Railway Boom takes players back to the early days of Japan’s railway industry during the Meiji era. Players connect cities and manage resources to build up their own economic empire.
The game’s core is built around three systems: engine-building using five types of cards, creating a railway network, and transporting goods through it. Cards are acquired via open auctions, where players bid using different types of resources. However, buying more cards or taking additional actions requires the same resources, so every bid becomes a careful calculation.
At every turn, the game challenges you to strike a balance between taking actions that offer instant benefits and adopting a long-term strategy to earn major points by the end of the game.
IMMENSE REPLAYABILITY!
Four goals (out of 18) are selected for each play, significantly impacting strategies and reshaping the game every time.
MEANINGFUL AUCTIONS
Bid in open auctions to determine who gets first pick of the best cards for their engine.
DREAM TEAM
Designed by Hisashi Hayashi (Bomb Busters, Yokohama), developed by Simone Luciani, and illustrated by Ian O’Toole.
The game has four rounds, each with six phases shown on the board in this order. Four of these phases include an auction step, indicated by a hammer icon.
In each open auction step, players bid different resources for turn priority to choose the best cards for their engine.
First, you need to acquire trains. In the first phase, the Train Phase, players bid with wood, then take one Locomotive, and purchase Carriage cards.
Next, in the Expansion Phase, you can build more railways by bidding with money. This phase allows you to choose a city to place your station and expand your railway network.
The third – Development Phase. Here, players bid with technology to buy cards that can have instant, once-per-round or permanent effects, adding a layer of strategy to the choices you make.
Following this is the Income Phase, where you receive resources based on your Income Levels.
The fifth phase is the Operation Phase. Here, you load up locomotives with resource tokens and spend coal to leave the station and activate Carriages. Optimize connections between them to create the most synergy with the cargo, taking the most with the right combination!
The final phase is the Objective Phase. In this phase, players bid for the highest multiplier to earn the most VPs at the end of the game. Making smart decisions here is vital to earning major points at the end of the game.
After completing all four rounds, calculate end-of-game VPs by resolving each Objective Card, counting unused resources, and measuring the length of your railway. The player with the most VP wins!
