Tesla vs. Edison: Powering Up!

Tesla vs. Edison: Powering Up! sits on top of one of those economic euros that has somehow slipped through the cracks. It is beautifully produced, admirably direct about what it asks of the table, and looks properly substantial once laid out; the sort of game object that makes a demanding weeknight feel like a reasonable investment. This expansion is entirely fair-minded. It does not pretend to rebuild the game. It simply gives it sharper teeth.

The central economic contest remains intact, with decisions passing through rules that need to be understood before they can be exploited. Powering Up!'s changes are not decorative additions; they shift the balance and require everyone to read the table again rather than lean on habits learned from the base game.

The new stock market is where the damage happens. We missed its trap, an opponent spotted it and used it mercilessly, and the result ran to almost double the score. That is the interaction here: tending your own plan is not enough when someone else is preparing to pull the floor out from under it. The rules deserve a brisk B+ in this respect; the changes need care.

The AI opponents did not make our first outing, so they can wait for a verdict they have not earned. Powering Up! has earned its place in the box: it makes the already overlooked Tesla vs. Edison sharper, fiercer and, quietly, excellent.