Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

2018

Immerse in a multiplayer puzzle game, Railroad Ink! Strategize and optimize transport lines to connect exits, score points, and expand your transportation network. Test your luck with added expansions for an exciting variation each play!

30
minutes

1 - 6
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a truly captivating board game that will transport you into a world of transportation strategy and planning. With its appealing design and compelling gameplay, it provides an engaging challenge for both beginners and experienced gamers alike.

The setting of the game is an expansive, untouched land, waiting to be transformed by the intricate networks of railroads and highways that players will create. The theme of the game is thus largely centered on transportation and urban planning, with a delightful nod to the era of grand railroad expansion.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a strategic board game that challenges players to design the most efficient rail and road networks. Here are the components included in the game and their descriptions:

1. Game Boards:
Each player gets a game board, which represents the area where they will be creating their transportation network. The game board has a grid of squares, with some squares containing special pre-existing routes.

2. Route Dice:
There are four route dice in the game. These dice are rolled at the beginning of each turn, and they determine the types of routes (rail or road) that players can draw on their boards for that turn.

3. River Dice:
These two dice are exclusive to the Deep Blue Edition. They get rolled along with the route dice, adding river routes to the mix. Rivers must start and end at the edge of the board or connect to the pre-existing routes.

4. Lake Dice:
These two dice are also exclusive to this edition. They get rolled with the other dice, adding lake routes to the options. Lakes can exist anywhere on the board and provide extra points if connected to other routes.

5. Dry Erase Markers:
Each player gets a dry erase marker to draw the routes on their game board. The markers can be easily erased, allowing for the game board to be reused in future games.

6. Rulebook:
The rulebook provides the complete rules of the game, including how to use each type of route, how to score points, and how the game ends.

In terms of interaction, every turn starts with the roll of the dice, which determines the routes that players can draw on their boards. Players then simultaneously draw the routes on their respective boards, trying to create the most efficient network. The game continues in this manner for seven rounds, after which players tally up their points based on the scoring rules outlined in the rulebook.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a competitive puzzle game where players aim to construct the most efficient rail and highway network. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up the game:

Step 1: Distribute the Boards

Each player receives a Route Board, which is the main player board. This board has a 7×7 grid where players will draw their routes. Additionally, each player gets a marker to draw their routes.

Step 2: Prepare the Dice

The game comes with four Route Dice, which depict various types of routes (roads and railways). Place these dice in the center of the playing area where all players can see and reach them.

Step 3: Set up Expansion Dice

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition comes with two additional sets of Expansion Dice: River Dice and Lake Dice. Depending on your preference, add either set, both or none to the game. If you decide to use them, place them next to the Route Dice.

Step 4: Explain Player Roles

In Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition, all players act simultaneously, each playing on their own Route Board. There are no specific player roles. Instead, each player’s goal is to create the most efficient transportation network.

Step 5: Understand the Initial Resources

Each player starts the game with an empty Route Board. Players do not have any initial resources. They will build their network throughout the game by drawing the routes indicated on the Route Dice.

Step 6: Discuss the Random Elements

The main random element in Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is the roll of the dice. Each round, someone will roll the Route Dice, and the results will dictate the routes that players can draw on their boards. If used, the Expansion Dice add another layer of randomness to the game.

Remember, the goal of the game is to connect as many exits on your board as possible, and to create a network with as many long, uninterrupted routes as you can. Happy gaming!

Game flow Round and round we go

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is an engaging board game where players create transportation networks to connect as many exits on their game board as possible. The game is divided into a series of rounds, each of which involves rolling dice, drawing routes, and scoring points.

The game consists of seven rounds. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each round:

Roll Dice: At the start of each round, one player rolls the four dice. These dice determine the mandatory road and railway routes that every player must draw on their individual game boards during that round.
Draw Routes: Each player then takes a turn to draw the routes on their game board. The routes must be drawn to match the faces of the dice rolled. Players can draw the routes in any order and orientation, but they must start from an existing route or from one of the 12 exits around the edge of their game board.
Special Routes: In addition to the mandatory routes, each player can choose to draw a special route up to three times during the course of the game. These special routes, which include a station, a double rail, a double road, and a rail-and-road route, can be used to connect two different types of routes or to extend a route across the game board.
End of Round: Once all players have drawn their routes for the round, the dice are passed to the next player in a clockwise direction, and a new round begins. If a player’s game board is completely filled before the seven rounds are up, that player continues to participate in the dice-rolling but stops drawing routes.

After the seven rounds are over, players calculate their scores based on the number of exits connected, the size of their networks, and the number of central spaces used. They also lose points for any errors or unfinished routes. The player with the highest total score wins the game.

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition offers a unique challenge with each play, as the dice rolls determine the potential routes, making strategic planning and adaptability crucial for victory.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a strategic board game where players build their own transportation network to connect as many exits on their game board as possible. Each round, players roll dice and must use the resulting rail and road paths on their game board.

