FAQ
96 answered questions89 official
Rules questions from the BoardGameGeek forum. Answers marked Official were confirmed by Asterisk Games or the designers.
Common mistakes
- Naming the Minor you want before bidding — the auction winner picks from the available Minors afterwards. Ruling · Rule
- Dropping the price once per share sold; one sale drops it one step, however many shares. Ruling · Rule
- Buying before selling in a turn, or buying back into a company you sold this Stock Round. Ruling · Rule
- Running a route that does not touch one of the company’s own hubs. Ruling · Rule
- Running a train through a Distant Destination; it always ends the route. Ruling · Rule
- Buying a train at the limit and discarding an old one to make room. Ruling · Rule
- Giving a newly merged Major Corporation a leadoff train. Ruling · Rule
- Paying Tunneling’s 60 only after the whole track action instead of after each mountain. Ruling · Rule
- [Landmarks] Selling more than one train at the Cliff in an Operating Round. Ruling · Rule
- [Landmarks] Letting Circus double a stop on every train; it is one train, once per Operating Round. Ruling · Rule
Showing 96 of 96
Are there any limits on where pre-printed track may point while the map is built? Official
No. The only placement limit during map building is that no tile may touch a black border hex. Printed track may run off the map or into water; whether that is a sensible placement is up to the table.
Source: BGG thread
A Minor Company's home ended up on the edge of the map with no room to lay or upgrade track. What can we do? Official
Use the single blank hexes from the box around that home, or agree to move the whole map tile to a better spot. The designers like every home to be able to reach at least green.
Source: BGG thread
The first-printing setup card says 900 divided by the player count. What is the starting money for 4 and 5 players? Official
The rulebook table is right: 275 each with 4 players and 220 with 5. The card was not updated after playtesting and is fixed in the second printing.
Source: BGG thread
Can two players play the Long Game, or five the Short Game? Official
Those combinations were removed because the designers do not find them the best fit, not because they break. You may try them; starting cash still follows the player count. The Short introductory map is meant for 2–4 players and the Long one for 3–5.
Source: BGG thread
Do Micro Games use only part of the track tiles? Official
No. Only the map tiles are split into piles; all track tiles stay available.
Source: BGG thread
Should the four Minors left out of the Short Game also be left out of Micro Games? Official
The Micro setups do not remove them. Those four matter less on a small map in a short game, though they can still be tricky for new players.
Source: BGG thread
Are the extra 3-train and 6-train for four or more players optional? Official
They are part of the rules for 4+ players because the game runs best with them there. A group that wants a harsher train rush may leave them out.
Source: BGG thread
Is any information hidden from other players? Official
No. All cash is public; only some modules reveal things over time, such as the Events deck.
Source: BGG thread
Do I have to say which Minor Company I am bidding for? Official
No. The auction is for the right to choose among the available Minors; the winner picks after bidding ends. Once only one column is left there is no choice any more, but the auction works the same way.
Source: BGG thread
Can I sell shares and start an auction in the same turn? Official
No. Selling and buying is one action and starting an auction is another, and you bid with the cash you already have. After a sale the table gets a full turn to react before you can auction.
Source: BGG thread
Does the whole winning bid go into the new company, or only twice the starting price?
The whole bid goes into the Minor's treasury; the starting stock price is half the bid, rounded down to a printed price. Nothing is lost by overbidding — it becomes company money.
Source: BGG thread
If I sell several shares of one company in one turn, does the price drop once per share? Official
No, once per sale. You must sell everything you want to sell that turn at the same time. If you sell again on a later turn of the same Stock Round, the price drops again, and another player's sale drops it too.
Source: BGG thread
Can I buy a share and then sell it again in the same Stock Round? Official
Yes, on a later turn. Within one turn the sale always comes before the purchase, and you may not buy a company you already sold from this round.
Source: BGG thread
Can the bank pool end up holding more shares than the president? Official
Yes. The bank can hold up to 50% (2 shares of a Minor, 5 of a Major) whatever the players hold; the bank never becomes president.
Source: BGG thread
Can a president sell the president's certificate? Official
Only single shares can be sold. The president's certificate only changes hands when someone else holds at least 2 shares; then a sale that drops you below them swaps the certificate for their two singles. If no one else could take over, you are stuck with the job.
Source: BGG thread
Can I sell shares of a Major Corporation that has not operated yet? Official
Yes. The no-sale rule only covers Minor Companies that have not operated; a new Major was formed from Minors that already did.
Source: BGG thread
What counts as "fully owned" for the end-of-round price rise?
Every share of the company is in players' hands — none in its treasury and none in the bank pool.
Source: BGG thread
At the end of the game, is a Minor share worth one or two times the stock price?
Each share is worth the stock price. The president's certificate of a Minor is two shares, so it counts twice; 20% and 10% only matter for dividends.
Source: BGG thread
When someone takes over a presidency, do they take over the company's assets? Official
Yes. The new president runs every decision of the company in Operating Rounds, so its charter, money and trains move in front of them.
Source: BGG thread
Is the first yellow tile on a Minor's home an upgrade, and does the company earn before it is laid? Official
A yellow tile is never an upgrade. Until the home has a tile with a revenue number it earns nothing, and the home hub stays on that spot.
Source: BGG thread
Can a tile be upgraded if its new track would run into water or off the map? Official
No; upgrades follow the same edge limits. That is what the single blank hexes are for. Only Bridging Company may lay track into water.
