Terminus
Terminus Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Key Concepts
- Game Setup
- Gameplay
- Develop Zone
- Lobby Zone
- Improve Zone
- Market Zone
- Supply Zone
- Build Zone
- How to Build
- Rail Placement Examples
- Making a Connection
- Using Build Upgrades
- End Game Scoring
- Two-Player Game: Setup
- Two-Player Game: Gameplay
- Solo Game: Setup
- Solo Game: Gameplay
- Reference
Components
Player Components
- 5 Prime Hubs
- 60 Station Discs (12 in each player color)
- 5 Capacity Markers (1 in each player color)
- 5 Bonus Markers (1 in each player color)
- 5 Player Boards
- 5 Cycle Markers (1 in each player color)
- 5 Player Markers (1 in each player color)
- 40 Lobbyists (8 in each player color)
- 160 Rails (32 in each player color)
- 10 Build Upgrade Tiles (5/type, labeled B1–B2)
- 5 Player Aid Cards
General Components
- 1 Double-sided Main Board
- 54 Coins (25x, 10x, 10x, 9x denominations)
- 1 Turn Order Card
- 1 Year Marker
- 55 Resources: 20x Construction, 15x Blueprint, 12x Permits, 8x Power
- 21 Demand Tokens
- 35 Agenda Cards
- 18 Project Cards
- 18 Advanced Upgrade Tiles (3/type, labeled A1–A6)
- 24 Development Tiles (8 each in 3 types)
- 1 Score Pad
Components for Solo and 2-Player Games
- 8 Double-sided Automa Cards
- 14 Solo Cards
- 1 Direction Marker
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Key Concepts
These Key Concepts will pop up frequently. We recommend skipping this page for now and referring back to it later if you need a quick reminder of any of the concepts explained here.
Resources are spent to execute various actions in the game. There are four types of resources: Construction, Power, Permits, and Blueprints.
Collecting and spending resources. In certain Zones of the Action Loop, players may collect resources from the corresponding Depots. Resources are always collected from the leftmost column containing resources. Each resource costs the number of Coins indicated at the top of the column from which the resource(s) are taken.
Players may purchase as many resources as they can afford, paying their respective costs to the general supply, and then store them in their Resource Storage on their player board.
Your Resource Storage holds a maximum of 8 resources. If you exceed the limits of your Resource Storage, you must return any excess resources of your choice to their respective Depots.
Resources you spend or return are placed in the rightmost column with an available space. (See p.13)
NOTE: You do not collect Coins for any resources that are returned to the Depot.
Example: Red wishes to purchase 2 Permits. The cost is 1 Coin for the first Permit, plus 2 Coins for the second Permit for a total of 3 Coins.
On a later action, Red uses 2 Blueprints. They return the resources to the Blueprint Depot, starting with the rightmost available space.
Lobbyists are your company's advocates. Each player has a limited supply of 8 Lobbyists, which can be used to access actions unlocked by Developments, or to lobby on Agendas and Projects to earn Prestige.
Prestige (victory points) represent how well a subway line meets the transit needs of the City.
Build means to place Rails and/or Stations within the City. Depending on the Action and a player's Capacity and Resources, a player may be limited in their ability to Build.
Stations are built by placing a single disc from a player's Station Track on an available Plot within the City during a Build action.
Hubs are improved stations, represented by placing two Station discs on top of each other within the City. Hubs can only be built if the player has unlocked the corresponding upgrade.
Prime Hub is the first Hub placed by a player during setup. When you Build for the first time, you place Rails outward from your Prime Hub.
Stop refers to either a Station or Hub.
Rails are used to link Stops when building your subway. Each player has a limited supply of 32 rails, which are unavailable for building until placed in the Rail Storage of a player's board. There is no limit to the number of Rails that can be placed in the Rail Storage. (See p.14)
Connections are formed at the intersection of two subway lines when a player connects their rails to an opponent's Stop. Other players' Stops are not considered to be part of your subway line for scoring purposes. (See p.17)
The Action Loop is located at the top of the main board. Players select an action by moving their Player Marker clockwise around the loop to the Zone with the action they wish to take. (See p.10) Actions are grouped into 6 Zones: Develop, Lobby, Improve, Market, Supply, Build.
Cycle refers to a Player Marker moving around the Action Loop until it reaches the Cycle Checkpoint (See p.8). Players have a maximum of three Cycles during a Year.
The City, located on the main board, is where Stops, Rails, and Developments will be placed. The City is divided into seven Districts, comprised of Blocks, Plots, and Rail spaces.
Plots are circle spaces within the City where Stops may be built.
Rail Spaces are areas of the City where Rails may be placed. There are both Single Rail Spaces, where a single player may place rails, and Double Rail Spaces, where two players may place rails side-by-side.
Blocks are square sections of the City cornered by Plots. A Block may contain Rail spaces within it.
Districts are the Commercial, Industrial, and Residential sectors of the City. Stops within their respective borders are considered part of that District. There are seven Districts (See p.24).
Capacity, represented by the position of your Capacity Marker on your player board, indicates the maximum number of Stations that may be built at any given time. Only Stations to the left of your Capacity Marker are available when taking the Build action.
Capacity may be increased by taking the "Increase Capacity" action on the Action Loop. Power may be a requirement to increase Capacity, and increasing Capacity may unlock Build upgrades. (See p.14)
Depots contain resources that can be obtained; these include: Blueprints, Permits, Power, and Construction.
Terminus is the Stop at the end of a subway line. At the start of the game, your Prime Hub acts as your Terminus. As you link Rails to Stops, the farthest Stop from your Prime Hub acts as your new Terminus. It is possible to have two Stops acting as a Terminus; for more information, see "Building a Second Terminus" on p.18.
Game Setup
A | Refer to the top of the main board for the icons relating to player count (either 1-2 or 3-5), and place the side matching the number of players faceup in the middle of the table.
Leave enough room around the main board for the Turn Order card, Development tiles, Agendas, Projects, and Advanced Upgrade tiles (A1-A6).
B | Distribute a Player Board and Player Aid to each player.
NOTE: This is what a 4-player game would look like after setup.
Main Board Setup
1 | Locate the Turn Order card and place it beside the main board, in the top left-hand corner. Slide the card under the main board until there are columns visible equal to the number of players.
2 | Place the Year Marker on Year 1 of the Year track.
3 | Locate the Development tiles and sort them by type. (Commercial = Blue, Industrial = Red, and Residential = Green.) Shuffle each stack of Development tiles separately and place them faceup in columns according to the player count as follows:
- 1–3 players: Draw 4 Development tiles per type.
- 4–5 players: Draw 5 Development tiles per type.
NOTE: There are reminders at the top of the main board.
The 3 columns, sorted by type, should be placed above the main board in the leftmost available space. Return unused Development tiles to the game box.
4 | Locate the Demand tokens and place one token at random in the top-right hex of all faceup Development tiles. Return unused Demand tokens to the game box.
5 | Locate the Agenda cards and shuffle them together. Place the Agenda stack facedown above the main board, in the space to the right of the Development tiles.