During a player’s turn, there are several actions that can be taken:

Roll the Dice: At the start of each round, a player has to roll the four dice. The dice faces show various rail and road routes that the players will draw on their own boards.
Draw Routes: After rolling the dice, players draw the routes shown on the dice onto their game boards. Routes must be drawn connecting to an exit or to an existing route. They cannot float in the middle of the board.
Use Special Routes: Each player has a set of special routes they can use up to six times per game. These routes can be used to enhance the connectivity of the player’s network and should be used strategically.
Draw Stations: Stations are special elements that can connect rail and road routes. This can be very useful to link different parts of a player’s network together.

As for the strategic choices, players need to consider the following:

Planning Ahead: Players should try to anticipate the types of routes they will need in the future and plan their network accordingly. This way, they can maximize their chances of drawing a useful route.
Using Special Routes Wisely: The special routes are a powerful tool, but they can only be used a limited number of times. Players should therefore think carefully about when to use them.
Connecting Exits: The main way to score points is by connecting as many exits as possible. Players should therefore strive to create a network that connects many exits together.
Minimizing Errors: If a player draws a route that is not connected to an exit or an existing route, they will receive a penalty at the end of the game. It is therefore crucial to avoid such mistakes.

In conclusion, Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a game of strategic planning and careful decision-making. The player who can best manage their resources and build an efficient network will have the greatest chance of winning.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a strategic board game where players plan their railway and highway networks to connect as many exits on their game board as possible. The game ends after seven rounds, and the victory conditions are based on the points earned by each player.

At the end of the game, players must conduct a final scoring round. Each player will need a pen and the scorecard included in the game to tally their points. Scoring in ‘Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition’ is determined by several key factors:

Route Scoring: Each player scores their routes. A route is a series of connected roads or railways. The longer the route, the higher the score. Isolated sections of road or rail do not score.
Network Scoring: Players score points for each exit connected to their network. The more exits a player has connected, the higher their score.
Central Spaces Scoring: Players also score points for the number of central spaces (9 central squares on the board) filled. This encourages players to build towards the center of their board.
Error Scoring: Any errors made during the game, such as roads or railways leading to nowhere or into the edge of the board, will deduct points from the player’s final score.

Once all players have calculated their scores, the player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the fewest errors wins. If there is still a tie, the player who connected the most exits wins. If even this is tied, all tied players share the victory.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition employs a complex scoring system that rewards players for their strategic placement of roads and railways. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the game’s scoring system:

1. Roads and Railways:

Networks: For each separate network of roads or railways, players score points equal to the number of squares the network covers. If a network contains both roads and railways, they are scored separately.
Longest Road/Railway: The player with the longest continuous road and railway (separately) earns bonus points. The longest road and longest railway each score an additional 4 points.

2. Central Spaces:

Players score 1 point for each route (road or railway) passing through the central 3×3 grid on their board.

3. Exits:

Players score points for each exit connected to a network. The more exits a network has, the more points it scores, following a specific progression: 1 exit = 1 point, 2 exits = 4 points, 3 exits = 8 points, and so on, up to 12 points for 6 exits. Each network is scored separately.

4. Goals:

If players achieve the goals depicted on the Goal cards drawn at the beginning of the game, they score additional points. Each goal card has a specific point value and can only be claimed by the first player to achieve it.

5. Errors:

For each error (unconnected route end) on their board at the end of the game, players subtract 1 point from their total score.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In case of a tie, the player who used the fewest Special Routes to achieve their score wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the fewest errors wins. If there’s still a tie, the player who plays first in the first round is the winner.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a popular board game that involves creating networks of railways and highways. It has some unique rules, exceptions, and clarifications that can greatly enhance gameplay.

1. Use of Special Routes: One of the special rules in this game revolves around the use of the special routes. These are the lake and river routes. Remember:

Special routes can only be drawn when a special die showing the route is rolled.
You can only use each special route a maximum of three times in one game.
Special routes cannot be combined with regular routes on the same turn.

2. Station Squares: Another important rule to keep in mind relates to station squares. These squares can connect roads and railways. However, exceptions include:

Station squares cannot connect a road to a road or a railway to a railway.
Station squares do not count as a separate route, they are simply part of the existing road or railway.

3. Drawing Routes: When drawing routes, you must follow these rules:

Routes must be drawn from edge to edge of the square, without any break in the middle.
Routes cannot be drawn diagonally. They must be straight or with a 90-degree turn.

4. Route Scoring: The scoring rules in Railroad Ink are slightly complex:

A route is considered ‘open’ if it does not connect to another route or if it ends at the edge of the board without connecting to an exit.
Open routes deduct points from your final score. Each open route deducts 1 point.
You also score points based on the largest connected network of roads and railways, longest railway route, and longest highway route.

5. Rule Clarifications: There are also a few rule clarifications that are essential for smooth gameplay:

If you roll a die and it shows a route that you cannot legally place, you may choose to not place that route.
Networks of railways and highways don’t have to be a straight line. They can include turns and junctions.
While using the special routes, you can decide whether to use them as a road or railway. However, once you make a decision, it cannot be changed.

Understanding these rules, exceptions, and clarifications will make your Railroad Ink gameplay more strategic and enjoyable.