The Royal Limited
The Royal Limited Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Conductor Card
- 5 VIP Cards
- 12 Train Cards
Setup
- Place the Conductor Card upright above the build area, indicating 45 minutes to departure.
- Shuffle the Train Cards to form a face-down deck.
- Shuffle the VIP Cards. Deal 2 with either side facing up. Set the rest aside.
- Draw a hand of 5 cards.
Gameplay
Over the course of four rounds, build a train and fill it with passengers and VIPs. Each round you will play cards from your hand as either cars or passengers to add to the train, then discard any remaining cards and draw a new hand.
Play Cards
Take a series of the following actions to add cars, passengers, and VIPs to the train. You may repeat actions as long as you have cards available.
Add a Car
Choose a card from your hand to play horizontally as a new train car, extending the train. The first car begins your train; it may have any color and number. Subsequent cars must have a different color and a different number from the rightmost car in the train.
Each car's number is also its placement cost. Discard a number of cards equal to the chosen car's cost (do not discard if the car's number is 0). Then, add the chosen card as the rightmost car.
Discard 2 cards from your hand to place the blue value 2 car.
A car's effect is not activated when it is placed.
Add a Passenger
Choose a card from your hand to play vertically as a passenger in an unoccupied train car. Each car may hold a maximum of one passenger or one VIP.
The passenger must match the color and/or number of the car they are placed in. There is no cost to add them to the train. Tuck the chosen card vertically under the car with the ticket showing to represent the passenger.
Activate the effects listed on the passenger's car. You must resolve effects to the best of your ability, even if you would prefer not to.
Next: Effects starting with this keyword dictate the next action you must perform. If you cannot perform the stated action, you must end the current round and the next action restriction ends as well (you may begin the next round with another action).
If you ever need to draw cards and the deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck and continue drawing. If the deck and discard pile are both empty, skip the remaining draws and continue playing.
Add a VIP
Choose one of the two VIPs dealt at the start of the game and play that card vertically in an unoccupied train car.
The VIP must match the color of their car, and each has a special VIP requirement that must also be met. As with passengers, a VIP is tucked vertically under their car and activates their car's effects.
Wild: VIPs with this keyword have no color requirement, but their special VIP requirement must still be met.
VIPs have no value, so a VIP that must be placed between passengers with specified values may never be placed next to other VIPs.
A passenger with a 0-numbered ticket meets the VIP's even-number requirement.
End the Round
The round ends when your hand is empty or you cannot, or do not wish to, play any further cards.
If the Conductor Card shows a clock at its top edge, rotate it 90° clockwise to its next position. Then discard all remaining cards in your hand, draw a new hand of 5 cards, and begin the next round.
If the Conductor Card already says "Train Departed" at the top, the game ends (see Winning the Game).
When the Conductor Card is rotated so that "Train Departed" is at the top, the next round is the last round of the game.
Winning the Game
After the end of the fourth round, calculate your score by counting the total number of:
- Unused cards (in the deck and discard pile)
- Unoccupied cars in the train
- VIPs dealt at the start and not on the train
Use the following table to see how you fared:
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| 0 | Royal Conductor |
| 2 | Beginner Conductor |
| 4+ | You lose! |
Credits
Design: Scott Almes Art: Taylor Stone Rules Editing: Michael Lee
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