How to Play Railways Through Time

Objective of the Game

It is the mid-19th century, and Thomas Edison, with the help of the Pennsylvania Railroad, has adapted the “Tesla Chrono Coil” to outfit locomotives for time travel. Players take on the role of misfit engineers assembled by Mr. Edison to cash in on the profits that await by traveling the Railways Through Time. The basic gameplay has not changed from Railways of the World, except where noted in this guide. Players are trying to build railway networks across different time periods to deliver goods and claim Time Lines.

Preparation (Setup)

1. Players begin by picking which time period boards they wish to play with. The recommended number of time period boards used in a game is equal to the number of players +1.
2. The Income Track board is always used.
3. It is recommended that players always include at least one time period with a red city.
4. Randomly place goods cubes in each city equal to the number printed on that city. Unlike previous expansions, when playing 2 and 3 player games, do not reduce the number of goods placed in cities.
5. Place face-up next to the board the 4 starting Railroad Operation Cards: The Railroad Era Begins, Time Blazer, Speed Record, and Passenger Lines.
6. Remove from the deck any operation cards that are specific to time periods not used in the current game.
7. Then reveal additional operation cards equal to twice the number of players.

Fluxo do Jogo

Turn Order

Every round begins with an auction to decide the play order. The auction order always follows the order of the previous round. The first player who passes must pay half his bid (rounded down) and place a train at the end of the Turn Order chart on the score track. The next player to pass becomes the 2nd to last player on the Turn Order chart. This continues until all but the player with the highest bid passes. The winning bidder pays the bank his full bid and becomes the first player for this round.

Ações e Como Jogar

Connecting to Time Warps

Players may now connect to the glowing red “time warp” hexes. Whenever a player connects track to a time warp hex, he must add an extra $1,000 to the cost of his build. Building track from a city into a time warp hex ends a player’s action just as it would when building city to city.

Delivering Goods Through Time

When a player has tracks that emerge from time warp hexes in two different time periods, he may deliver goods freely between those two cities. Goods can travel in any direction through time once players begin building their network. Players may NOT use time warps to deliver cubes to cities that reside in the same time period. Goods may NEVER exit a time period and reenter into the same time period. Tracks built out of time warps MUST always connect to a city. Goods may travel through many different time periods before reaching their final destination.

Claiming Time Lines

In Railways Through Time, Major Lines have been replaced with Time Lines. Each time period has one or two Time Lines listed at the top corners of the board. Players will compete to be the first to connect the two cities in a Time Line with track on that board. Once a player completes his first Time Line, he claims it by placing one of his train tokens on that Time Line listing. No other player can claim that Time Line. All future Time Lines a player completes after his first MUST CONNECT to his original Time Line BEFORE they can be claimed.

New Operations Cards

• Time Blazer: The first player to deliver a goods cube through time gains 2 additional points on the income track.
• Boost: The cost of an engine upgrade is reduced by $5,000. This can reduce the cost of an engine upgrade to $0.
• Time Bounty: The first player to deliver a goods cube to any city in the time period named on this card gains 1 additional point on the income track. The goods cube MUST originate from a different time period not the one listed on this card.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

Ending the Game

The number of empty city markers that ends the game (same mechanics as Railways of the World) depends on the number of players. The chart for this can be found on the Income Track board.

Scoring Time Lines

Time Lines do not award points at the moment they are claimed. At the end of the game, players count the number of Time Lines they have completed and are awarded victory points according to the chart on the score board.

Dicas para Vencer

• Focus on connecting cities across different time periods using time warps to deliver goods cubes, as this is a new and crucial aspect of the game.
• Strategically claim Time Lines, remembering that subsequent Time Lines must connect to your original one to be claimed.
• Pay attention to the New Operations Cards like Time Blazer and Time Bounty, as they offer additional points on the income track for specific achievements related to time travel and goods delivery.