Game Objective: Connecting the World and Conquering Fortunes!

Prepare to embark on the golden age of railways! In **Railways of the World**, you are not just a player, but a true **Rail Baron**, with a mission to build an empire of tracks that connects cities, transports goods, and, of course, generates a mountain of money! Your main objective is to be the most successful railway magnate, accumulating **victory points** through efficient goods delivery and strategic expansion of your network. Who will be able to rewrite history and engrave their name alongside the greatest railway visionaries? The answer lies in your ability to manage your company, invest in locomotives, and dominate the transportation market!

Setup: Everything on Track to Begin!

Let's set up the table and prepare the ground for your railway journey!

1. First, take the **black bag** and place all **goods cubes** inside it.
2. Then, without looking, draw cubes from the bag and place them in each **city on the board**. The number of cubes to be placed in each city is equal to the digit engraved in its space.
   • Game Tip: In games with 2 or 3 players, reduce the number of goods cubes to place in each city by one, but ensure no city starts with less than one cube!
3. Form a pile with the **New City tiles** next to the board.
4. Separate the **Bond Certificates** into piles according to their values (1, 5, and 10).
5. Organize the **Money** into a bank accessible to all players.
6. Place all **track pieces** on one side of the map.
7. The youngest player takes on the role of **First Player** and receives the **First Player marker**.
8. Each player chooses a color and receives all **locomotive miniatures** of that color.
9. Each player receives a **Locomotive card** with the number "1" and places it in front of them. This card indicates the **level** of your engine, which determines the maximum number of connections your goods cubes can travel.
10. Finally, place an **Abandoned City marker** on the first of the three spaces (number 1), identified as "Round" on the game board.

Money and Bond Certificates: Financing Your Empire

At the start of the game, no one has money. But don't worry! At any time during your turn, you can issue **Bond Certificates**. For each certificate issued, you receive 5,000 dollars from the bank. There is no limit to how many bonds you can have! However, remember that these bonds cannot be paid back and will cost 1 **victory point** per bond at the end of the game. Issuing bonds does not count as a game action.

Colors: Understanding the Flow of Goods

It is important to know that the colors of the **goods cubes** and **cities** are directly related. A cube can only be delivered to a city that has the same color as it. The color of your **locomotive miniatures** only serves to identify your connections on the board, having no relation to goods or cities.

The Game Turn: Building, Delivering, and Profiting!

Each turn in **Railways of the World** is divided into three exciting phases:

1. Determine who is the First Player.
2. Player Actions.
3. Income and Dividends.

1. Determine who is the First Player: The Battle for Power!

This phase is a fierce **auction** to decide who will be the **First Player** for the turn. The First Player from the previous turn starts bidding. Bids proceed clockwise, and you can increase the previous offer or pass. The minimum initial bid is 1,000 dollars. If you pass, you cannot re-enter the auction. The player with the highest bid becomes the First Player and pays the bid amount to the bank. If everyone passes without bidding, the player to the left of the former First Player takes the position.

2. Player Actions: Your Chance to Shine!

This is the main phase, consisting of 3 **Rounds**. In each round, each player, starting with the **First Player** and proceeding clockwise, can perform one of the following actions:

2.1. Build a Connection

This is where you expand your railway empire! You place **track tiles** to link two cities. A **Connection** is a set of track tiles that connect one city to another.

• Your construction must be continuous: the last piece placed must connect to another of your property.
• The first track piece must connect to a city or an **incomplete connection** you already own.
• All subsequent pieces in this round must be an extension of that connection.
• You stop building when you place 4 track tiles or complete the connection to another city.
• Important: You cannot build more than one connection between two cities in a round.
• If you place 4 tiles but cannot complete the connection, it is considered an **incomplete connection** and will be removed at the end of the third round of the turn.
• Track pieces must be placed within complete hexagons, avoiding water areas.

The construction cost varies with the terrain:

• **Open terrain** (green): 2,000 dollars per tile.
• **Water** (ocean or river): 3,000 dollars per tile.
• **Mountain** (light brown with a dot): 4,000 dollars per tile.
• If the track crosses a mountain ridge (dark brown line), there is an additional cost of 4,000 dollars.

