Rise to Power Review: Become the CEO of an Electric Company!

The world is constantly seeking new energy sources, especially the so-called "renewable sources," which are crucial. These sources are inexhaustible and environmentally friendly, explaining the large investments in research.

Examples of renewable energy sources include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and ocean energy. Some of these are well-developed in their respective technologies, while others are still expensive and require further research. Regardless, they are essential for the future.

This global movement toward renewable energy has inspired numerous board game designers, resulting in titles with this theme. A great example is Rise to Power!

Rise to Power is a game for 2 to 6 players, ages 12+, designed by Allen Chang and Alistair Kearney, with art by Nick H. Smith.

Released in 2014 by Rule & Make, Rise to Power was brought to Brazil in 2020 by O Capturador. Its core mechanics include hand management and set collection.

Rise to Power has received two nominations for Best Australian Game. First, in 2015 at the Best Australian Awards, and again in 2016 at the Boardgames Australia Awards.

In a futuristic world, a new, abundant energy source has been discovered, Prism. The Government seeks to expand and is distributing Contracts so that Energy Companies can supply the new energy needs, creating new possibilities.

But your management must be efficient and waste-free, or your competitors will gain more influence.

Essentially, you start with a Power Plant with limitations in terms of how much Prism you can buy, store, and the number of Districts you can energize.

The Government, through the Contract Zone, offers several Contracts to manage. It’s up to you to acquire and fulfill these Contracts—either energizing them or using their abilities.

During a player’s turn, there are three main phases:

Phase 1: Acquisition

- Choose 2 Contracts from those available in the Government’s Contract Zone.

Phase 2: Actions

- Perform 2 out of 6 possible actions, with the option to perform the same action twice:

- Buy Prism, within the limits of your Power Plant.

- Energize a previously acquired Contract.

- Upgrade a District by enhancing the Contract's construction.

- Use the Contract's Exchange ability instead of energizing it.

- Take an already energized Contract from the Exchange.

- Challenge an opponent’s Contract, stealing it.

Phase 3: Cleanup

- Discard any Prism you cannot store.

- Replenish the Contract Zone with new Contracts.

- Energize any Contracts sent to the Exchange.

Acquiring 2 Contracts is mandatory, and it’s beneficial as you can select those that best suit your Power Plant.

Seek out Contracts that increase your Prism purchasing and storage capacity, or expand the number of Districts you can energize. This should be your focus: Contracts that offer advantages.

Now it’s time to choose your actions, which will dictate the course and pace of your game.

Buying Prism

Prism is the foundation of everything, as you need it to energize Contracts. Each Prism type is represented by a color and shape:

- Green Triangle: For Residential Districts.

- Blue Square: For Offshore Districts.

- Orange Hexagon: For Space Districts.

Energizing a Contract is crucial for multiple reasons: gaining advantages, improving your Power Plant, increasing influence, and possibly gaining additional actions during your turn with good energy management.

Improving a District

This action boosts your influence but does not increase the number of Districts required to trigger the game’s end. Use it strategically.

If you pick a Contract you didn’t want, you can use its Exchange ability instead of energizing it. This could provide several advantages, but the Contract becomes available for another CEO to claim for free.

Taking a Contract from the Exchange is a great opportunity. It may not have been useful to another player, but it could be perfect for your goals, and it comes already energized, requiring no Prism expenditure.

When an opponent acquires a Contract you wanted but hasn't energized, you can use the Challenge action to take it from them. If they can’t energize it immediately, the Contract becomes yours.

After that, the Cleanup phase begins: discard any unused Prism your Plant cannot store, replenish the Contract Zone with new Contracts, and energize any Contracts where you used the Exchange ability.

Then it’s the next player’s turn. This is essentially how a turn in Rise to Power plays out.

The game ends when:

1. A player connects 8 (or more) Districts to their Power Plant at the end of their turn. All other players get one final turn before the game ends.

2. In the Cleanup phase, if it’s not possible to fully replenish the Government’s Contract Zone, all players get one final turn, and no player can take the Acquisition phase in their final turn.

Now, count each player’s total influence as follows:

- Add the influence values of all connected Districts.

- Add any points from Agendas you've achieved.

- In upgraded Districts, sum the influence points for each card in the stack. You also gain 1 influence point for each additional level.

The player with the most influence wins.

In the case of a tie, the player with the highest-level District wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most Prism wins. If still tied, the victory is shared.

Rise to Power is a great game for strategy lovers.

Choosing Contracts: From the Acquisition phase, selecting Contracts is key. Even if they don’t seem perfect for your Power Plant, consider their Exchange abilities. Every contract has strategic potential.

Challenging an Opponent

If another player takes a Contract you wanted and hasn’t energized it yet, use the Challenge action. With enough Prism, you can either force them to energize it or take the District yourself. Keep an eye on unenergized Contracts.

Managing Prism: Buying Prism isn’t complex, but maximizing this action requires attention to your Power Plant’s limits—how much Prism you can buy, store, and use to energize Districts. Invest in Contracts that enhance these capabilities.

Energizing Contracts with Logic: Energizing Contracts should follow a clear strategy. Prioritize upgrades that will increase your Prism acquisition and storage capacity. Organize your Contracts to maximize your Plant’s potential in a logical progression.

Upgrading Districts Wisely: Upgrading Districts boosts influence but doesn’t increase the number of Districts needed to trigger the game’s end. Use this action strategically to gain influence without sacrificing expansion.

Exchange Ability: Use the Exchange abilities carefully, as it makes the Contract available to your opponents. A Contract that you don’t energize might become a big advantage for another player.

Taking a Contract from the Exchange: Just because a Contract is available in the Exchange doesn’t mean you should take it. Evaluate whether it truly contributes to your objectives, or if another action might benefit your turn more.

Strategic Challenging: Challenging an opponent should be done with planning. If the Contract you want to take won’t add value to your Plant, the challenge may not be worth it, even if you win. Use this action when the benefit is clear.

Exact Prism Management: When energizing a Contract, try to use the exact amount of Prism to gain an additional action in your turn. This detail can create a significant advantage, allowing you to perform more actions and improve your strategy.

Follow these tips, make your Plant more influential, and win in Rise to Power!

Enjoy the Unboxing:

Watch a Rules video:

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Want to teach your child about management and strategy? Rise to Power is the perfect game!

As mentioned in Strategic Tips, the game demands your attention, strategy, and management during both your turn and your opponents' turns. The Contracts they choose can also be valuable for your Plant, and you can challenge them.

Therefore, focusing on the game is crucial. Acting strategically and managing the amount of Prism available in your Plant, as well as how much you can store, is essential.

It’s a great opportunity to teach your child that they can’t spend everything in their turn without saving some Prism. If you don’t manage this well and can’t store Prism, you’ll lose challenges to opponents. Keeping a resource reserve is good in the game and in life! Rise to Power is a great ally in this sense!

In this regard, the concept of management is always present, stimulating this idea throughout the game. It’s a management lesson while having fun!

Pedagogically, Rise to Power is a lesson in administration in game format!

I recommend adding Rise to Power to your collection!!