# Transatlantic ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2017 - **BGG Rating**: 7.0 - **BGG Rank**: #2263 - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 60-120 min - **Weight**: 3.10 / 5 - **Designers**: Mac Gerdts - **Artists**: Dominik Mayer - **Publishers**: PD-Verlag, Rio Grande Games - **Categories**: Economic, Industry / Manufacturing, Nautical, Transportation - **Mechanics**: Action Retrieval, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Modular Board ## Verdict If you love naval strategy and deck‑building, Transatlantic will keep you at the helm.Deep economic managementCustomizable deckModular boardModerate learning curvePlay time can stretchRECOMMENDED ## Description Transatlantic transports you to the late 19th century, right after the Suez Canal opened and massive steamships began to rule the seas. For 2 to 4 players, each takes the helm of a shipping company, vying to move cargo, mail and passengers across the globe. Each round you play a card that lets you buy historic vessels, invest in coal depots, build ticket agencies or upgrade shipyards. As new cards appear, you build your own deck, adding stronger actions and crafting synergistic strategies. The modular board depicts oceanic routes that shift each game, forcing tactical choices about ship placement and when to chase the coveted "Blue Riband" across the North Atlantic. Luck plays a minor role; success hinges on resource management, coal‑company control, and timing of ship sales and purchases. While the economic depth is substantial, the rules are straightforward and the pace stays lively, yielding games of 60‑120 minutes. If you love deck‑building, resource juggling, and historic naval themes, Transatlantic delivers a rich, strategic and immersive experience. ## How to Play Game Objective The objective of the game is to accumulate the highest amount of Victory Points (VPs) by the end of the match. Players earn VPs through cargo transport, building Trading Houses, and specific actions. The game ends when the last steamer is purchased from the ship market, followed by one additional round. The winner is the player with the most VPs. In the event of a tie, the owner of the newest ship prevails. Setup To start the game, follow these steps: Ship Distribution: Each player receives one random Sailing Ship. The owner of the oldest ship becomes the starting player and takes the "Starting Player" card. Steamer Purchase: Players, in counter-clockwise order, purchase a steamer from the ship market. The cost includes the ship's base price plus an additional fee based on its position in the market. Initial Deployment: After purchase, each player must immediately deploy one of the new ships, following the rules of order by construction year. Hidden Cards: Players keep their action cards hidden in their hands. Game Flow The game progresses in turns, with each player executing actions according to the rules below: Player Turn: Each player plays an action card and executes the associated actions. Played cards are stacked visibly for all to see. Director Cards: When playing the "Director" card, the player returns all played cards to their hand and immediately plays a new card from the deck. Ship Deployment: New ships are placed on top of sea regions. Older ships are pushed down. If a region is full, the oldest ship is discarded or redeployed, if possible. End of Game: The game ends after the purchase of the last steamer. One additional round is played to finalize the scoring. Actions and How to Play Available actions are executed by playing specific cards. The main ones are listed below: Shipyard: Purchase 1 or 2 steamers from the market and deploy one immediately. The other remains on the table. Region: Deploy a ship and collect income from another player's oldest ship in the chosen region. Transport: Transport with up to 2 of your own ships, losing 1 unit of coal per steamer. Earn income and VPs with Trading Houses. Global: Transport with 1 ship per region or per flag. Earn VPs for different flags. Blue Riband: Transport with as many ships as the number of Blue Ribands the player possesses. Director: Retrieve all cards from the discard pile (minimum 4) and play a new action immediately. Invest: Build Trading Houses, buy coal, or earn income markers. End of Game and Scoring The game ends after the purchase of the last steamer, followed by a final round. Scoring is calculated as follows: VPs per Ship: Each ship is scored based on its flag (e.g., 7 VPs per blue flag). Trading Houses: 1 VP per ship in regions where the player has Trading Houses. Money: 1 VP per £100 in cash. Line Markers: Complete lines of markers on the player board generate increasing VPs (5, 10, 15, 20). Incomplete markers also score. Victory: The player with the most VPs wins. Ties are resolved by the newest ship. Tips for Winning Based on the manual, it is recommended to: Maximize Trading Houses: Build Trading Houses in regions where your ships are located to earn extra VPs. Manage Coal: Use actions like "Coal" to refuel steamers and avoid waste. Use the Director Strategically: Recover valuable cards to play critical actions at the right moment. Consult the manual for details on sections not covered here. ## FAQ ### How many players can play? 2 to 4 players. ### How long does a game last? Typically 60–120 minutes, depending on player experience. ### What is the complexity level? Medium‑high; it demands economic planning and route management. ### What components are included? Action cards, ship miniatures, modular board, coal tokens, money tokens and route markers. ### Who is the game best suited for? Fans of deck‑building, historical naval themes and transport‑focused strategy games. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 61.39 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=864907&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/21849/transatlantic?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com