Welcome to the TV business!
You are the owner of a new television network. All you have are three awful public access shows, a small amount of cash, and endless ambition. Plus it looks like you’re not the only new TV network in town…
Can you snatch up the best Shows with the most popular Stars and the most lucrative Ads? Can you get enough Shows of the same Genre to make your network stand out? Can you best utilize the powers of the handy Network Cards?
Whose network will get the most Viewers and win the game?
Game design: Gil Hova
Illustration: Travis Kinchy
Graphic design: Heiko Günther
I’m new here! What should I get?
There are a lot of games in The Networks family! Here’s what we have.
The Networks
This is the base game! If you are new to The Networks, start here.
The Rival Networks
The Rival Networks is a standalone 2-player version of The Networks. It boasts quick, streamlined gameplay optimized for two players. It also comes with an “easy mode” that lets you play with people who might be intimidated by more complicated games.
The Networks: Executives
A major expansion to The Networks that adds variable player powers, in the form of 12 Executives. Each player chooses an Executive to play the game with, who will give them a big power they’ll have for the whole game… but they’ll also have to deal with their Executive’s unique quirk as well! Executives also adds a draft to start the game, and Mogul cards to strive for. Finally, Executives comes with a new deck of Shows to play with. Requires the base Networks game to play.
The Networks: Telly Time
A small expansion that swaps out the Shows from the base game with new Shows inspired by British television! This deck of Shows provides a new challenge: there are 9 Genres of Shows here, instead of the 6 in the base game. In order to get a Genre Bonus, each player gets a 3×3 grid of Genre icons. When you get a Show of a new Genre, you’ll cover its icon with a chip. When you get 3 in a row, that’s a Genre Bonus! Requires the base Networks game to play. Compatible with Executives.
The Networks: More Executives
A small expansion that adds 2 Executives, plus some extra Pilot Season cards that will look familiar to fans of the base game. This expansion contains half of the stretch goals from the Executives Kickstarter campaign in 2017. Requires the base Networks game and Executives to play.
The Networks: On the Air
A small expansion that adds more Shows, more Stars, more Ads, and more Network Cards, plus stickers you can apply to the scoring and turn order bits that come in the base game! This campaign contains stretch goals from the base game Kickstarter campaign in 2015. Requires the base Networks game to play.
The Networks: Fancy Bits
A bunch of sweet wooden tokens that replace the bits from the base game! You get little televisions and remote controls for the turn order and score markers, a TV antenna for the Season Marker, and 20 clear plastic cubes. This expansion contains half of the stretch goals from the Executives Kickstarter campaign in 2017. Requires the base Networks game to play.
The Networks: Replacement Network Cards
The 2018 printing of The Networks features a few tweaks to some Network Cards. This is a pack of replacement cards so players with an older edition of the game can enjoy the most-up-to-date cards. Requires the base Networks game to play.