Station Master (2020)
Station Master (2020) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
112 cards:
- 13 Locomotive cards
- 93 Station Master cards
- 6 Depot cards
36 Passenger pawns (six pawns in six colors)
Rulebook
You will also need pen and paper for keeping score. Use the train schedule on the back of this rulebook as a multiplication table for scoring. Download the Station Master app for iOS and Android for helpful scoring tools.
Objective
Each turn, you will manage tasks at the Station by either adding a Passenger pawn to a train or playing a card from your hand. When trains are completed, they will leave the Station. Players score Efficiency Points by multiplying a train's value by the number of passengers on it. The player with the highest Efficiency Score after the last train leaves the Station wins the game.
Setup
Separate the LOCOMOTIVE, STATION MASTER, and DEPOT cards.
Shuffle the Locomotive cards, then lay out a number of Locomotives equal to the number of players in the middle of the playing area. This play area is called the "Station". Place the remaining Locomotive cards face down directly above the Station leaving room for a Locomotive discard pile. For two player games, lay out three Locomotives instead of two, and remove the "Rush Hour" card from the Station Master deck, returning it to the box.
Shuffle the Station Master cards and deal 3 cards face down to each player as their hand. Players should keep their hands of Station Master cards secret from the other players. Place the remaining Station Master cards face down in a draw pile nearby, leaving room for a discard pile.
Each player takes all 6 Passenger pawns in their chosen color. You should have one "3" pawn, two "2" pawns, two "1" pawns, and one "-1" pawn. Stand your pawns with the number side facing you and hidden from other players.
Give each player one Depot card, which they play face up in front of them, then return any unused Depot cards to the box.
The player who most recently traveled by train takes the first turn.
Gameplay
Players take turns in order, with play moving clockwise. On your turn, you must perform ONE of the following two actions:
a) Assign a Passenger pawn to a train
- or -
b) Play a Station Master card and then draw a new card from the deck.
You must complete one of the two actions. You may not choose to pass on your turn.
Assign a Passenger Pawn to a Train
As your turn, you may choose to add one of your Passenger pawns to an available train. Each train has a limit to the number of Passenger pawns that can be assigned to it, identified by the blue number icon on its Locomotive card. You may not add a Passenger pawn to a train that is already at its limit. (The blue icon shows the Passenger pawn limit number; it also shows the number of railcars the Locomotive can pull.)
Each Passenger pawn represents -1, 1, 2, or 3 ticketed passengers. When the train leaves the Station, your Efficiency Points are affected by these values (see All Aboard!). Be aware of FREE ticketed passengers (represented by the -1 pawns) who have been provided discounts by the railway!
Passenger pawns are placed face down on the Locomotive cards with their value hidden from other players, to show which train the passenger has boarded. It's important that a pawn's value remains secret; however, you may examine your own Passenger pawns at any time. Passenger pawns are never placed on the railcars and may not be moved once assigned unless a Transfer card is played.
Play a Station Master Card
There are two kinds of Station Master cards: Railcar and Action cards. They are played in different ways.
Adding a Railcar
Each Locomotive can pull a limited number of railcars. The total number of railcars a Locomotive can pull is identical to the number of Passenger pawns its train can hold, identified by the same blue number icon on the Locomotive card.
When you add a Railcar card to a train, it is placed at the very end of the train, farthest from the Locomotive. You cannot add a Railcar card before or between other railcars already assigned to the train.
As soon as a train has a number of railcars assigned to it equal to the number identified on the Locomotive, it immediately leaves the Station. A train will leave even if there is still room for more Passenger pawns. When a train leaves the Station, players score Efficiency Points for all their Passengers on board (see All Aboard!).
There are two types of railcars: Coaches and Freight cars, which range in value from +6 to -6. Coaches are railcars with a positive value (green number icon) and usually increase the Efficiency Score of the train. Railcars with a negative value (red number icon) are Freight cars and usually decrease the Efficiency Score.
Executive Class Coaches are a special kind of railcar. These Coaches only score a positive value when they are assigned to Executive Class Trains (see Executive Class Trains). If they are assigned to any other kind of train, then its negative value is applied to the train's value.
Executive Class Coaches only score positive green values on Executive Class trains and always score as the negative value on any other trains, including Freight trains; the red Executive Class Coach icon is always subtracted from a train's value.
Playing an Action Card
Action cards allow you to perform an effect when you play them, as described on the card. The effect on the Action card occurs immediately when played. See Action Card Glossary at the end of the rules for specific details.
Depot Cards
Each player receives one Depot card at the beginning of the game. You can play your Depot card instead of a card from your hand once per game. A Depot card can only be added to a train with two or more railcars. Play it as you would a Railcar card, although it does not count as a railcar toward the Locomotive. Once it is played, immediately score the train and remove all Passenger pawns, but leave the Locomotive and railcars. Then add a Passenger pawn of yours to the Depot card. All new passengers are now placed on the Depot instead of the Locomotive; the Depot may hold the same number of Passenger pawns as the Locomotive indicates. When the train is completed and leaves the Station, it will score again, but this time from the Depot to the last Railcar card played on the train. After scoring the train, the Depot card is removed from the game - do not place it in the discard pile. After playing a Depot card do not draw.
Special Trains
There are two special trains that have Locomotives which can change the value of railcars assigned to them.
Executive Class Trains
These deluxe trains are the favorite of influential and wealthy travelers. The Coaches assigned to these trains are often the most luxurious carriages available. If you assign an Executive Class Coach to a train with an Executive Class Locomotive, then use the green, positive value for scoring the Coach. The value of all other railcars on an Executive Class train is not affected. Remember, the negative value of an Executive Class Coach is always subtracted from the value of ALL other trains, including freight trains.