6 | Locate the Project cards and shuffle them together. Draw Project cards according to the player count as follows:
- 1–3 players: Draw 3 Project cards.
- 4–5 players: Draw 4 Project cards.
Place the drawn Project cards above the main board, in the space to the right of the Agenda cards. Return unused Project cards to the game box.
7 | Locate the Advanced Upgrade tiles with "A1–A6" in the lower right-hand corner and sort according to the icons depicted on each tile. Use a number of each Upgrade tile according to the player count as follows:
- 1–2 players: Use 1 Upgrade tile of each type.
- 3–4 players: Use 2 Upgrade tiles of each type.
- 5 players: Use 3 Upgrade tiles of each type.
Place these Upgrade tiles in the rightmost area above the main board. Return unused Upgrade tiles with an "A" to the game box.
8 | Locate the Construction, Permit, Power, and Blueprint resources and fill the available spaces in their Depots on the main board.
NOTE: Not all resources will be used in a solo or 2-player game, return any unused resources to the game box.
9 | Place the Coins within reach of all players to form a general supply.
IMPORTANT! If it's your first game, we recommend using the following Projects: 1, 2, or 3 players: 05, 08, 10; 4 or 5 players: 01, 05, 08, 10 — and the following Development tiles: 1, 2, or 3 players: 02, 04, 05, 07, 09, 11, 12, 15, 18, 21, 22, 23; 4 or 5 players: 01, 02, 04, 05, 07, 09, 10, 11, 12, 15, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25.
Player Board Setup
Each player collects the components of their player color, and sets up their board as follows:
1 | Place the Prime Hub on the leftmost space of the Station Track.
2 | Place the 12 Station discs on the remaining spaces of the Station Track.
3 | Place the Bonus Marker on the leftmost space of the Bonus Track.
4 | Place the Capacity Marker on the leftmost space of the Capacity Track.
5 | Place all Lobbyists in the Lobbyist Supply.
6 | Place all Rails next to your player board to create your reserve.
7 | Locate the Build Upgrade tiles with "B1" and "B2" in the lower right-hand corner and place one of each facedown on the corresponding sections of the player board.
8 | The Demand Track remains empty during setup.
Return unused player components and Build Upgrade tiles to the game box.
Turn Order & Prime Hub Placement
1 | From the Agenda deck, deal 2 cards facedown to each player.
2 | Each player selects 1 Agenda card to keep as a private scoring objective, placing it facedown to the side of their player board. The objective of this card remains hidden from other players throughout the game. The remaining card in each player's hand determines turn order for Year 1.
3 | All players simultaneously reveal their remaining cards, and refer to the number in the top right-hand corner to determine turn order.
EXAMPLE: The turn order in Year 1 is Pink (1st), Purple (2nd), Red (3rd), Yellow (4th), and Orange (5th).
4 | The player with the lowest number is first in turn order, and places their Player Marker in the top rectangle space of the rightmost column on the Turn Order card.
5 | Then, in ascending numerical order, the remaining players place their Player Marker in the available spaces of the Turn Order card, from right to left. Each player places their Cycle Marker on the Cycle icon immediately below their Player Marker.
NOTE: During setup, players do not collect any Turn Order Rewards. Rewards are first collected at the beginning of Year 2 during the Annual Income step. (See p.7)
6 | The Agendas used to determine turn order are then shuffled back into the Agenda stack, and returned to their position above the main board.
7 | In reverse turn order, each player places the Prime Hub from their player board on any empty Plot (circle) within the City.
These Plots are the designated areas in which players can build their subway Stops (Stations and Hubs).
The Prime Hub represents the player's starting position, where they will start their subway line.
NOTE: When playing with fewer than 5 players, the Turn Order Card will be slid under the Main Board until the columns visible equal the number of players.
EXAMPLE: In the 3-player game, the turn order is Yellow (1st), Orange (2nd), and Purple (3rd).
Credits
Game Design: Earl Aspiras and Thomas Volpe Art: Edu Valls Art Direction: Conor McGoey Editing: Daniel Mansfield Graphic Design: Edu Valls and David Shaw Development: Conor McGoey, Carter Morash and Chris Walters Rulebook Design: Kenneth Spond Rulebook Wordsmith: Jenna Muir Rulebook Proofreader: Brendan Irvin
Special Thanks from Tom & Earl: Patrick Barfoot, James Bernier, Sean Calligan, Chris Chung, David Diaz, Phil Loconte, Nolan Matthews, Brandon Nall, Ben Passmore, Dave Pearce, Donald Tan, Bogdan Tudose, Andrew Volpe, Matt Volpe, Pat Volpe, Dana Werpny
© Inside Up Games 2024
Gameplay
Terminus is played over three Years. At the beginning of a Year, players will collect their Annual Income.
Once Annual Income has been collected, each player, in turn order, takes turns moving their Player Marker to take a corresponding action along the Action Loop.
Players continue moving around the Action Loop until reaching the Cycle Checkpoint, which represents the end of a Cycle. In a single Year, each player may complete a maximum of 3 Cycles. Once all players have passed (see p.9), the next Year begins. At the end of Year 3, end-game scoring takes place.
Income
Annual Income. All players will collect their Annual Income once at the beginning of each Year. Annual Income consists of (1) Bonuses, (2) Budget, and (3*) any Turn Order Rewards you may receive.
1. Bonuses. Simultaneously, players move their Bonus Marker to the area of the Bonus Track on their player board depicting the resources they wish to collect. A player may select the same Bonuses as they did the Year before, or the same as another player. Then, in turn order, players collect the appropriate resources at no cost, and store them on their player board.
NOTE: If a player is unable to collect all their Bonuses, that player may instead select an alternate option from the Bonus Track.
EXAMPLE: The Bonus Marker has been placed beneath 1 Permit, 1 Rail, and 1 Power. These items are collected and placed in the appropriate sections of the player's board.
2. Budget. The Station Track provides income equal to the rightmost visible Coin icon. In Year 1, because each player has only placed their Prime Hub, every player will collect 12 Coins as their starting Budget.
EXAMPLE: The player has built 3 Stops in addition to their Prime Hub. During the Income phase of the Year, they will collect 15 Coins as their Budget.
*3. Turn Order Rewards (Skip During Year 1). During Years 2 and 3, players collect rewards based on their position on the Turn Order card. After collecting these bonuses, players take turns according to their position on the Turn Order card.
EXAMPLE: The red player collects 1 available resource (Blueprint, Permit, Power, or Construction) of their choice.
The Turn Order Rewards, from 5th to 1st position, are: No Reward; Collect 1 Coin; Collect any 1 Resource; Collect any 1 Resource OR 2 Coins; Collect any 1 Resource AND 2 Coins.
Turn Order
Turn Order is determined by a player's position on the Turn Order card, starting with the Player Marker closest to the game board. This order repeats until all Player Markers have been returned to the Turn Order card.
NOTE: Turn order may change each Year; for more information, see the "passing" section on p.9.
Taking a Turn
On each turn, move your Player Marker clockwise to any Zone on the Action Loop (skipping Zones if you wish) and carry out an available action. There is no limit to the number of players that may occupy the same Zone.
