How to Play Railways of Sweden

Game Objective

In Railways of Sweden, players are railway entrepreneurs in 19th-century Sweden, a land of snowy mountains, dense forests, rivers, and lakes. The goal is to develop the railway network, either by building ferry lines along the southeast coast or by facing the challenges of building through the rocky terrain of the North in search of greater gains. The game is an expansion for Railways of the World, and the winner is the player with the highest score on the Score Track at the end of the game.

Setup

To set up Railways of Sweden, follow the normal setup rules for Railways of the World. Use the Score Track printed on the game map. For a more relaxed game, you can use the Score Track from Railways of the World or Railways of Nippon.

If using the optional Narvik Service Bounty, shuffle all Service Bounties and randomly select 4 to be available at the start of the game. The remaining ones should be returned to the game box.

If the Alfred Nobel Rail Baron is used, it must be removed from the game during setup if the Nobel Prize card is in play.

Game Flow

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play

The rules for this expansion are the same as Railways of the World, with the following exceptions and card additions:

Ferry Lines

Allowed Ferry Lines are indicated on the map with icons. The only way to build on a Ferry Line is with a corresponding Railroad Operations card. There are 8 Ferry Line points on the board, but only 4 Ferry Line cards and 1 Extended Ferry Line card, meaning only 7 Ferry Line hexes can be built in a game.

Railroad Operations Cards

• Extended Ferry Line: You may build over up to 3 Ferry hexes for free.
• Government Rural Line: Immediately build up to 7 mountain track segments connecting two Cities as a single Link for free. All players place a Control Locomotive on this Link for free.
• Government Rural Policy: Relocate up to 2 Goods Cubes from any City to any City further north.
• Government Rural Grant: Any track built on mountain hexes during a single future Build Track action is free.
• Mine Deposit: Choose any City adjacent to a mountain hex. Add random Goods Cubes until there are matching colored Cubes in that City. The minimum number of Goods Cubes added will be 1 (even if there was already a matching pair of Cubes in that City) and the maximum would be 6 (if the City was empty and you drew 1 of each color before drawing a duplicate color).
• Mountain Engineer: In a single future Build Track action, all mountain hexes cost half price for that build.
• New Mining Town: Place a free New City tile on a mountain hex of your choice and add 2 random Goods Cubes. You may build 1 adjacent track tile for free.
• Nobel Prize: Add 3 new random Goods Cubes to Stockholm. Remove the Alfred Nobel Rail Baron from the game in setup.
• Northern Goods: Deliver 1 Goods Cube from one City to another City further north during a future Deliver One Goods Cube action and earn $5,000.
• Östersund Local Campaign: Score 3 points when Östersund has no Goods Cubes. Discard this card if Östersund is already empty when this card is revealed and draw another to replace it.
• Passenger Express: During a future Deliver One Goods Cube action, deliver 1 Goods Cube to a City with a Hotel and earn $5,000.
• Rails to the North: Immediately build up to 6 mountain track segments connecting two Cities as a single Link, paying all building costs normally.
• Stockholm Grand Hotel: Score 2 points on the income track for each Goods Cube delivered to Stockholm by another player.
• Wedge Plow: In a single future Deliver Goods Cube action, you may deliver 1 Link further than your Engine Level.

Optional Rail Barons

• Fredrik Arvidsson Posse: Score 5 points if you have the least amount of money at the end of the game. (Ties are not allowed.)
• Julius Fritzner: Score 2/4/6 points for owning 2/3/4+ Hotels at the end of the game.
• Ola af Nygårds: Score 5 points if you have the lowest Engine Level at the end of the game. (Ties are not allowed.)

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when a certain number of Empty City Markers is reached, depending on the number of players:

• 2 Players: 8 Empty City Markers
• 3 Players: 10 Empty City Markers
• 4 Players: 12 Empty City Markers
• 5 Players: 13 Empty City Markers

At the end of the game, remember to reduce your score by 1 victory point for each Bond Certificate issued. The highest score, as indicated on the Score Track, is the winner.

If a player scores more than 50 points on the Score Track, give that player a +50 Victory Point token as a reminder that their score includes an additional 50 points. All income above 49 points on the Score Track is $10.

Tips for Winning

• Carefully consider the use of Ferry Lines. While there are 8 points on the board, only 7 Ferry Line hexes can be built in a game due to the limited number of cards. Plan your ferry routes strategically.
• Keep track of the Score Track. It has a steeper rise and fall than the Income Track of the base game Railways of the World. Managing your income and victory points is crucial.
• If using the optional Rail Barons, try to fulfill their objectives. For example, if Fredrik Arvidsson Posse is in play, managing your money to have the least at the end can yield an extra 5 points.