Panamax
94 questions players ask about Panamax. Pick one for the answer. See also the full rulebook.
Updated 2026-11-03.
Setup and Advanced Setup
- How do I cascade the action dice during setup when a column is overfull?
- Does the 2-3 player mulligan re-roll apply to every round's dice roll?
- In a 2 or 3 player game, do I use shares of all four company colours?
- What ships does each company start with, and which are ready at the start?
- Where and when can I place my free starting 2-slot ship, and do I have to load it first?
- Does the one-die-per-ship limit apply to the setup load?
- Can I build a ship during setup so I can load a die onto it?
- In what order do players choose and load their Setup Contracts?
- How are starting Setup Contracts chosen, and how many are dealt?
- Do I have to load all my starting contract's cargo, and must each container go in its matching zone?
- Which setup steps does the Advanced Set-up replace, and when is turn order set?
- Is the Financial Advisor card I keep at setup secret, and does the order of the unchosen cards matter?
Action Table, Dice and Executive Actions
- What can I do with an Executive Action die?
- Can an executive load action put dice straight from the warehouse onto ships?
- With an executive load action, can I take any contract and load three dice?
- How does transferring a die across the Action table work?
- Can I transfer a die into a column whose rows are all full, or into an executive space?
- Can I use a die I just transferred as an Executive Action die?
- After I transfer a die, do I change its pips to match the new column?
- What if I take a Contract/Load die but can't take the contract (not enough dice)?
- Must I use all my movement points, and in what order?
Contracts and Loading Cargo
- Can I take a contract if I don't have enough dice for all its containers?
- Which dice go on a newly taken contract: warehouse or dice pool first?
- Do I roll my coloured cargo dice when loading a contract?
- Can I flip a contract to its generic side after taking it?
- If I take a load action but not the contract card, what happens to the card?
- What happens when the contract deck runs out?
- How many incomplete contracts can I hold at the end of my turn?
- Can I load two dice onto the same ship in one turn?
- Can I load dice from a contract card I don't have dice on, or from another player's contract?
- Can any die value go onto any ship?
- Can a contract die go on a ship in a loading zone that doesn't match its flag?
- Can generic cargo from one contract go onto ships in different loading zones?
- When must a die go on the Rail table, and can a die without a rail icon go there?
- Can I put a die on the Rail table when one is already there, and how many fit?
- What happens if the Rail table fills before my rail die can be loaded?
- Can I load a ship that is still in a Waiting zone?
- Can I move an empty ship from the Waiting zone into a loading zone without loading it?
- Can a ship move from one loading zone to another?
- Can I load cargo when I have no dice left?
Captain, Stevedore and Bonus Cards
- Can I play a Captain or Stevedore card on the turn I got it?
- When in my turn can I play a Captain or Stevedore card, and can I do it mid-action?
- Can I play a Stevedore card first, then use my main action to finish a contract?
- Can I hold more than one Captain card or more than one Stevedore card?
- If a ship exits the canal while I use a Captain card, do I get a new Captain card?
- Can I play a Captain or Stevedore card I gain during the end-of-round phase?
- Where do used Captain and Stevedore cards go?
- How does the Stevedore card that reduces cargo fees round, and what does it halve?
- Where can a die loaded with a Stevedore card go?
- What do I get when my ship exits the canal, and do I get a bonus for each ship?
- When a 3-slot ship exits, do I have to choose between a Financial Advisor card and $5 before looking at the stack?
The Clipboard and Flags
- Must I use the free action when I place a flag on my clipboard?
- In what order do multiple free actions resolve, and when relative to my main action?
- Must flags be placed left to right in each nation's row?
- What happens when I earn a fourth flag of the same nation?
- What does filling the first flag column with four different flags give me?
- How does a deferred Market free action work?
- What does the free 'load one die' flag bonus allow?
- What does the free Rail clipboard action do?
- Can I decline or must I complete a flag's 3-movement free action, including from the Rail platform?
- How do Passenger tokens and their benefits work?
- Are flags limited, and can I claim a Rail table flag by completing a contract?
Ship Movement and Grouping
- Can Captain cards or clipboard movement be used on locks and lakes, or only waterways?
- Which ships can I move with a movement action?
- When my ship enters a lock holding other ships, must we group or do I push?
- Once ships are grouped in a lock, can I split them or reorder them?
- Is grouping in lakes and loading zones required, and what is the size limit?
- Can I regroup ships when leaving a lock?
- How does pushing work, and can a 2-slot ship push a 3-slot ship?
- Do pushed ships still pay out when they exit the canal?
- Where does a ship go after it exits the canal?
- What do companies earn when a ship reaches the end of the canal?
Market Actions and Shares
End of the Round
- Can I decline the flag I'd take from the Rail platform?
- What is the end-of-round sequence for Rail dice?
- How is turn order decided if players have no dice on the Rail or tie?
- Are Rail platform flags replenished, and how many are there?
- What if a company can't pay all its dividends?
- For the Managing Director tie-break, does wealth include shares and ships?
- What cargo fees do I pay at the end of the round?
- What if my company can't pay its cargo fees?
- What moves to the warehouse during maintenance?