How to Win at Tycoon City: Property Trading Strategy
Tycoon City rewards players who turn property into income faster than their rivals. You start with 1,500 coins and collect 200 every time you pass Start; after that, everything depends on what you buy, which cities you complete and when you build. This guide covers buying, trading, building, managing cash and the timed games.
Tycoon CityPlay Tycoon City ›
Buy early and use auctions
Early on, buy almost everything you land on: properties are your only lasting source of income, and each one you own can block a rival's city. If you decline a property, it goes to auction, where every player can bid and bids start low, so a rival may get it cheap. In an auction, bid on anything that completes or blocks a city.
Complete a city, then build
Owning a whole city doubles its base rent and lets you build. Lisbon, Rio and Istanbul have only two properties each, so they are the easiest to complete. Istanbul sits six and eight squares after the customs check, two of the most common rolls for a player leaving customs.
Trade as soon as one property stands between you and a full city. On your turn, open Trade and offer cash or a property your rival needs less. The computer accepts deals that are good for it, so make the offer fair enough to tempt it.
Three houses is the sweet spot
With one house a property charges about 5 times its base rent, with two about 15 times and with three about 40 times; a fourth house and the hotel add less. A Istanbul property with base rent 16 charges 640 with three houses. Houses cost 50 in Lisbon and Rio, 100 in Cape Town and Istanbul, 150 in Kyoto and Sydney and 200 in Paris and New York, so cheap cities reach three houses fast. Build evenly: every property in a city must get its house before any gets the next.
Rail lines and utilities
The four rail lines charge 25, 50, 100 or 200 depending on how many you own, which makes them a steady income early on and good trade bait. The two utilities charge 4 times the dice, or 10 times when you own both. Neither can be built on, so they matter most in the first part of the game.
Manage cash, customs and the clock
Keep some cash when rivals own hotels or three-house cities. If you run short, mortgage loose properties first (you get half the price, and unmortgaging costs 55%), and sell buildings last. Early in the game, pay 50 to leave customs and keep buying; late in the game, staying in customs while you roll for doubles is safer, and you still collect rent.
With a 10 or 20 minute limit, the richest player wins, counting cash, property prices and buildings. Buying at list price or building does not lower your worth, and winning an auction below the price raises it, so keep investing until the end.
Questions
- How does the time limit decide the winner?
- When the clock runs out, the player with the highest worth wins: cash plus the price of their properties (half for mortgaged ones) plus the cost of their buildings.
- Should I pay to get out of customs?
- Early on, yes, so you can keep buying. Late in the game, when the board is full of houses, it is often safer to stay and roll for doubles, since you still collect rent.
- Can I play Tycoon City online?
- Yes. Play online with 2 to 4 players, against 1 to 3 computer players, or with friends on one device. If someone leaves an online game, a bot takes over.
Tycoon CityPlay Tycoon City ›