Freight Locomotive
The Freight Train Locomotive is assigned Passenger pawns and railcars just like any other kind of train, but the value of the Railcar cards are reversed! All Coaches are scored as a negative value (the red Executive Class Coach number is subtracted from the Freight Train's value), while all Freight cars with a red icon are scored as a positive value.
All Aboard!
Scoring Efficiency
When the number of Railcar cards added to a train is equal to its Locomotive's number, the train immediately leaves the Station, regardless of the number of Passenger pawns on it. When it leaves, Efficiency Points are scored for all players who have Passenger pawns assigned to that train.
The player who added the last Railcar card determines the TRAIN'S VALUE by adding together the values of all the railcars on the train. Then, each player determines their PASSENGER VALUE by revealing all their Passenger pawns on the train and totaling them together. Multiply the TRAIN'S VALUE by your PASSENGER VALUE to reach your Efficiency Score for the train.
As each train leaves the Station, add your Efficiency Score from that train to your previous total. Players may never have fewer than 0 points.
Scoring Example
This full train has five railcars and five Passenger pawns. The two Coaches with green numbered icons are worth 11 points. The two Freight cars with red numbered icons are worth -3 points. Since this is not an Executive Class Train, the Executive Class Coach is also worth -3 points. Therefore, the TRAIN'S VALUE is 5 points.
The brown player has one Passenger pawn with a value of one, so he earns 5 Efficiency Points (1x5 = 5). The yellow player has two Passenger pawns worth a total of five points, so he earns 25 points ((2+3) x5 = 25). The red player has one Passenger pawn with a value of three, so he earns 15 points (3 x5 = 15). The purple player has one Passenger pawn with a value of -1, so he loses 5 points (-1x5 = -5).
HINT: Pair up canceling valued cards and remove them from the train. For example, pair a positive 3 with a negative 3 and a positive 5 with a negative 5, etc. You can also do the same with equal valued sums. For example a positive 3, 1 and 1 can cancel out a -3 and -2. You can use the helpful train schedule on the back of the rulebook or the free Station Master app for help with scoring, and remember that a negative Passenger pawn times a negative train value equals a positive score!
After the train is scored, the Passenger pawns are returned to their owners and may be reassigned to other trains in future turns. Place all the Railcar and applied Action cards in the Station Master discard pile. Place the Locomotive card in the Locomotive discard pile. Then, draw a new Locomotive card and place it face up in the Station.
The End of the Day
The game ends when the Locomotive deck is empty, and all the trains have left the Station. After the last train is scored, the player with the highest Efficiency Score is the winner!
If there is a tie, the tied player with the single largest scoring train wins.
It is possible that all the Station Master cards in the deck will be drawn. If this happens, don't reshuffle the deck! Instead, all the players must continue to play with the cards they have in their hands. You must continue play on your turn, even if you don't want to! However, if you have no legal play on your turn, you may pass.
Action Card Glossary
Here is a detailed description of each card for clarification should questions arise:
CABOOSE - The Caboose is played to a train and counts as a railcar, though it has no value (including 0). This card allows a train to leave early, even if it does not have enough railcars to fill it. Score points for this train immediately after you play the Caboose (see All Aboard).
DEPOT CARDS - Each player receives one Depot card at the beginning of the game. You can play your Depot card instead of a card from your hand once per game. A Depot card can only be added to a train with two or more railcars. Play it as you would a Railcar card, although it does not count as a railcar toward the Locomotive. Only one Depot card may be played per train. Once it is played, immediately score the train and remove all Passenger pawns, but leave the Locomotive and railcars. Then add a Passenger pawn of yours to the Depot card. All new passengers are now placed on the Depot instead of the Locomotive; the Depot may hold the same number of Passenger pawns as the Locomotive indicates. When the train is completed and leaves the Station, it will score again, but this time from the Depot to the last Railcar card played on the train. After scoring the train, the Depot card is removed from the game - do not place it in the discard pile. After playing a Depot card, do not draw.
REASSIGN - When you play this card, you may remove the last railcar from any train you choose and add it to the end of any other train in the Station. If the affected train is now full, it leaves the Station and is immediately scored.
REPAIR - As instructed by the card, examine the top three Station Master cards in the discard pile. If any of them are railcars, you may choose one and add it to the end of any train, just like you played it from your hand (see Assigning a Railcar).
ROYAL CARRIAGE - This card is played like other Coaches and counts as a railcar, though it has no value (including 0). When this train leaves the Station, double the value of the last two railcars with values on the train (whether they are positive or negative). If a Depot card is played on a train after the Royal Carriage, the effects of the Royal Carriage are canceled. A Royal Carriage played after a Depot affects only the railcars after the Depot when the train scores.
RUSH HOUR - When drawn, immediately add a Locomotive to the Station, and discard the Rush Hour card. Then draw another card to your hand as a replacement. Afterwards continue playing your turn as normal. The total number of Locomotives in the Station is increased by one for the remainder of the game.
STANDING ROOM - Place this card in front of the Locomotive. The maximum number of Passenger pawns that can be assigned to this train is increased by one. This does not change the number of railcars that can be assigned to the train. When you play this card, you may immediately choose to assign one of your Passenger pawns to this train. More than one Standing Room card may be played to a single train.
TRANSFER - Choose any train in the Station. You may take any three Passenger pawns of your choice, including your own, off that train and place them on any other trains of your choice. You may not examine Passenger pawns that belong to other players. If there are no trains to which a pawn can legally move, it is instead returned to its owner.
UNCOUPLE - When you play this card, you may remove one or two of the last Railcar cards from a single train of your choice; this may include the Royal Carriage. Both removed cards are then placed in the discard pile.