on any parcel; then in reverse order, each player chooses a second parcel (mountains and city center are valid choices)

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Select personality card
In turn order, each player chooses one available personality card; some personalities grant immediate actions
2
Adjust turn order
After all players choose, rearrange markers on the upper turn order track in ascending order according to personality card numbers
3
Choose an action
Place a cowboy from your reserve onto one of the action squares above the city map
4
Choose a parcel
Place a cowboy on any parcel to attempt purchasing it
5
Attack or defend a building
Place a cowboy on another player's building to attack it, or on your own building to defend it
6
Pass your turn
Move your marker to the first free position on the lower turn order track; you cannot place more cowboys this turn
7
Challenge opponents
You may place cowboys on squares already occupied by other players' cowboys, triggering duels
8
Resolve actions in sequence
Perform actions one by one according to the board sequence; cowboys return to general reserve after completing actions
9
Conduct duels
When multiple players occupy the same square, each rolls a die and adds their firepower (cowboys + revolvers in personal reserve)
10
Determine duel winner
Highest total wins the right to perform the action; winner's cowboy goes to general reserve
11
Handle duel losers
Losers do not perform the action; their cowboys return to their personal reserves
12
Break ties
The player with the lowest turn order number wins ties
13
Wages
No duel; receive $4 for each of your cowboys on this square (multiple cowboys allowed)
14
Ammunition
Win this action to receive the special 3-guns chip for the turn
15
Roads (single)
Win this action to receive 3 new roads for your personal reserve
16
Roads (multiple)
No duel; receive one road per cowboy placed here (multiple cowboys allowed)
17
Parcel purchase
Pay $1 plus $1 for every building, mountain, or house on or adjacent to the parcel (including diagonally)
18
Building construction
Pay the price shown to build on your parcel; parcel must be reached by a road (except ranches and mines)
19
Place required house
When building drugstore, mine, bank, saloon, church, or prison, also place a free house on any road-connected free parcel
20
Defer building placement
Keep purchased buildings to build later if placement conditions aren't met
21
Estate income
Automatically receive income from buildings based on neighboring buildings and houses; no cowboy needed
22
Attack buildings for income
Place cowboy on opponent's building; if successful, steal half the income (rounded down)
23
Parcels income
Win to receive $2 per parcel you own
24
Cowboy income
Win to receive $2 per firepower point in your reserve
25
Gambling income
Win to roll two dice and receive that amount in cash
26
Parcels victory points
Win to receive victory points equal to half your parcels (rounded down)
27
Estate victory points
Win to receive victory points equal to buildings on your parcels (excluding mountains and houses)
28
Cowboy victory points
Win to receive victory points equal to half your firepower (rounded down)
29
Buy victory points
Win to purchase victory points at $2, $3, $4, or $5 per point
30
Advance turn counter
Move token one square forward, blocking one victory points purchase square
31
Receive new cowboys
Take cowboys from general reserve: 4 after turn 1, 5 after turns 2 and 3 (maximum 10 in personal reserve)
32
Spend excess cash
Money beyond your personality card's cash limit must be spent; receive 1 victory point per $10 spent
33
Refresh building market
Shift unsold buildings toward lower-priced squares; draw new buildings for empty positions

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
End game trigger
The game ends after the fourth turn, once all players have spent money beyond their cash limit
2
Score buildings
Each building you own awards 2 victory points
3
Score houses
Each house you own awards 2 victory points
4
Score mountains
Each mountain you own awards 2 victory points
5
Convert remaining money
Spend remaining cash at $6 per victory point
6
Empty parcels score nothing
Private parcels without buildings, houses, or mountains give no victory points
7
Reserved buildings score nothing
Buildings kept in your reserve give no victory points
8
Determine winner
The player with the most victory points wins
9
Break ties
Among tied players, the one with the lowest number on the turn order track wins

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FULL rules

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