Who goes first in Underwater Cities?

Rule details

Place the Federation markers in the opposite order during setup. Follow the play-order track for the entire first round; later rounds use the Federation system to determine a new order.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

Source & edition

• Underwater Cities — English rulebookDelicious Games · Player setup — Order of play; Gameplay — Play order · Checked 2026-09-26

More starting rules

Games with a similar starting rule

• Valley of the KingsChoose the starting player randomly.
• Villages of ValeriaChoose the starting player however you wish. The main setup suggests the person who most recently built something; the quick reference says to choose at random.
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• Vivid MemoriesGive the start player marker to whoever can recall the earliest positive memory, or choose a player at random.
• VolcanoWhoever has traveled closest to molten lava goes first. The rules also suggest choosing randomly as an alternative.