Free Ride

Free Ride puts you in charge of Europe's 19th-century railway expansion. Your goal? Build tracks, connect cities, and efficiently transport passengers. The board features 45 cities and potential routes where you'll compete with other tycoons. Gameplay is a strategic ballet: you pay to use others' tracks (which become public afterward), but your own lines are free. Coins are scarce, so every decision matters! The game starts with route drafting: you pick two cards (start and end) from three options. During play, you alternate between laying tracks (spending construction points), moving your train (2-3 times per turn depending on phase), and claiming new routes. As city decks deplete, pressure mounts. Completing routes earns coins (worth VP), but city cards also score - creating multiple strategies. The solo mode offers a worthy challenge for lone strategists.