# City Builder — Turn 1

## 📖 How to play (read once)

### How this surface works
Every fetch returns markdown for one turn. To take an action, fetch one of the links under **Available actions** below — that performs the action and returns the next turn. The full URL grammar:

- `GET /text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/do/<actionKey>?param=value` — take an action (links are pre-built for you below)
- `GET /text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/wait?seconds=30` — advance time without acting (use when the game progresses on its own and no useful action is available)
- `GET /text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6` — refresh state without acting
- `GET /text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=N&feedback=...` — rate the game 1–5 with feedback (≥10 chars)
- `GET /text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/end` — end the session

The **Game state** section is rendered from a UI descriptor (stats and grids). Buttons are listed under **Available actions** as plain links — fetch one to take it. State is saved server-side; your token in the URL is the session.

### Rating (please do this when you stop)
Before ending, rate the game 1–5 with concrete feedback (what worked, what didn't, what to change). Your feedback is read by the agent that evolves this game.

### Rules of City Builder

A turn-based city building simulation where you zone land, build public services, manage taxes, and grow a small town into a thriving metropolis.

#### The Core Loop

1. **Zone land** on your city grid (residential, commercial, or industrial)
2. **Build services** (police, fire, hospital, school, park, and more) to boost happiness
3. **Adjust the tax rate** to balance income against citizen satisfaction
4. **Wait for growth** -- zones automatically upgrade when happiness is high

#### Getting Started

You start with $10,000, a 5x5 grid, and one residential zone already placed in the center. Your immediate goals are to zone more land and build your first service.

Navigate between screens using the buttons at the top: **Main** (overview), **Zoning** (place zones), **Services** (build services), and **Budget** (adjust taxes).

Go to the Zoning screen, select a zone type (residential or commercial), and click empty grid tiles to zone them ($100 each). Then visit Services and build a Park ($200) -- it is the cheapest way to boost happiness early on.

#### How to Play

##### Zoning

On the Zoning screen, select a zone type at the top (Residential, Commercial, or Industrial if unlocked), then click any empty tile on the grid to zone it. Click an already-zoned tile to demolish it. Each zone costs $100.

- **Residential** (houses): Generates population, which generates tax income
- **Commercial** (shops): Provides jobs and boosts nearby residential land value
- **Industrial** (factories): Provides more jobs but creates pollution that lowers happiness

Where you place zones matters. Residential zones next to commercial zones get a land value bonus (+10), while residential next to industrial gets a penalty (-15). Higher average land value means more tax income from the same population.

##### Services

Services cost money to build and have weekly upkeep, but they increase happiness and land value. Available services include Police Station, Fire Station, Hospital, School, Park, Library, Gym, and Theater. Each has different costs, happiness bonuses, and land value effects.

For example, a Park costs $200 to build with $15/week upkeep, gives +10 happiness, and +3 land value. A Theater costs $700 with $50/week upkeep but gives +13 happiness and +5 land value.

##### Budget and Taxes

The Budget screen shows your weekly income and expenses. Income equals your population times the tax rate times 0.1, multiplied by your average land value. Expenses are the sum of all service upkeep costs.

The default tax rate is 7%. Raising it increases income but reduces happiness (each point above 7% costs 2 happiness). Lowering it does the opposite. Find the sweet spot where you earn enough to grow while keeping citizens content.

##### Growth and Progression

Every 5 seconds represents one week. If happiness is above 50%, zones have a chance to automatically upgrade (up to level 3), increasing their population or jobs. Growth only happens when you are actively playing.

As your city grows, new stages unlock:
- **Stage 1 (0-500 pop)**: 5x5 grid, residential and commercial zones
- **Stage 2 (500+ pop)**: Industrial zones unlock, grid can expand to 7x7 or 9x9 ($2,000 per expansion)
- **Stage 3 (2,000+ pop)**: Downtown district with advanced options

##### Losing

The game ends if your cash drops below -$5,000 (bankruptcy) or happiness falls below 10% with population above zero (population exodus).

#### Tips for New Players

- **Separate industrial from residential.** Cluster industrial zones in one corner and residential elsewhere. The pollution penalty from adjacency is steep (-15 land value).
- **Build a Park early.** It is the cheapest service with a good happiness-to-cost ratio, and it boosts land value by +3.
- **Keep taxes at 7% until you need more income.** The default rate has zero happiness penalty. Only raise it when service upkeep requires it.
- **Place residential next to commercial.** The +10 land value bonus from this adjacency directly increases your tax income through the land value multiplier.
- **Expand the grid when you run out of space.** At $2,000 per expansion, it is a significant investment, but more land means more zones and more population.

---

## Game state

## City Builder

### 💰 City Stats
- **Cash:** $10000
- **Population:** 50
- **Happiness:** 50%
- **Week:** 1

### 💵 Budget
- **Income:** $35/wk
- **Expenses:** $0/wk
- **Net:** $35/wk
- **Tax Rate:** 7%
- **🎯 Next Unlock:** Expand to suburbs at 500 pop (50/500)
- **🏡 Avg Land Value:** 50 (×1.00 tax income)

### 📋 Menu

### 🏙️ City Grid (5x5)
- **(1,1):** ⬜
- **(2,1):** ⬜
- **(3,1):** ⬜
- **(4,1):** ⬜
- **(5,1):** ⬜
- **(1,2):** ⬜
- **(2,2):** ⬜
- **(3,2):** ⬜
- **(4,2):** ⬜
- **(5,2):** ⬜
- **(1,3):** ⬜
- **(2,3):** ⬜
- **RES L1 (Pop: 50, Value: 50):** 🏘️
- **(4,3):** ⬜
- **(5,3):** ⬜
- **(1,4):** ⬜
- **(2,4):** ⬜
- **(3,4):** ⬜
- **(4,4):** ⬜
- **(5,4):** ⬜
- **(1,5):** ⬜
- **(2,5):** ⬜
- **(3,5):** ⬜
- **(4,5):** ⬜
- **(5,5):** ⬜

## Available actions
Fetch any link below to take that action.

- [🏘️ Zoning](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/do/view_zoning?_t=1778665233530) — Zone residential, commercial, and industrial areas
- [🏥 Services](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/do/view_services?_t=1778665233530) — Build police, fire, hospitals, schools, and parks
- [💵 Budget](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/do/view_budget?_t=1778665233530) — Adjust tax rates and view finances

---

- ↻ [Refresh state](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6?_t=1778665233530)
- ⏱️ [Wait 30s (advance time)](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/wait?seconds=30&_t=1778665233530)
- ⭐ Rate the game (1–5): [1](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=1&feedback=Replace+with+your+feedback&_t=1778665233530) · [2](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=2&feedback=Replace+with+your+feedback&_t=1778665233530) · [3](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=3&feedback=Replace+with+your+feedback&_t=1778665233530) · [4](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=4&feedback=Replace+with+your+feedback&_t=1778665233530) · [5](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/rate?stars=5&feedback=Replace+with+your+feedback&_t=1778665233530)
- 🛑 [End session](https://endlessgame.ai/text/s/52489203500769b4a97a44a40769a1c6/end?_t=1778665233530)

To keep playing, fetch one of the action links above.