Zones offer a choice between 2 or 3 actions. For more information about each Zone, see p.10.
Actions must be executed in full, and then your turn ends. The next player in turn order then moves their Player Marker and selects an action.
EXAMPLE:
1 | The red player has moved their Player Marker to the same Zone as the pink player. They may now choose between paying 1 Power to take an available Demand (A), paying 1 Permit to build a Development within the City (B), or moving a Lobbyist (C).
2 | After the red player has executed their action in full, the yellow player moves their Player Marker to the "Lobby" Zone, skipping the "Develop" Zone. On their next turn, they may not move back to the Develop Zone, and must instead continue moving their Player Marker in a clockwise direction.
Cycle Track
The Turn Order card also contains the Cycle Track for each player to record which Cycle they are in. Each player may make up to 3 Cycles in a Year.
Before a player can move their Player Marker past the Cycle Checkpoint on the Action Loop, they must first move their Cycle Marker down 1 space on the Cycle Track.
On their third Cycle, if a player reaches the Cycle Checkpoint, they instead remove their Player Marker from the loop and place it in the rightmost available space on the Turn Order card, placing their Cycle Marker above it.
A player has "passed" once their Player Marker has been removed from the Action Loop and placed back on the Turn Order card. (See p.9)
EXAMPLE:
1 | The red player wishes to move their Player Marker from the "Build" Zone past the Cycle Checkpoint to the "Develop" Zone.
2 | Before a player can move their Player Marker past the Cycle Checkpoint on the Action Loop they must first move their Cycle Marker down 1 space on the Cycle Track.
3 | The red player is the first to finish their third Cycle, so they remove their Player Marker and place it in the 1st position on the Turn Order card and place their Cycle Marker from the Cycle Track above it. In the next Year, the red player will be first in turn order.
Passing
Players are considered to have "passed" once their Player Marker has been returned to the rightmost available space on the Turn Order card. This happens when either:
A | The player cannot, or chooses not to, take any more actions; or
B | Their Cycle Marker would be moved off the third space of the Cycle track.
When this happens, that player's Player Marker must be placed in the rightmost available space on the Turn Order card and their Cycle Marker is placed above the Turn Order card. This means the order in which players pass will determine the turn order for the following Year, as well as any Turn Order Rewards (see p.7).
NOTE: Once they have passed, a player may not take any more actions in the current Year, but it is still possible for them to earn Coins if a Connection (see p.17) is made to their Stop by another player.
EXAMPLE: The purple player passes by placing their Player Marker onto the 4th spot on the Turn Order card. This means that while they were second in turn order during Year 1, they will be fourth in turn order during Year 2. During the Annual Income phase of Year 2, the purple player will not collect any turn order rewards.
End of Year
1 | Once all players have passed, everyone returns their Cycle Marker to the Turn Order card, placing it on the first space of the Cycle Track beneath their Player Marker.
2 | The Year Marker on the Year track is moved down by 1 space and the next Year begins with players collecting their Annual Income.
End of Game
When all players pass in Year 3, the game ends and scoring begins. (See p.19)
Actions
The Action Loop has 13 actions spread over 6 Zones. These Zones include:
1 | A space for Player Markers.
2 | A Zone icon and color that corresponds to Developments (see p.11).
3 | 2 or 3 possible actions.
4 | The cost (some action spaces do not have a cost, or have a variable cost).
5 | Some actions are dual-colored, meaning they may be taken in more than one Zone.
EXAMPLE: The "Purchase Rails" action is dual-colored and has lines connecting it to both the Build and Supply Zones. This means that both Red and Pink could take this action if desired, provided they have the funds and Rails remaining in their reserve.
Zones
- Develop Zone (p.11)
- Lobby Zone (p.12)
- Improve Zone (p.13)
- Market Zone (p.13)
- Supply Zone (p.14)
- Build Zone (p.15)
Develop Zone
CLAIM A DEMAND. Pay 1 Power, then Claim 1 Demand matching a District where you have at least one Stop. This action may be taken only once during your turn.
This action will make more sense after you've learned a few key concepts, see p.15 for a full explanation.
BUILD A DEVELOPMENT. Pay 1 Permit, then take 1 Development and its Demand token and place them in an empty Block, then add 1 of your Lobbyists to this Development.
The Development must:
- Be placed in an empty Block zoned for the Development type (Commercial, Industrial, or Residential). Blocks may be zoned for multiple uses. Developments and Districts are color-coded for easy reference.
- Be adjacent to one of your Stops.
- Contain one of your Lobbyists, taken from your player board.
- Not cover a Block containing Rails or an existing Development.
EXAMPLE: Yellow can place this Development in one of two Blocks based on its zoning type, and the Stops they've built. They cannot place it anywhere else because the other Blocks adjacent to their Stops either have Rails or an existing Development.
Developments. Developments are tiles that represent major construction Projects. Once placed, Developments unlock new Actions which become available for up to 2 players, if they have a Lobbyist on the tile. On your turn, when your Player Marker is placed in a Zone with an Icon matching the Development, you may choose to execute the Development's action instead of the Action on the Action Loop.
EXAMPLE: The red player moves to the Lobby Zone. Because they have a Lobbyist on the #10 Development with a matching Lobby icon, they now have 4 possible actions to choose from. They decide to take the action on the Development tile, and pay 1 Coin to collect 4 Construction resources.
ASSIGN LOBBYISTS. Move 1 of your own Lobbyists from one of these three areas: your player board, one of your Agendas, a Development — to a different one of these three areas: your player board, one of your Agendas, a Development adjacent to one of your Stops with an open Lobbyist space.
Only 1 of your Lobbyists may occupy each Development and Agenda.
NOTE: Lobbyists may be placed on faceup and facedown Agendas.
NOTE: This action may also be taken in the Lobby Zone.
NOTE: This action does not allow Players to move Lobbyists to or from Projects.
EXAMPLE: Orange can move a Lobbyist from their player board or from their Agenda to this Development which is adjacent to one of their Stops. Alternatively, they can return the Lobbyist from the Agenda to their player board.
Lobbyists. Each player has a limited supply of 8 Lobbyists. They can be used to gain access to actions on Developments or to lobby on Agendas and Projects to score Prestige at the end of the game.
Lobbyist Movements (following placement rules):
- From your Player Board to a Development or one of your Agendas
- From a Development to another Development, one of your Agendas, or your Player Board
- From your Agenda to another one of your Agendas, a Development, or your Player Board
Lobby Zone
CLAIM AN AGENDA. Pay 1 Permit, then draw X Agendas according to the current Year.
- Draw 3 Agendas in Year 1.
- Draw 2 Agendas in Year 2.
- Draw 1 Agenda in Year 3.
Keep 1 Agenda, placing it faceup beside your player board. Return any remaining Agendas to the bottom of the deck.
Restrictions:
- Each player may have a maximum of 3 Agendas (including the one selected during game setup, which remains facedown).
- You cannot replace Agendas you already have.
EXAMPLE: Pink draws 2 Agendas when taking the Action in Year 2. They keep 1 Agenda, placing it beside their player board. This brings their total number of Agendas to 3, which is the maximum. They may no longer take this Action or draw Agendas.
