Ultimate Railroads — How to Play

Game Objective

In Ultimate Railroads, players take on the role of railway entrepreneurs in 19th-century Russia, competing to build the most profitable train network. The goal is to score the most victory points by developing routes, acquiring locomotives, advancing industrialization, and hiring engineers. The game lasts 7 rounds, and the winner is the player with the most points after final scoring.

Setup

For 4 players, follow these steps:

1. Place the main board at the center of the table (3-4 player side).
2. Organize the locomotives (#2 to #10) into separate stacks, numbered in ascending order.
3. Distribute components to each player:
   • 1 individual board (matching color).
   • 1 locomotive #1 placed on the starting route.
   • 5 workers and 1 coin.
   • 1 industry track and 1 wrench.
4. Prepare the turn order, endgame bonus, and engineer cards as described on pages 4-6 of the manual.
5. Refer to the manual for details on placing extra pieces, such as idea tokens and scoring tiles.

Game Flow

The game is divided into 7 rounds, each with the following phases:

1. Player Turns: In order determined by the turn order track, each player chooses an action (or passes).
2. Scoring Phase: After all players pass, points are calculated based on routes and industrialization.
3. Preparation for Next Round: Reorganize the turn order and move any unhired engineers.

Direct actions (on the board) must be fully resolved, while indirect actions (from engineers) may be partial.

Actions and How to Play

During your turn, you may perform one of the following actions:

• Track Extension: Spend workers to advance tracks on routes (p.8). You may split movements between routes.
• Locomotives/Factories: Acquire locomotives for your routes or flip them as factories on the industry track (p.10-12).
• Industrialization: Advance your wrench on the industry track to gain benefits (p.13).
• Auxiliary Actions:
  • Obtain multiplier tokens to multiply points.
  • Collect coins (replace workers in actions).
  • Hire engineers (p.15).

Refer to the manual for details on special route spaces (p.18-19), such as earning extra workers or keys.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the 7th round. Final scoring includes:

1. Routes: Points for spaces reached by locomotives (p.20). Tracks of different colors are worth more.
2. Industrialization: Points based on the wrench's position on the track.
3. Bonuses: Endgame cards and engineer benefits.

The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most #10 locomotives wins.

Tips to Win

• Prioritize higher-tier tracks (bronze/silver/gold) to multiply points (p.8-9).
• Use factories strategically on the industry track to unlock extra actions (p.12-13).
• Hire engineers to access exclusive actions and additional scoring (p.15).