Mass Transit
Mass Transit Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Big City board
- 52 Mass Transit cards
- 6 Commuter pawns
- Instructions
Object
Taking turns, players work as a team, playing cards to build a map of transit routes and move Commuter pawns from the Big City to their homes in the Suburbs. Players collectively win the game by successfully delivering all six Commuter pawns to their homes.
Setup
Place the Big City board in the center of the table, then put the six Commuter pawns in their marked starting spaces. Ensure you have plenty of room to build your map of six routes leading in all directions away from the Big City.
Shuffle the deck of cards, then deal each player four cards face down as their hand. You may look at the cards in your own hand but do not show your cards to others. Place the remaining cards face down in the middle of the Big City board as the draw pile.
IMPORTANT: If your starting hand contains three or more Suburbs cards, you must set aside your cards and draw four new ones, then reshuffle the set-aside cards into the draw pile.
After viewing their cards, any player may volunteer to take the first turn. If there is disagreement, the owner of the game goes first. Play then passes clockwise.
Communication in Mass Transit
Bureaucracy is a real pain! Even though you are all working together, you may NOT tell other players exactly what is in your hand or where you will play on your next turn. You can discuss the current map on the table and say vague things like, "This could be a great express route" or "I can't wait to ride the train!" to get around the red tape; however, you can never suggest what actual cards to play or what the next move should be.
Gameplay
Each turn, you must play at least two cards from your hand, but you may play up to all four. At the end of your turn, draw your hand back up to four cards. Most cards can be played in one of the following two ways:
- Added to the map (game board) to extend a route, or
- Discarded to transport a Commuter pawn.
1) Add a Card to the Map to Extend a Route
Six transit routes lead out of the Big City toward the Suburbs. When you first play a card to start a route, place it to extend the road, canal, and rail lines on one edge of the Big City board. Play subsequent cards next to either the Big City (to begin a new route) or an existing route (to continue it).
The colored banner and icon at the top of a card have no bearing on its use when being played to extend a route. In most instances, all routes will be extended using cards with different colored banners.
2) Discard a Card to Transport a Commuter
To get Commuters to their homes in the Suburbs, you must move them along by discarding cards from your hand. Most cards feature a transportation icon in the upper left that shows the type of movement the discarded card provides. These include the following:
- Walk: Discarding a card with this icon lets you move one Commuter from the Big City or a Station (see Stations) to the next card. Commuters must begin their trek home by using a walk to get out of the Big City. Walking is not allowed from a Traffic Stop if the Commuter arrived there on a vehicle (see Traffic Stops).
- Bus, Ferry, Train: Each representing a mode of vehicle transportation, cards with these icons let you move one Commuter from a matching Station type to the next matching Station type on that route. When you discard a card to move a Commuter with a vehicle, its icon must correspond with the two Stations along the route (e.g. Bus to Bus, Train to Train, etc.).
- Null: A card with this icon cannot be discarded to transport a Commuter.
Ending Your Turn
You may end your turn after you have played two, three, or four cards. To end your turn, draw your hand back up to four cards.
IMPORTANT: If the draw pile runs out, players can no longer draw cards. You and your team must continue the game and try to win using only the cards remaining in your hands. Never reshuffle the discard pile after starting hands are set.
Stations
Bus, Ferry, and Train Station icons represent transportation hubs on the map that require you to stop; when Commuters move along a transit line by vehicle, they must stop when they arrive at the icon that matches the Station from which they departed.
For example, when you discard a card showing a Bus icon, a Commuter must depart a Bus Station and stop at the next card on that bus line that features a Bus Station (which may be impeded by a Traffic Stop; see Traffic Stops).
If more than one type of Station appears on the same card, a Commuter pawn may depart from any of them.
Dead-End Transit Lines: Commuters do not have to walk between Stations on the same card; however, if a transit line dead-ends at a Station, the Commuter must walk to the next Station to resume vehicle movement.
Traffic Stops
A Commuter must stop when it reaches a Traffic Stop on its line. If a Commuter was riding a vehicle when it arrived at a Traffic Stop, it can be moved again only by discarding a card with the corresponding vehicle icon (Bus, Ferry, or Train) for that line. (Commuters cannot get out of a vehicle and walk if they are stuck in traffic!)
If a Commuter walked to a card featuring a Traffic Stop, it can only move on if you discard a card with a Walk icon.
TIP: If a Commuter walks to a card with a Traffic Stop on it, lay the Commuter pawn flat to remind everyone that it will require another Walk card to move on.
Suburbs
Suburbs are the ending points for the six routes. Six cards feature Suburbs—two for each type of transportation mode. Each Suburbs card can house only one Commuter. Your team must successfully move one Commuter to every Suburbs card to win the game.
Route Distance: Each Suburbs card shows a number (3 or 4) just above the house icon; this number represents the minimum number of cards that must be placed between the Big City and that Suburbs card.
Each line type (road, canal, and rail) has two Suburbs cards: one that requires at least three cards between it and the Big City, and the other at least four. This bus line Suburbs card requires at least three route cards between it and the Big City.
Urgent
Some things in government take precedence! If you start your turn with cards in your hand that have the Urgent icon, you MUST play them that turn; you cannot hold on to them for later turns. Urgent cards do not have to be the first cards you play on your turn and, as with other cards, they can either be played to extend a route or discarded to move a Commuter.
IMPORTANT: If all six Commuters arrive home in the Suburbs during your turn, the game ends immediately—regardless of Urgent cards remaining in your hand.
Losing the Game
If any player is unable to play at least two cards during their turn, the game is over and the team loses. Celebrate the Commuters that got home to their families and try again!
Winning the Game
The moment the sixth Commuter pawn reaches its home on a Suburbs card, your team immediately wins! Congratulations! Remember, you still win the game if you have Urgent cards left in your hand.
Mass Transit Solitaire
Mass Transit can be played solo with no changes to the rules. We highly recommend you give it a try!