Agendas. Agendas are specifications for the subway suggested by stakeholders outside of the City government. Only you may score Prestige for completing the objectives outlined on your chosen Agendas.
Placing a Lobbyist on an Agenda makes it possible to score more Prestige if the extended objectives are met.
See p.19 for information about how Agendas are scored.
LOBBY A PROJECT. Pay 1 Permit, then place up to 4 Lobbyists from your Player Board on any single Project. You must follow these guidelines:
- These Lobbyists can only come from the supply on your Player Board.
- If you do not already have Lobbyists on the Project, you must place at least 2 Lobbyists starting with the leftmost spaces.
- If you have Lobbyists on the Project, you may place 1 or 2 Lobbyists in the row you already occupy, starting with the leftmost open space.
- You can occupy only 1 row of each Project.
- You may not place Lobbyists on the same row as another player, thus a maximum of 2 players may have Lobbyists on any given Project.
EXAMPLE: Purple pays 1 Permit, then places 2 Lobbyists on an open row of a Project they don't yet occupy. These 2 Lobbyists are placed in the leftmost space. Pink pays 1 Permit, then places 3 Lobbyists on a Project they don't yet occupy. Yellow pays 1 Permit, then places 1 (final) Lobbyist on a Project they already occupy.
Projects. Projects are specifications for the subway imposed by the City. They are public, meaning up to 2 players may earn Prestige for completing the objective by the end of the game.
Placing more Lobbyists indicates a larger commitment to the Project, and could grant more Prestige if a player successfully meets the extended objectives.
See p.19 for information about how Projects are scored.
IMPORTANT! Once you place Lobbyists on a Project, they may not be removed, so choose carefully!
Project Card Layout:
- Project reference number
- Objective description
- Objective icon
- Number of times you must meet the objective to score
- Prestige earned
- A row where one player may assign 2, 3, or 4 Lobbyists
- A second row where a different player may assign 2, 3, or 4 Lobbyists
Example Project 03: "Stops you built that are continuously adjacent to at least one Development" — meeting the objective 2, 3, or 4 times (row 6) scores 7, 8, or 9+ Prestige (8, 15, 22); meeting it 2, 3, or 4 times in the second row (row 7) scores 8, 9, or 10+ Prestige (8, 15, 22).
Example Project 04: "Stops you built on Old Cross and Chipper's Row" — meeting the objective 2, 3, or 4 times scores 5, 6, or 7+ Prestige (6, 12, 21).
Improve Zone
PURCHASE AN ADVANCED UPGRADE. Pay X Resources to take 1 Advanced Upgrade of your choosing. Advanced Upgrades are identified by A1–A6 in the lower right-hand corner of the tile.
First Upgrade Cost: 2 Coins.
Second Upgrade Cost: 2 Coins and 1 Blueprint.
Restrictions:
- You are limited to 2 Advanced Upgrades, and once purchased, they cannot be replaced.
- You cannot have more than one of the same Upgrade.
EXAMPLE: Purple pays 2 Coins to take 1 Advanced Upgrade, placing it in the leftmost Upgrade space. On a later turn, Purple pays 2 Coins and 1 Blueprint to take a second Advanced Upgrade.
Upgrades. Upgrades represent unique abilities or benefits such as resource exchange, income opportunities, or additional actions.
See p.4 of the Appendix for more information about each Upgrade's abilities.
IMPORTANT! If a player does not have enough room in their Resource Storage when collecting a resource, they may return any number of resources to their respective Depots to make room. Players never receive any income when returning resources to their Depots.
PURCHASE BLUEPRINTS. Pay Coins to collect 1 or more Blueprints from the Depot. The cost of each Blueprint is depicted above its column.
Conditions:
- Make purchases from the leftmost column containing Blueprints.
- Multiple Blueprints may be purchased.
EXAMPLE: Yellow wishes to purchase 2 Blueprints; they pay 2 Coins for the first Blueprint and then an additional 3 Coins for the second Blueprint.
EXAMPLE: The yellow player had only one open space available in their Resource Storage. They make room by returning one of their Construction resources to the Depot. They now have space to store the two Blueprints they've purchased, and their storage is full.
Market Zone
PURCHASE PERMITS. Pay Coins to collect 1 or more Permits from the Depot. The cost of each Permit is depicted above its column.
Conditions:
- Make purchases from the leftmost column containing Permits.
- Multiple Permits may be purchased.
PURCHASE POWER. Pay Coins to collect 1 or more Power from the Depot. The cost of each Power is depicted above its column.
Conditions:
- Make purchases from the leftmost column containing Power.
- Multiple Power may be purchased.
NOTE: All resources are LIMITED; this means that if there are no resources available in a Depot, you may not collect that resource.
Supply Zone
INCREASE CAPACITY. Pay X Construction, then move your Capacity Marker X spaces to the right.
Some spaces on the Capacity Track may cost 1 or 2 Power in addition to the Construction cost.
EXAMPLE: Red spends 1 Construction and 1 Power to increase their Capacity by 1 Station.
Some spaces on the Capacity Track allow players to unlock a Build Upgrade; "Second Terminus" or "Hub."
EXAMPLE CONTINUED: Red spends 1 additional Construction to increase their Capacity by 1 space. In doing so, they've passed a Build Upgrade icon on the Capacity Track. They decide to unlock the "Hub" upgrade and flip the corresponding Upgrade tile on their player board faceup.
See p.18 for more information about Build Upgrades.
Capacity. A player's Capacity represents the maximum number of Stops they may Build in the City. Only Stations to the left of your Capacity Marker are available when you Build.
See p.16 for more information about Building.
GAIN CONSTRUCTION. Collect all Construction in the leftmost column with at least 1 Construction in it.
Construction Depot. This Depot functions differently from the other Depots, as there is no cost. Instead, players take all of the Construction available in the leftmost column (or as many as their storage can hold). The number of Construction in a column may range from 1–4.
EXAMPLE: Yellow is only able to collect 1 Construction from the leftmost column. Pink is the next player to take this Action, and collects 3 Construction from the leftmost column.
PURCHASE RAILS. Pay 2, 3, or 5 Coins, then collect 1, 3, or 6 Rails (respectively) from your Rail Reserve and place them in the Rail Storage on your Player Board. Multiple purchases may be made, in any combination.
NOTE: This Action is also available in the Build Zone.
EXAMPLE: Yellow pays 3 Coins to collect 3 Rails from their Rail Reserve, and adds them to the Rail Storage on their Player Board. Red pays 3 Coins to collect 3 Rails, then pays an additional 5 Coins to collect 6 more Rails. They spend 8 Coins in total, placing 9 Rails in their Rail Storage.
Rails, Rail Reserve, and Rail Storage. Rails link together Stops when you Build. Players have a limited supply of 32 Rails in their reserve, which are available for building only after they have been purchased and placed in a player's Rail Storage. Your Rail Storage can hold any number of your Rails.
Build Zone
BUILD. Pay 1 Permit and 2 Construction to place any number of Rails. Additionally, you may pay X Blueprints to place X stations in the City.