When placing a track tile, you place a **locomotive miniature** of your color on top of it to indicate your ownership. Once placed, tiles cannot be removed! You can build **crossing tiles**, but you cannot redirect another player's line. The cost of a crossing is the same as regular lines.

2.2. Urbanize

This action allows you to take a **New City tile** from the pile and place it in any **gray city**. Then, draw two **goods cubes** from the black bag and add them to the city. If the city was abandoned, the **abandoned city marker** is removed. The urbanization cost is 10,000 dollars.

2.3. Upgrade Engine

Invest in the future of your company! With this action, you can replace your current **engine card** with a higher-level one. Everyone starts at level "1". The engine **level** determines the maximum number of **connections** a goods cube can travel to be delivered. For example, a level "2" engine allows deliveries one or two connections away. The upgrade cost is indicated on the new card. You can only upgrade your engine by one level per action, and the maximum level is 8.

2.4. Deliver a Goods Cube

Time to profit! You move a **goods cube** from one city to another. The cube must be moved along a **complete connection** to a city of the same color as the cube. The cube cannot pass through the same city or travel along the same connection twice, and must stop as soon as it reaches a city of the same color. The maximum number of connections the cube can travel is determined by the **level** of your **engine card**. When a cube is delivered, it is removed from the game and placed back in the black bag. You gain 1 point on the **Income Track** for each **complete connection** you own in the cube's journey. Other players also receive points if the cube passes through their connections, but the first connection (origin) must be yours. You cannot initiate a delivery using another player's connection. If the last goods cube is moved out of a city, an **abandoned city marker** is placed on that city.

2.5. Buy a "Railroad Operations" Card (Only with game expansions)

This action is exclusive to those playing with expansions. There are different types of cards, each with a benefit or special rule:

• Green Circle: Cannot be bought. They give a benefit to the first player to achieve the objective described on the card. Once achieved, the card is removed.
• Purple Diamond: Can be used once per turn by the player who holds it. Its use does not count as an action.
• Red Cross: Must be used immediately after being selected and then discarded.
• Cards without symbol: Can be kept and used when needed. Their use does not count as an action and the card is discarded.
• Cards without symbol (permanent): Are kept face up and the player receives the benefit until the end of the game.

3. Income and Dividends: The Baron's Accounting

In this phase, all players receive the amount of **Income** (in thousands of dollars) indicated on the space of the **Income Track** where their locomotive is. After receiving income, it's time to pay **Bond Dividends**. You must pay 1,000 dollars for each **bond** you own. If you don't have enough money, you will have to issue more bonds to cover the payment. These new bonds will only affect dividends in the next turn. Finally, any **incomplete connections** are removed from the board. The **Round marker** returns to number "1", and a new turn begins!

End of Game and Scoring: Who is the True Magnate?

The game ends at the end of a full turn after the turn in which a certain number of **abandoned city markers** have been placed on the board. (The exact number of markers varies with the number of players and the expansion used; consult your expansion manual for details). When the game ends, it's time to count the **victory points**:

1. Each **bond certificate** you own makes your locomotive move back one space on the **Income Track**.
2. Each point on the **Income Track** is worth 1 **victory point**.

The player with the most **victory points** is the big winner! In case of a tie, the player with the most **connections** wins. If the tie persists, whoever has the most **money** is the winner.

Tips for Winning: Strategies for Railway Success!

Want to be the richest and most powerful Rail Baron? Here are some tips to start on the right foot:

1. Manage Your Bonds Wisely: Issuing **Bond Certificates** can be a crucial capital injection at the start of the game, allowing you to build more and faster. However, remember that they will cost **victory points** at the end. Use them strategically to gain an advantage, but don't drown in debt! Find the balance between financing and the final penalty.
2. Prioritize Efficient Deliveries: **Delivering goods cubes** is your main source of **income** and **victory points**. Plan your routes to maximize the number of your own **connections** used in each delivery, as this is how you accumulate points on the **Income Track**. Upgrading your **engine** is also vital to reach more distant cities and make more profitable deliveries.
3. Keep an Eye on Abandoned Cities: The placement of **abandoned city markers** is the trigger for the end of the game. Monitor how many cities have been abandoned and plan your last moves accordingly. Sometimes, an **Urbanize** action can delay the end of the game, giving you more time to accumulate points, or you can focus on quick deliveries to secure your last profits before the final whistle blows.