Which Expansion

Power Grid expansions

Base game: 2–6 players120 minRio Grande Games11 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Benelux / Central Europe Recharged

    Buy this first

    Benelux is described as the map to teach new players and plays about 30% faster, and a BGG regular calls this pair the best bang-for-your-buck map expansion.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: A double-sided board with a Benelux map and a Central Europe map, each with small rule changes.

    Fixes: Gives a faster, cheaper-to-build map with plentiful resources, so a repeat group can vary the game without a steeper rules load.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  2. #2 overall

    The Robots

    Worth it

    At under $15 a longtime player calls it an unequivocal yes for 2-3 player tables, though another reviewer says the robots can hand the first player a clear advantage.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: 30 robot tiles that build computer-controlled players from random behaviour traits for auctions, resources and city building.

    Fixes: Fills the empty seats in a 2-3 player game so Power Grid keeps its auction tension without needing five humans.

    Mini expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  3. #3 overall

    Korea / China Recharged

    Worth it

    A BGG regular rates Korea the most fun map for very experienced groups and names it among his favourites, but warns China is a brutally scarce map unsuited to beginners.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Korea and China maps: Korea splits buying into two resource markets (North/South), and China brings planned-economy rules where plants come out in ascending order.

    Fixes: Gives experienced groups a tougher, more constrained game once the base maps feel solved.

    Expansion2–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  4. #4 overall

    France / Italy Recharged

    Worth it

    A BGG regular puts France/Italy in the less-advanced group of maps that stays close to base play, with the France map also a favourite of the thread author.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Map pair: France starts nuclear earlier with more uranium, while Italy has expensive coal and oil and more garbage.

    Fixes: Adds a map that plays close to the base rules but changes which plants matter, including the usually weak 11 and 17.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  5. #5 overall

    Northern Europe / United Kingdom & Ireland Recharged

    Worth it

    BGG regulars call Northern Europe a lot of fun thanks to its extra plant cards, though they note the UK/Ireland map is quirky with uneven region sizes.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Northern Europe and UK/Ireland maps, plus 12 extra power plant cards for the Northern Europe side that work with any map.

    Fixes: Adds regionally varied plant mixes and the quirk of two separate UK/Irish networks.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  6. #6 overall

    Quebec / Baden-Württemberg

    Worth it

    Two BGG regulars say they like both maps, with Quebec favoured for 5-6 player games, though Baden-Württemberg's rule shifts are easy to forget.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Quebec (hub-and-spoke map, lower resource restock) and Baden-Württemberg (turn order set after the auctions).

    Fixes: Adds a tight, bidding-heavy 5-6 player map and a subtle turn-order change.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  7. #7 overall

    Brazil / Spain & Portugal Recharged

    Depends on your group

    A BGG reviewer calls Brazil a brutal resource shortage that can drag a 3-player game to 2 hours and says the Spain/Portugal wind rule feels off, though it is the only map set with a storage box.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Brazil (biogas replaces garbage, scarce resources) and Spain/Portugal (wind plants and nuclear step-2 rules); comes in a storage box.

    Fixes: Gives a resource-scarcity map for groups that want longer, nastier games; the box holds the other map expansions.

    Expansion2–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  8. #8 overall

    Russia / Japan Recharged

    Depends on your group

    A BGG regular groups Russia/Japan with China/Korea as advanced maps that really change the game, and another reviewer calls Japan claustrophobic with brutal resource shortages.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Russia (restricted plant market, scrapping rule) and Japan (two separate starting networks, claustrophobic long map).

    Fixes: Adds advanced rules changes for groups that already know the base map set.

    Expansion2–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  9. #9 overall

    Middle East / South Africa Recharged

    Depends on your group

    A BGG regular who owns most of the maps says he did not much care for these, noting the Middle East's odd shape makes the positional game dominate.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Middle East map (cheap oil/natural gas early, no uranium or garbage at first) and a South Africa map (abundant coal, international connections).

    Fixes: Gives a map pair with a shifting fuel mix that forces a mid-game change of plant strategy.

    Expansion2–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games
  10. #10 overall

    Europe / North America Recharged

    Depends on your group

    Only a description and community stats back this one (BGG weight 3.0, plays best 4-5), so it suits groups that already own Recharged and want a larger map rather than a first expansion.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: Two large 7-region maps (Europe and North America) first released in the 2014 Deluxe edition, redrawn for Recharged.

    Fixes: Lets a table build across whole continents on a bigger board.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande GamesGame Nerdz
  11. #11 overall

    The New Power Plant Cards Set 1

    Most groups can skip

    A BGG reviewer says it is a kinder, gentler deck best for new players and that experienced groups will find the auctions less dynamic, so buy it mainly for teaching.

    Needs: Needs Power Grid or Power Grid: Recharged.

    Adds: A replacement power-plant deck with green-bordered cards, more evenly spaced efficiency, and a variant for longer games.

    Fixes: Smooths the plant market for new groups at the cost of less auction tension.

    Mini expansion2–6 playersMakes it lighterBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsBuy:AmazonRio Grande Games

Need the base game?

Buy:AmazonRio Grande Games

Stuck between two?

Power Grid expansions: quick answers

Which Power Grid expansion should I buy first?

Benelux / Central Europe Recharged. Benelux is described as the map to teach new players and plays about 30% faster, and a BGG regular calls this pair the best bang-for-your-buck map expansion.

Is Benelux / Central Europe Recharged worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: A double-sided board with a Benelux map and a Central Europe map, each with small rule changes.

Benelux / Central Europe Recharged or The Robots: which first?

We’d buy Benelux / Central Europe Recharged first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Same publisher

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-08.