NOTE: Build is a more complex action, described in further detail in the "How to Build" section, see p.16.
EXAMPLE: Red takes the Build Action by paying 1 Permit and 2 Construction. Red places 4 Rails and 2 Stations during their Build, so they must pay an additional 2 Blueprints.
CLAIM A DEMAND. Pay 1 Power, then take 1 Demand corresponding to a District where you have at least one Stop. Demands are both color-coded and labeled with the initials of the District they correspond to.
When a Demand is claimed, it is taken from a Development and placed on your Player Board's Demand track, on the leftmost empty space.
Restrictions:
- This action may only be taken once during your turn.
- You must have at least one Stop in the District corresponding to the Demand you wish to take.
- On a later turn, you may claim a Demand corresponding to a District for which you already have a Demand, as long as you don't have more of those Demands than you have Stops in that District.
For example, you would need two or more Stops in Tarragon Hills to claim two "TH" Demands.
NOTE: This action is also available in the Develop Zone.
EXAMPLE: Yellow has 1 Stop within Chipper's Row, and 1 Chipper's Row Demand already on their Player Board. Therefore, they cannot take a second Chipper's Row Demand.
Yellow has 2 Stops within Old Cross, and 1 Demand matching that District already stored on their Player Board. They are allowed to take 1 more matching Old Cross Demand from the City and place it on the leftmost open Demand space on their Player Board.
NOTE: While you need a Stop in the Demand's corresponding District in order to claim it, you do not need to be adjacent to the Development with the Demand, nor do you need a Lobbyist on the Development tile.
Demand Track. Demands represent the City's growing need for an accessible subway system. By Building Stops in the Districts where there is Demand, you can earn up to 25 Prestige at the end of the game.
As Developments are added to the City, the Demand for Stops in specific Districts increases.
Demands are added to Developments during setup and cannot be claimed until the Development is in the City.
When a Demand is claimed, it is taken from the Development and placed on your Player Board's Demand track.
How to Build
To Build means to place Rails (from your Rail Storage), and/or Stations (from the left of your Capacity Marker) within the City. Based on where you are triggering the Build Action (from the Action Loop, or a Development tile), there may be alternate Resource costs or restrictions imposed. (See Appendix p.1 for more information about taking the "Build" action using Developments 4, 16, and 23.)
There are several ways you can Build, but at the start of the game only two are available: Building a Station and Making a Connection.
You may Build by following Steps 1 and 2:
STEP 1 | Place Rails from your Rail Storage on open Rail spaces connecting your Terminus to another Stop. This Stop can either be one you place on an empty Plot as part of this Build action, or an existing Stop of another player.
Option A - Build a Station: If you choose to connect Rails to an empty Plot, make sure you've paid 1 Blueprint, then place the leftmost Station from your player board in the empty Plot, connected to the Rails you've just placed. This Station becomes your new Terminus.
Remember, only Stations to the left of your Capacity Marker are available when you Build.
Option B - Make a Connection: If you choose to connect Rails to an existing Stop of another player:
You do not pay a Blueprint, and you do not place a Station. Instead, you earn 1 Power for connecting to another player's Stop, and they earn 1 Coin from the general supply. See p.17 for more information about making a Connection.
Your competitor's Stop now acts as your new Terminus.
STEP 2 | You may continue to Build (by building Stations or making Connections), if you have the resources to do so. You do not pay additional Construction or Permits; however, you must pay 1 Blueprint for each additional Station you choose to place.
NOTE: Hubs may also be built in this way, if you have the "Hub" Build Upgrade. (See p.18)
Terminus. The Stop at the end of a subway line is known as a Terminus. At the start of the game, your Prime Hub acts as your Terminus. As you link Rails to Stops, the farthest Stop from your Prime Hub acts as your new Terminus.
It is possible to have two Stops acting as a Terminus; for more information, see "Building a Second Terminus" on p.18.
Rail and Station Placement Rules
1 | Your subway line must be continuous, meaning all Rails are connected by Stops on either end and there are no empty Rail spaces or Plots within it.
2 | You cannot place Rails on Blocks occupied by Developments, on other Rails, or that intersect back to your own Subway Line's Rails or Stops.
NOTE: Some City Blocks allow only a single Rail line, some allow two parallel lines. A player cannot place Rails on both parallel lines.
EXAMPLE: Red's subway line is legal as it is continuous, and ends at Purple's Stop via a Connection (see "Making a Connection" on p.17). Purple's subway line is illegal as it has bypassed both Rail and Plots and has extended their subway line in multiple directions.
EXAMPLE: Red cannot build on the Rail Spaces marked by an X because they are blocked by Developments or other Rails. Purple cannot build in the spaces marked by an X because it intersects with its own Stop.
EXAMPLE — Each step is numbered and shows the components used in that step:
1 | Red pays 2 Construction and 1 Permit to start their Build Action.
2 | They have 2 Stations available to Build, as two Stations are to the left of their Capacity Marker.
3 | They have 3 Blueprints available in their Resource Storage, and 8 Rails in storage.
4 | From their Terminus, Red can build toward one of the empty Plots.
5 | They place 2 Rails from their Rail storage between their Terminus and an empty plot.
6 | They pay 1 Blueprint to take the leftmost Station from their player board and place it on the empty plot. This newly placed Station becomes their new Terminus.
7 | They choose to continue their Build action by placing 6 Rails from their Storage between their new Terminus and another empty plot.
8 | They pay another 1 Blueprint to place their last available Station which becomes their new Terminus.
9 | They finish their Build, and end their turn.
Rail Placement Examples
- ILLEGAL: A player may NOT occupy both sides of a double-rail space. — LEGAL: Two different players may occupy double-rail spaces.
- ILLEGAL: There may NOT be empty rail spaces in a player's subway line. — LEGAL: Two different players may occupy the double-rail space in a Block with an "X" intersection.
- ILLEGAL: A player may NOT place Rails and/or Stops in such a way that intersects with their own subway line. — LEGAL: Players may make connections to each other's Stops.
- ILLEGAL: There may NOT be empty Plots in a player's subway line. — LEGAL: A player may make as many connections as they wish, provided they follow the Rail and Station placement rules.
LEGAL: When building Rails, some adjacent Rail spaces may intersect other single, or even double-rail spaces. It is LEGAL to Build through these intersections as long as the orientation of the Rail space(s) on either side is the same.
Making a Connection
In some situations, it is possible to extend your subway line without building a Station by linking your Rails to another player's Stop. This Stop acts as your new Terminus.
At the end of your Build action, collect 1 Power (total) for building any number of Connections—even if you've built more than 1 Connection during your Build action.
Players that own the Stops you've connected to collect 1 Coin (from the general supply) for each Connection made to their Stops during your Build.
NOTE: Players who have passed still earn Coin(s) if a Connection is made to their Stop.
IMPORTANT! Your player board includes a reminder of the bonuses earned by players when Connection(s) are made.
If you have built a Connection to another player's Stop, it will act as your Terminus, but will not count as one of your Stops for end-game scoring or Demand requirements. You cannot make a Connection to the same Stop more than once.
