Lowball Battle

The house renovation business is booming, and construction companies are eager to win remodeling contracts and become the most respectable company in town. Company owners try to bid lower than others to win contracts, but if they can't fulfill their end of the deal, they won't get fully paid and will lose the respect of the townspeople.

Components

• One deck of property cards. Each card shows a picture of the property and indicates the number of renovations required (1,2, or 3) and the value of Respect Points that can be earned (1, 3, or 5).
• One deck of renovation cards. Each card names a type of renovation (e.g., new addition, new shower, etc.), lists a permit fee, the quantity and type of subcontractors needed for the job, and the cost for various materials options (using higher quality produces additional Respect Points).
• One draw bag and 36 Subcontractor “Meeples”: 5 plumber meeples (blue), 6 mason meeples (brown), 7 finishing work meeples (green), 8 electrician meeples (red), 10 framer meeples (yellow)
• Respect Point chits (in values of -3, -1, +1 and +3)
• Currency in $50's, $100's, $500's, and $1000's denominations
• 16 plastic bid tokens, four dry erase markers, four player shields, four erasers, and one starting player token

The game board contains the following sections: - Coffee shop, with four tables, numbered 2, 3, 4, 5 (where subcontractors are recruited for jobs) - Office, a place for property and renovation cards (each property card space has three spaces beneath it for renovation cards to be placed) - Bank, a place for the money to be stored - Newspaper office, a place for the Respect Point chits to be stored

Setup

• Each player receives a player shield, a dry erase marker, an eraser, four bid tokens, and $5000.
• Shuffle the two decks of cards and place them on their respective draw piles.
• Place all the meeples in the draw bag and mix.
• Give one player the starting player token

Game Summary

The game is played over a series of rounds with five steps until one player reveals a total of 10 Respect Points: - Reveal contracts and subcontractors - Bid and award contracts - Recruit subcontractors - Pay contract costs, receive earnings and points - Check for win and cleanup

Reveal Contracts and Subcontractors

• Draw up to four property cards to be placed in the office, keeping those left over from previous rounds
• Draw and place the number of renovation cards as indicated by the property cards
• Draw and place meeples in the coffee shop (two at table #2, three at table #3, etc.), keeping ones left over from previous rounds

Bid and Award Contracts

Players bid blindly and simultaneously on one or more projects by writing on the bid tokens. A bid must include the property number and an amount rounded to the nearest $50. Players should consider all the costs of the project (fees, wages, materials) before making their bids. When players are finished, bids are revealed starting with the first property. The lowest bidder wins the contract. In case of a tie, the player with the most respect points wins. If still tied, the two players rebid, using lower amounts. Continue with the other three properties. Any property not receiving a bid remains in the office for the next turn and receives a +1 point chit.

Recruit Subcontractors

In player order, players may pass or take all of the meeples from one of the tables in the coffee shop.

Pay Contract Costs, Receive Earnings and Receive Respect Points

In player order, players pay for all of their contract costs:

• Permit fees
• Wages for subcontractors ($250 each and returned to the bag)
• Materials

When players pay for the costs of their project, they are awarded the earnings and Respect Points. Additional Points are awarded for using higher quality materials. If a player fails to pay for the contract costs, the player receives negative Respect Points associated with the property, but still receives half of the earnings (rounded down to the nearest $50).

Check for Win and Cleanup

If any player has 10 or more Respect Points, the game ends, and the player with the most points wins. In case of tie, the player with the most cash wins. If play continues, perform the following cleanup actions:

• Discard property and renovation cards bid upon this turn
• Pay $50 for each subcontractor the player wishes to hold over, return the rest to the bag
• Pass the starting player token one to the left