Russian Railroads

2013

Immerse yourself in Russian Railroads, a strategic board game where players race to build and modernize their railway network. Manage workers, earn victory points, and outpace your rivals!

120
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Welcome to the exciting world of Russian Railroads, a thrilling strategy board game that takes you on a historical journey through the vast expanses of Russia’s railway system. Developed by Helmut Ohley and Leonhard “Lonny” Orgler, Russian Railroads is a game steeped in historical context and strategic depth.

In Russian Railroads, each player takes on the role of a railroad entrepreneur in late 19th century Russia, tasked with developing their own personal railway network. Your ultimate goal is to create the most extensive and efficient rail system, using every tool and resource at your disposal to score the highest number of victory points.

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

Setting up a game of ‘Russian Railroads’ involves a series of steps. It’s a worker placement game where the goal is for players to manage their workers and resources to build the most efficient railroad network. Here’s how to set it up:

Player Roles:

Each player in ‘Russian Railroads’ takes on the role of a railroad entrepreneur. The number of players can range from 2 to 4. Players must manage their resources and workers to build the most efficient railroad network.

Board Placement:

Place the game board in the middle of the table so that it’s easily accessible to all players. The game board is where all the actions take place. It has various action spaces where players will place their workers during the game.

Initial Resources:

Each player receives a personal player board. This is where they will track their progress and manage their resources.
Every player gets 5 workers, labeled as ‘1’ and 2 workers labeled as ‘2’. The numbers represent the worker’s strength.
Each player also receives 40 rubles (the game’s currency), 2 white tracks, 2 gray tracks, and a black track. Tracks are the primary way players score points.
Every player starts with a locomotive of strength 1 on their first track.

Random Elements:

The game includes several random elements to increase its replayability.

The Engineer cards are shuffled and placed face down on the indicated spaces of the game board. Three of them are then revealed and placed face-up.
The Industry cards are shuffled and placed face down. Then, four of them are revealed and placed face-up.
The Turn Order cards are also shuffled and placed face down. Then, the number of cards equal to the number of players in the game is drawn and placed face-up.

Once these steps are completed, the game of ‘Russian Railroads’ is ready to be played. The game continues in rounds until one player has reached the end of their track, at which point the player with the most points wins.

Game flow Round and round we go

Russian Railroads is a strategic board game that revolves around the development of a railroad network. The game is played over several rounds, each consisting of various phases where players perform different actions. The game ends when a designated number of rounds are completed, and the player with the most victory points wins the game.

The structure of each round in Russian Railroads is as follows:

Worker Placement Phase: This is the main phase of the game. During this phase, players take turns to place their workers on the game board’s available spaces. The placement of a worker allows the player to perform a specific action associated with that space. Actions can include building a track, upgrading their train, advancing their industry marker, or acquiring new workers. The phase continues until all players have placed all their workers.
Scoring Phase: After all workers have been placed and their actions resolved, players proceed to the scoring phase. During this phase, players earn victory points based on the advancement of their railroads, the level of their industry, and any bonus scoring conditions they may have achieved.
Reset Phase: Once scoring is complete, the game board is reset for the next round. All workers are returned to their respective owners, and the first-player marker is passed to the next player in clockwise order. The game board is then replenished with new workers, engineers, and other resources.

Players continue to play rounds until the end of the game, which is triggered when a predetermined number of rounds are completed. At that point, a final scoring phase is performed, and the player with the most points is declared the winner of the game.

Russian Railroads is a game of strategy and planning. The key to winning is effectively managing your workers, making smart decisions about when and where to place them, and efficiently advancing your railroads and industry to score the most points.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game Russian Railroads, each player’s turn is divided into different phases. These phases include selecting a worker spot, performing an action, and adjusting the scoring track. The following is a comprehensive explanation of these processes.

1. Selecting a Worker Spot:

At the start of your turn, you will need to place one of your workers on an available worker spot on the game board. It’s important to note the following:

You cannot place your worker on a spot that is already occupied by another worker.
Some spots require more than one worker. Ensure you have enough workers to cover these spots.
The selection of the worker spot is strategic, as it determines the action you can take and the resources you can acquire.

2. Performing an Action:

Once you’ve placed your worker on the board, you can perform the action associated with that spot. Actions in the game include:

Advancing your train: This allows you to move further along your railroad tracks, which can lead to scoring points.
Building a locomotive: This action allows you to make progress on your individual player board, which can unlock new abilities or score points.
Hiring an engineer: Engineers provide special abilities that can enhance your actions or provide additional resources.
Increasing your worker capacity: This allows you to place more workers on the board during future turns.

3. Adjusting the Scoring Track:

After you’ve performed your action, you will adjust your score on the scoring track based on the progress made during your turn. This can be due to building locomotives, advancing your train, or other game actions. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

The strategic choices in Russian Railroads revolve around efficient worker placement, clever use of engineers, and timely advancement of your train. The various actions available offer a variety of strategies, allowing for diverse and engaging gameplay.

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

The game of ‘Russian Railroads’ ends when a certain number of rounds are completed. This number depends on the number of players in the game. In a 2-player game, there are 7 rounds, in a 3-player game there are 6 rounds, and in a 4-player game there are also 6 rounds.

