Tonight's game night pick was Point City, and it's fair to say it earned its spot on the table.
Carter and Elliott — yes, the two this store is named after — picked it up fast, although it's hard to say whether the youngest, Carter, fully got the long-game strategy. That's not nothing with this one: Point City layers resource management and card combos on top of its drafting, so there's a bit more going on than the games they're used to. A couple of rounds in, though, they were both reading the city grid properly, working out which two adjacent cards actually paid off together rather than just grabbing whatever looked shiniest. Watching that click for them was honestly the best part of the night.
How it plays
Point City is a card-drafting, engine-building game: each round you take two adjacent cards from a shared city grid and add them to your own growing city. Buildings need specific combinations of resources to score, so the drafting isn't just "grab the best card" — it's figuring out which cards actually work together in your city, and which ones are quietly setting up a bigger combo two turns from now. Games run 15–30 minutes, which kept everyone's attention right to the end without anyone starting to fade.
How it compares to the rest of the family
We've got a few games from this family on the shelf, and it was interesting playing them back to back. Point Salad is the one that started it all — pure, simple drafting with vegetables, and still one of the easiest "yes" recommendations we make in-store for anyone new to the hobby. Point Galaxy takes the same formula interstellar, with planets instead of produce. Point City is the one with the most going on — the resource layer gives it real depth without losing the family-friendly pace the series is known for. If Point Salad is the gateway, Point City is the natural next step once everyone's ready for a bit more to chew on.
Where it came from
Point City comes from the same design trio as Point Salad — Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin and Shawn Stankewich — published by Flatout Games. Point Salad was the surprise hit that put the drafting formula on the map, and Point City is the studio's attempt to build on it rather than just repeat it, adding a genuine layer of engine-building without losing what made the original click.
The verdict
A genuine win for family game night. Quick enough that nobody loses interest, with just enough depth that the boys had to actually think about their choices rather than coast on luck. If you've already got Point Salad and are wondering whether the rest of the family is worth collecting, Point City is the one we'd point you to next.
Shop the Point series
- Point Salad — the gateway. Pure drafting, five minutes to teach.
- Point City — the step up. Drafting plus an engine to build.
- Point Galaxy — the same formula, interstellar.
All three are Kickstarter editions, in stock now. Free click & collect from DFO Jindalee, or we'll post anywhere in Australia.
We believe the best moments happen around a table — and tonight, that table had two very proud new city planners at it.