Making a Connection (steps):
1 | During your Build, place Rails from your Rail Storage on empty Rail spaces between your Terminus and another player's Stop. That Stop will act as your Terminus until you Build away from it. You may continue to Build if you can afford to do so.
2 | You collect 1 Power (total) for making any number of Connections, and your opponents earn 1 Coin (from the general supply) for each Connection you made to one of their Stops.
EXAMPLE:
1 | Red pays 1 Permit and 2 Construction to start their Build Action. They take 2 Rails from their Rail Storage and place them on the open Rail spaces between their Terminus and Yellow's Stop.
2 | Yellow's Stop acts as Red's new Terminus.
3 | Red continues their Build Action, placing 3 Rails from their Rail Storage between their Terminus and another one of Yellow's Stops. This Stop acts as Red's new Terminus.
4 | Red finishes building, and ends their Action. They collect 1 Power from the Depot for making Connections, while Yellow collects 2 Coins from the general supply for the 2 Connections that were made to their Stops.
Using Build Upgrades
Build Upgrades. When your Capacity Marker passes one of the two Upgrade icons on your player board's Capacity Track, you immediately gain one of the two additional Build Upgrades for free. Either Building Hubs (B1), or Building a Second Terminus (B2).
Select an Upgrade to unlock by flipping the matching tile on your player board faceup. When you reach the second Upgrade tile on the Capacity Track, flip the remaining Upgrade faceup to unlock its Build ability.
Building a Hub (B1)
Hubs are improved Stations, which may be required to fulfill Projects or Agendas, and if placed adjacent to Developments, earn Prestige during end-game scoring.
To build a Hub, follow the same Build rules as with a regular Station; however, instead of placing the Station in an empty Plot, place it on top of one of your existing Stations to create a Hub.
During a player's Build Action, they may continue to Build Hubs and/or Stations (collectively known as "Stops") provided they have the required resources to do so.
Restrictions:
- Players cannot build a Hub by placing one of their Stations on top of another player's Station. Both Stations in a Hub must belong to the same player.
- Hubs may not be built upon—a Hub is limited to either 2 stacked Station discs, or the standalone Prime Hub.
EXAMPLE:
1 | Red pays 1 Permit and 2 Construction to start their Build Action.
2 | They pay 1 Blueprint to take the leftmost available Station from their player board and place it on top of one of their existing Stations to Build a Hub.
3 | They continue to Build, paying 1 Blueprint to build a new Station. Then they pay a second Blueprint to place the leftmost available Station from their player board on top of the newly built Station, turning it into a Hub.
4 | The new Station that was turned into a Hub now becomes their new Terminus.
Building a Second Terminus (B2)
Building a second Terminus allows you to extend your subway line in a new direction, starting from your Prime Hub, which immediately becomes your second Terminus once this upgrade is unlocked.
This upgrade allows you to build from either or both Terminuses, following the same Build rules.
To build a second Terminus:
1 | Place Rails from your Storage on empty Rail spaces in the City. You may either:
- A | Starting from your Prime Hub, connect Rails to a Plot, and place the leftmost available Station from your Station Track on the space. This Station immediately becomes your second Terminus. OR
- B | Connect Rails to another player's existing Stop, following the guidelines for making a Connection on p.17. This Stop immediately becomes your second Terminus.
2 | You may continue to Build if you can afford to do so.
EXAMPLE:
1 | Red pays 2 Construction and 1 Permit to start their Build Action.
2 | They take 2 Rails from their Storage and place them on open Rail Spaces, connecting their Prime Hub (which is currently acting as their second Terminus) to an empty Plot.
3 | They pay 1 Blueprint to take the leftmost available Station from their player board, and place it on the Plot. The newly built Station becomes their second Terminus.
4 | They continue to Build, placing Rails from their Storage on empty Rail spaces to connect both of their Terminuses to empty Plots. They pay 2 Blueprints to build a Station connected to their first Terminus, and then another Station connected to their second Terminus.
5 | Their new Stations on both ends of their subway line are now their new Terminuses. On a future turn, they may Build from either, or both, of these Terminuses.
End Game Scoring
Once all players' Player Markers have been returned to the Turn Order card at the end of Year 3, no more actions can be taken and scoring begins.
Use the score pad to tally each player's final scores. Prestige is scored in the following ways:
Stops Adjacent to Developments: Each of your Stops (Stations or Hubs) earn Prestige if it is adjacent to 1 or more Developments, regardless of whether you have placed a Lobbyist on the Development or not.
- Score 1 Prestige for each Station that is adjacent to a Development.
- Score 2 Prestige for each Hub that is adjacent to a single Development.
- Score 3 Prestige for each Hub that is adjacent to 2 or more Developments.
EXAMPLE: Yellow earns 12 Prestige from their Stops adjacent to Developments. Purple earns 11 Prestige, Red earns 8 Prestige, and Pink earns 6 Prestige.
Public Projects: Earn Prestige from Projects you have placed Lobbyists on, if you have met their requirements. The rightmost column containing one of your Lobbyists indicates the maximum amount of Prestige you are eligible to earn.
See p.2 within the Appendix for more information about each Project's scoring requirements.
Prestige earned from a Project is not cumulative; only score Prestige for the rightmost column in which you have a Lobbyist and you have achieved those requirements.
EXAMPLE: Yellow earns 17 Prestige for building Stops within 6 Districts, despite lobbying for 7 Districts. Pink built Stops within 6 Districts, but only earns 10 Prestige because they only lobbied for 5 Districts. Red and Purple do not score any Prestige for this Project because they did not assign Lobbyists here.
Personal Agendas: Earn Prestige from the Agenda(s) beside your player board, if you have met their requirements. Each Agenda has a minimum number of Stops or Hubs that must be placed in certain Districts in order to earn Prestige.
If you have not placed a Lobbyist on the Agenda, but have met or exceeded the Stop/Hub requirement in the top row, you earn the associated Prestige.
If you have placed a Lobbyist on the Agenda, and have met or exceeded the Stop/Hub requirement in the bottom row, you earn the associated Prestige.
NOTE: Prestige earned from an Agenda is not cumulative; only score Prestige as indicated by the top OR bottom row. If you have placed a Lobbyist on an Agenda, but have not met the requirements of the bottom row, you may still earn Prestige from the top row.
EXAMPLE: Yellow earns 6 Prestige from their 1st Agenda for having a Lobbyist on it and completing the requirement in the bottom row. They earn 3 Prestige from their 2nd Agenda because while they lobbied for the Agenda, they only completed the scoring requirements from the top row. They earn 4 Prestige from their 3rd Agenda for completing the requirement in the top row. In total, they earn 13 Prestige from Agendas.
Demand Track: Earn Prestige as indicated by the value directly above the rightmost Demand token you've collected. Values are not cumulative.
EXAMPLE: Yellow earns 17 Prestige for collecting four Demand tokens.
Remaining Coins: Earn 1 Prestige for every 4 Coins remaining on your player board (rounded down).
EXAMPLE: Yellow earns 2 Prestige for having 9 Coins left at the end of the game.