Once the final round is completed, the game ends and players proceed to final scoring. There are four main areas where players can score points:

Track Advancement: Each player scores points based on how far they have advanced their tracks. The player must multiply the furthest space reached by each of their tracks by the value of the most advanced locomotive they have on that track.
Industry track: Players score points based on their position on the industry track. The number of points received is indicated on the game board.
Engineers: Points are scored for each engineer a player has in their possession at the end of the game. The number of points each engineer is worth is printed on the engineer’s tile.
Completed Orders: Players score points for completed orders. The number of points for each order is printed on the order card.

Before final scoring, players must ensure that they have completed all actions for the final round, including any bonus actions or additional moves they may have earned. After all actions are completed, players calculate their final scores based on the above conditions.

The player with the highest total score is the winner of the game. In the event of a tie, the player who is earlier in the turn order wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Russian Railroads is a strategic board game where players aim to acquire as many points as possible by managing their railroad company effectively. Points are awarded throughout the game for various achievements.

At the end of the game, players will calculate their final scores based on these categories:

Track Advancement: Players earn points equal to the furthest position reached on their individual railroad tracks. The specific point values are indicated on the game board.
Industry Progress: Points are awarded based on the player’s progress on the industry track. The further a player advances, the higher the point value.
Completed Objectives: Points are awarded for each completed objective card a player has. The point value of each card is printed on the card itself.
Engineers: Each engineer card a player has acquired during the game is worth a certain amount of points, as indicated on the card.
Bonus Points: Some actions and advancements provide bonus points. These bonus points are added to the player’s final score.

If there is a tie, the following rules are applied in order:

Most Workers: The player with the most unused workers wins.
Most Engineers: If there is still a tie, the player with the most engineers wins.
Leftmost Player: If a tie still remains, the player who is furthest to the left on the scoring track wins.

Remember, the key to winning Russian Railroads is not just about scoring as many points as possible, but also about effective resource management and strategic planning.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Russian Railroads is a complex board game with various intricate rules and exceptions that need to be understood for an enjoyable gameplay experience. Below are some of the special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications:

1. End of Game Scoring:

In Russian Railroads, the player with the most points at the end of the game is not necessarily the winner. Instead, players continue to earn points during the final scoring phase. This phase includes points from tracks, industry markers, bonus markers, and engineers. Therefore, it’s important to plan your strategy with this final scoring phase in mind.

2. Worker Placement:

Each player starts the game with 5 workers. These workers can be placed on the game board to perform various actions. However, a player cannot place a worker on an action space that is already occupied by another player’s worker. The exception to this rule is the double-worker spaces, where a player can place two workers at once.

3. Advanced Tracks:

Each player has three tracks: the Saint Petersburg track, the Moscow track, and the Kiev track. However, only the Saint Petersburg and Moscow tracks are available at the start of the game. The Kiev track becomes available only after a player has advanced their industry marker to the 9th space of the industry track.

4. Engineers:

Engineers are a special type of worker that provide players with unique benefits. However, in order to hire an engineer, a player must first unlock the engineer space on their player board. This is done by advancing the industry marker to the 5th space of the industry track.

5. Bonus Markers:

Industry Bonus Markers: A player earns these bonus markers by advancing their industry marker. These markers provide a one-time bonus to the player.
Railroad Bonus Markers: A player earns these bonus markers by advancing their railroad tracks. These markers provide a recurring bonus to the player every round.

6. Locomotives:

Locomotives are used to determine how far a player’s trains can travel along their tracks. However, a player must first unlock a locomotive by advancing their industry marker to the required space on the industry track. Once unlocked, a player must then purchase the locomotive using workers.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on advanced track progress: It’s essential to make significant progress on your advanced tracks. The higher you go on these tracks, the more points you earn.
Industry track is key: The industry track provides multipliers for your advanced tracks, and should not be ignored. It’s a slow start, but it can pay off in the long-run.
Manage workers wisely: Workers are resource-limited. It’s crucial to manage your workers efficiently and focus on the most beneficial investments.

Beginner Tips:

Start with the basic tracks: For beginners, it’s recommended to start with the basic tracks and then move to the advanced ones.
Utilize double actions: Use double actions to maximize your turns. This allows you to increase your productivity and efficiency.
Don’t ignore engineers: Engineers can provide valuable benefits. Make sure to hire them when you can.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Neglecting industry track: Many players make the mistake of neglecting the industry track. Even though it’s slow, it provides significant multipliers for advanced tracks.
Ignoring engineers: Engineers can provide bonuses that can significantly enhance your game. Neglecting to hire them is a common mistake.
Poor worker management: Workers are essential resources. Mismanagement of workers can lead to inefficiency and decreased scoring potential.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your moves ahead: Having a game plan can help you stay focused and make better decisions.
Balance your resources: Balancing your resources is key to optimizing gameplay. Make sure to invest in both tracks and industry.
Optimize your worker placement: Placing your workers in the most beneficial spots can greatly increase your scoring potential.