Express

About this board game

Express is a train-building card game for 2–6 players, played in about 60 minutes, in which players create freight trains, passenger trains, and way cars while competing for points.

Cards represent different train cars, freight, passengers, way cars, diesel locomotives, and disasters. On each turn, draw two cards from the face-down pile or one card from the face-up discard pile, meld cards from your hand, and discard. Players must finish their turns with no more than five cards.

Freight trains are formed from cars of the same type, such as box cars, tank cars, or auto carriers. A wild car can introduce a second type into a freight train, while passenger trains may include any combination of passenger cars. Every train requires a locomotive, represented by any card placed face down.

• Share key cards: In four- or six-player games, partners can exchange face-down locomotive cards with cards in their hands.
• Play disasters: Discarded disaster cards can change the direction of play, steal an opponent’s car, or wreck an entire train.
• Counter trouble: Way cars can absorb matching disaster damage or remedy it in a manner similar to the Coup Fourre of Mille Bornes.

A hand ends when a player or partnership goes out. The required melds include at least one five-car train and one four-car train, with all other trains containing at least three cars. After scoring trains and way cars, cards remaining in players’ hands count against them.

Hands continue until a player or partnership reaches the required winning score; the highest score at the end of that hand wins. First released in 1990, Express combines familiar rummy-like melding with train construction, disasters, and partner card exchanges.