The player with the most Prestige wins!
In the event of a tie, the player with the fewest remaining Stations on their player board is the winner. If there is still a tie, the player with the most Coins wins. In the unlikely event that players are still tied, they share the victory.
Two-Player Game: Setup
NOTE: The Automa does not require a player board.
1 | Follow all steps in the regular Game Setup (see p.5), placing the 1-2 player side of the main board faceup and making sure only the two leftmost columns are visible on the Turn Order card.
2 | Locate and shuffle the Automa cards, selecting one and returning the rest to the box.
3 | Locate the Direction Marker and set it aside.
4 | With either side faceup, place the Automa card beside the District depicted in the bottom left of the card.
5 | Select an unused player color to act as the Automa for the duration of the game, setting up their components as follows (returning unused components to the box):
- Place the Automa's Player Marker in the Zone of the Action Loop depicted in the top left of the card.
- Place the Automa's Prime Hub within the indicated District, on the highlighted Plot.
- Place the Automa's Direction Marker on top of its Prime Hub. Its arrow must face the edge of the game board opposite to the Prime Hub.
- Place the Automa's Rail Reserves and Stations near the game board.
Automa Card Layout
- Zone of the Action Loop where the Automa's Player Marker is placed.
- District and Plot where their Prime Hub is placed.
- This row indicates (a) the number of spaces the Automa's Player Marker will move counterclockwise, AND (b) the number of Stations placed/Connections made by the Automa when it Builds. NOTE: The number to the right of the "=" applies to both (a) and (b). For example, the Automa card may show "=1," so the Automa would either move its Player Marker counterclockwise by 1 Zone or Build 1 Station/Connection.
- The Automa's Main Build direction.
- The Automa's Alternate Build direction.
EXAMPLE:
A | The Automa card selected during setup is placed beside the game board, alongside the District (Tarragon Hills) depicted on the card.
B | The Automa's Player Marker is placed on the Supply Zone and their Prime Hub is placed on the empty Plot within Tarragon Hills indicated by the card.
C | The Direction Marker is placed on top of the Automa's Prime Hub, and rotated so that the point of the arrow faces the opposite edge of the game board.
Two-Player Game: Gameplay
The Automa takes an action when either of the following triggers occur:
1 | A player's Player Marker is placed in the same Zone as the Automa's Player Marker, OR
2 | A player increases their Capacity.
Trigger 1: A Player moves to the same Zone as the Automa
When a player moves their Player Marker to the same Zone as the Automa's, they must pay 1 Coin to the general supply.
Once paid, the Automa's Player Marker is moved counterclockwise along the Action Loop by the number of spaces indicated on the Automa card, and then the player takes their action as normal.
Restriction: You cannot move to the same space as the Automa's Player Marker if you do not pay 1 Coin to the general supply.
Optionally: Players may place a "1" Coin from the general supply below the Automa's Player Marker as a visual reminder.
EXAMPLE: Pink pays 1 Coin to move to the same space as the Automa's (yellow) Player Marker. The Automa's Player Marker is then moved 1 space counter-clockwise according to the Automa card.
Trigger 2: A player increases their Capacity
When a player increases their Capacity (by any amount), the Automa will Build after that player's turn has ended.
The Automa places Rails in the "Main" direction as indicated by the Automa card, until reaching either an empty Plot or a player's Stop. Both options are counted toward the number of Stops the Automa must place or connect to when this action is triggered.
- If the Automa reaches an empty Plot, they place one of their Stations on it.
- If the Automa reaches another player's Stop, they make a Connection.
Note: Only players collect bonuses for making Connections, or having Connections made to their Stops.
Players earn 1 Coin for each Connection the Automa makes to their Stop(s). Players earn 1 Power for making any number of Connections, including Connections made to the Automa's Stop(s).
Every time the Automa places a Station, or makes a Connection, the Direction Marker is placed on top of its new Terminus, maintaining its original direction. This continues until the Automa has placed Stations and/or made Connections equal to the number indicated by its card.
If the Automa cannot continue building Stations or making Connections in the "Main" direction, then it builds as many remaining Stations or Connections as possible in the "Alternate" direction until the requirements of the Automa card have been met.
If the Automa cannot continue building Stations or making Connections in the "Main" direction and then in the "Alternate" direction, its turn ends.
Once the Automa's turn ends, its card is flipped over. Take note that the Main and Alternate Build directions have changed, as well as the number of spaces it moves along the Action Loop and the number of Stations and/or Connections it must make during its next Build.
Play continues as normal with the next player's turn.
EXAMPLE: The Automa starts their Build, following their Main direction. They place Rails to connect their Prime Hub (which acts as their Terminus at the beginning of the game) to the empty Plot directly to the right of the Direction Marker. They place one of their Stations on the Plot. The Direction Marker is moved to the top of the newly Built Station, maintaining its orientation. The Station with the Direction Marker immediately becomes the Automa's new Terminus. The Automa card is flipped to its reverse side.
EXAMPLE (continued): On a later turn, the Automa follows their Main direction to make 1 Connection, which counts toward its Build requirement (3 Built Stations or Connections). It is blocked from Building forward, as there are no available Rail spaces for them to continue building in the Main direction. The Direction Marker is placed on top of the Pink player's Stop where the Connection was made, and this Stop acts as the Automa's Terminus.
The Automa continues this Build by following the Alternate direction to make a second Connection, then places the Direction Marker on top of the Purple player's Stop. It is blocked from building a third Station in its Alternate direction and must end its Build. The Automa card is flipped to its reverse side.
Solo Game: Setup
1 | Follow all steps in the regular Game Setup (see p.5), placing the 1-2 player side of the main board faceup and making sure only the leftmost column is visible on the Turn Order card.
2 | Locate and shuffle the Automa cards, drawing two. If the Prime Hub location of both Automa cards is the same, redraw. Return unused Automa cards to the box.
3 | Locate the Direction Marker and set it aside.
4 | Locate and shuffle the Solo Deck and set it within reach.
5 | Refer to the first Automa card drawn, and set up as follows:
- With either side faceup, place the Automa card beside the District depicted in the bottom left of the card.
- Select an unused player color and set aside the matching Prime Hub, Stations, and Rails. All other components for this player color can be returned to the box.
- Place the Automa's Prime Hub within the indicated District, on the highlighted Plot.
- Place the Automa's Direction Marker on top of its Prime Hub. Its arrow must face the edge of the game board opposite the Prime Hub.
6 | Refer to the second Automa card drawn, and set up as follows:
- With either side faceup, place the Automa card beside the District depicted in the bottom left of the card.
- Select an unused player color and set aside the matching Prime Hub, Stations, Rails, Lobbyists and Player Marker. All other components for this player color can be returned to the box.
- Place the second Automa's Prime Hub within the indicated District, on the highlighted Plot.
- Place the Automa's Player Marker within the space corresponding to the Zone on the top left.
7 | The first Automa (with the Direction Marker on its Prime Hub) will build its subway line in its entirety before the game begins. Follow the Build instructions as described by Automa Trigger 2 (see p.21).
The Automa will complete the Build requirements on the faceup side of the card, and then the card is flipped over immediately and the Automa will Build again.
This continues until either:
A. The Automa has run out of Rails and/or Stations to place, OR
B. The Automa can no longer build in either the "Main" or "Alt" direction.
NOTE:
- It is possible for the Automa to make a connection to the second Automa's Prime Hub. This Connection counts toward the number of Stops the Automa must place or connect to during its Build action.
- If the Automa cannot build in either the "Main" or "Alt" direction, its turn ends and the card is flipped over. If the Automa is still unable to build in either the "Main" or "Alt" direction, the Build is complete.
- There must not be any empty Rail spaces or Plots within the Automa's line. If the Automa runs out of Rails and/or Stations to place, the Build is complete. If there are any Rails that do not connect to a Stop, remove them from the City.
After the first Automa has completed its Build, return its card and any unused Rails and Stations to the box.
8 | Move the Direction Marker from the Terminus of the Automa that has just completed its Build, to the Prime Hub of the second Automa. Its arrow must face the edge of the game board opposite this Prime Hub.
Automa Card Layout
- Zone of the Action Loop where the Player Marker is placed.
- District and Plot where the Prime Hub is placed.
- This row indicates the number of spaces the Automa's Player Marker will move counterclockwise, AND the number of Stations placed/Connections made by the Automa when it Builds.
- The Automa's Main Build direction.
- The Automa's Alternate Build direction.
Solo Card Example
A | Reference Number B | Cycle Number and Icon C | Temporary Resource Storage D | Action
Solo Game: Gameplay
The Automa will follow the gameplay rules as described in the 2-player game (see p.20), and use the Solo Deck to drive up the cost of resources, claim Demands, and lobby for Projects.
At the beginning of each Year (before taking your first action), and after each turn in which your Player Marker crosses the Cycle Checkpoint, draw the top card from the Solo Deck and take the actions that correspond to the Cycle you are currently in.
REMEMBER: You do not pass the Cycle Checkpoint at the end of Cycle 3, instead you "pass."
Refer to the Turn Order Card to identify the current Cycle. At the beginning of every Year, you start in Cycle 1.
Follow the Automa instructions for the matching Cycle, first storing the indicated resources, then taking its Action.
There are 2 types of Automa Actions, either the Automa will claim a Demand or Lobby for a Project.
Automa Action: Claim a Demand
If the Action listed is the name of a District, the Automa will claim a single Demand token matching the listed District, if there is one available in the City.
The Demand can be set aside with the Automa's other player pieces.
- Demand tokens can only be claimed from Developments that have been built in the City.
- The Automa does not need to have a Stop in the indicated District to claim the Demand.
IMPORTANT! This action is color-coded to match the Demand Token's zoning, and includes shorthand for the Districts in brackets [ ].
Automa Action: Lobby for a Project
If the Action listed is either "Lowest," "Middle," or "Highest" Project, the Automa will Lobby on the Project card with either the lowest, middle, or highest reference number.
- The Automa lobbies for a Project by placing 1 of their Lobbyists on an open row that is not already occupied by itself or the solo player.
- Unlike a player, if the Automa already occupies one row of a Project, the Automa must also lobby on the second row of the Project.
- If the Automa occupies both rows of a Project, the solo player may no longer lobby for the Project.
- If the Automa should lobby for a Project, but both rows of the project are already occupied, the Automa takes no action.
EXAMPLE:
1 | The solo player (purple) is passing the Cycle Checkpoint, so they move their Cycle Marker down on the track to the Cycle 3 position. They then draw the top card of the Solo Deck, and follow the instructions for Cycle 3.
2 | The Automa stores the indicated resources, taking them from the leftmost column(s) in a Depot with the matching resource, and storing on the card.
3 | Then, the Automa lobbies for the "middle" Project. In this game, the lowest Project is #04, the middle Project is #15, and the highest Project is #18.
4 | The Automa already occupies the top row of the middle Project, so they place 1 Lobbyist in the second row. The solo player cannot lobby for the middle Project in the future, as there are no unoccupied rows.
Play continues, and the Automa is triggered using the same instructions as in the 2-player game. When starting a new Cycle:
- Return any resources from the Solo card to the rightmost open Depot spaces.
- Discard the previous Solo Card and draw a new one.
- The Automa stores resources and takes an action, according to the current Cycle.
Scoring
Once your Player Marker has been returned to the Turn Order card at the end of Year 3, scoring begins and no more actions can be taken. Score Prestige as described on p.19. The Automa does not score.
- 70+ Prestige: Congratulations! The public transit system is now the pride of the City.
- 50–69 Prestige: The subway has greatly improved travel for commuters, and is becoming a popular mode of transportation in the City.
- 20–49 Prestige: Commuters appreciate the convenience of the subway, but improvements could be made.
- 0–19 Prestige: Passengers are frustrated, as the City's transportation initiative has fallen short of expectations.
Reference
The Action Loop's six Zones, labeled on the main board: Develop Zone (p.11), Lobby Zone (p.12), Improve Zone (p.13), Market Zone (p.13), Supply Zone (p.14), Build Zone (p.15). The Cycle Checkpoint (p.8) and Year Track (p.9) are also located on the loop.
The City is divided into seven Districts: Tarragon Hills, Knightsbridge, Upper Ward, McLellan Heights, Chipper's Row, Old Cross, and Verdant Park.
Board terms:
- Empty Plot
- Single Rail Space
- Block
- Double Rail Space
- District (each colored section is a District)
- City (this entire board section is the City)
Scoring Guide
- Each Station adjacent to one or more Developments earns 1 Prestige.
- Each Hub adjacent to a single Development earns 2 Prestige.
- Each Hub adjacent to 2 or more Developments earns 3 Prestige.
- Earn Prestige from Districts with at least one of your Stops — example values: 5/6/7 Districts earn 10/17/25 Prestige.
- Earn Prestige from Projects you have placed Lobbyists on, if you have met their requirements. Values are not cumulative. See p.2 within the Appendix for more information.
- Earn Prestige from the Agenda(s) beside your player board, if you have met their conditions. Values are not cumulative. See p.3 in the Appendix for more information.
- Earn Prestige as indicated by the value directly above the rightmost Demand token you've collected. Values are not cumulative.
- Earn 1 Prestige for every 4 Coins remaining on your player board (rounded down).
Index
Actions (p.10), Build Zone (p.15), Components (p.2), Cycle Track (p.8), Develop Zone (p.11), End Game Scoring (p.19), End of Game (p.9), End of Year (p.9), Game Setup (p.4), Gameplay (p.7), How to Build (p.16), Improve Zone (p.13), Income (p.7), Key Concepts (p.3), Lobby Zone (p.12), Main Board Setup (p.5), Making a Connection (p.17), Market Zone (p.13), Passing (p.9), Player Board Setup (p.5), Rail Placement Ex. (p.17), Reference (p.24), Solo Game (p.22), Supply Zone (p.14), Taking a Turn (p.8), Turn Order (p.7), Turn Order & Prime Hub Placement (p.6), Two-Player Game (p.20), Zones (p.10).