Source: BGG thread
Can other companies connect to a bridge Bridging Company has laid? Official
Yes. Anyone may connect to existing track; a bridge end that reaches land is a normal connection. A bridge end that points into more water can only be continued by Bridging.
Source: BGG thread
Can the Eastern Mining tile be rotated when it is upgraded? Official
Yes, as long as every existing connection from a city to a side (or from side to side) is kept; the new leg may go either way.
Source: BGG thread
May a tile with a capital, mine or port symbol be laid on a hex without that symbol? Official
No. Symbol tiles are reserved for the hexes that show the same symbol, and those hexes can only take matching tiles.
Source: BGG thread
Northern Port's tile has a leg pointing off the map. Can it still be upgraded? Official
Yes. The existing leg is already there, so the only new track is on the other side; the tile was drawn so it can always be upgraded.
Source: BGG thread
Can a Minor Company place a second hub token? Official
No. A Minor has one hub, placed free on its home at launch. Only Expansive Company has an extra hub, for 40. A route only needs to touch one of your hubs, not a hub at every stop.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company place more than one hub token in one Operating Round?
No. The step lets a company place one hub token.
Source: BGG thread
Can a train run to just one stop? Official
Yes. A train counts up to its number of stops, so it can run a local: just the city with your hub. Any number of locals can run in the same city, since they use no track.
Source: BGG thread
Does the hub token have to be at the start of the route? Official
No; it can be anywhere in the route. Distant Destination → Capital → your hub → basic city is a legal 4-train route.
Source: BGG thread
Can a train start at a city that other companies have filled with hubs?
Yes. Direction does not matter: a full city can be either end of a route; you just cannot run through it.
Source: BGG thread
Can a route enter a Distant Destination on one track and leave on another? Official
No. No track runs through the tile, so a route starts or ends there, and one train cannot count the same Distant Destination twice.
Source: BGG thread
Can one train run from one Distant Destination to another?
Yes, if the train has enough stops for every stop on the way, both Distant Destinations included, and the route touches one of your hubs.
Source: BGG thread
Can Northern Port run a train out of the empty half of its home tile? Official
No. A route must include your hub, and the hub gives no access to the other half. One train cannot run both halves either. With two 2-trains the best is one route through the hub plus a local.
Source: BGG thread
What does "trace a route" mean when laying track, placing hubs or merging? Official
Trace with an imaginary train of unlimited length: normal route rules apply (no running through full cities, no track used twice), only the stop count is ignored. Overnight Company may skip blocked cities here too; Express gains nothing.
Source: BGG thread
Can trains run through a reserved home of a company that has not launched yet? Official
Yes. The spot is reserved, not blocked. Bridging's home on map tile 9 sits in water, but its printed track may be used by anyone until Bridging launches and places its hub.
Source: BGG thread
If a Minor cannot lay a tile on its home, can it at least run a local? Official
No. Without a revenue number there is nothing to earn; such a company would keep dropping. In practice the blank hexes prevent this.
Source: BGG thread
Do shares in the bank pool count when checking how far the price moves? Official
The total revenue decides the price move. The per-share amount decides what each player and the company receive; bank-pool shares receive nothing.
Source: BGG thread
Where should a company's marker go on the Earnings per Share chart? Official
Use the 10% figure for every company; a Minor share takes twice that. The 20% steps are only printed bold to make Minor payouts easy to read.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company buy more than one train in an Operating Round? Official
Yes, as many as it has room and money for in the train-buying step. The leadoff step allows only one train, but a new Minor may buy a second one in its normal train step.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company at its train limit buy a train and discard an old one? Official
No, it needs an open slot. The exception: if the new train itself lowers the limit (say a company with a 3 and a 4 buys the first 5), it may buy it and then must place one train in the bank pool.
Source: BGG thread
Can I throw away a train to make room? Official
No. Sell it to another company you run, or merge to pool train slots. A leadoff train cannot come from another company, though.
Source: BGG thread
Are 7-trains and ∞-trains separate stacks? Official
No. Each grey card is a 7 on one side and ∞ on the other, so both become available together; you choose the side when you buy. In a forced purchase you must take the cheaper 7.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company at its limit trade in a train for an ∞-train, and can it do so twice? Official
Yes. A trade-in keeps the train count the same, so the limit is no obstacle, and a company with the cash can upgrade each of its trains.
Source: BGG thread
Can a 4-train be traded in for the first ∞-train even though that purchase rusts the 4s? Official
Yes, as long as no 7 has been bought yet. After that the remaining 4s are gone. Resourceful's rusted trains can never be traded in.
Source: BGG thread
Can I buy a train from my other company and immediately trade it in for an ∞-train? Official
Yes; that is legal and intended.
Source: BGG thread
When a train is exported, are all trains of that type removed? Official
Only for 2-trains. Exporting a 2 removes every remaining 2 so the game reaches green in time; any other export removes a single train.
Source: BGG thread
How do trains end up in the bank pool? Official
Besides bankruptcies and trade-ins, mostly when a phase change lowers the train limit and companies above it must give one up.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company issue more shares during the train step to afford a train?
No. A company may issue or redeem one share, and only in step 2 of its turn. If it still lacks a train, the forced train purchase applies.
Source: BGG thread
Can a newly launched Minor skip its leadoff train and buy later in the same turn? Official
Yes. It can skip the leadoff step, issue a share, and use that cash to buy a train in the normal train step at the end of its turn. The president may not pay toward a leadoff train.
Source: BGG thread
If our group drops local routes, must a company with no possible route still own a train? Official
Yes. Every company must always own a train.
Source: BGG thread
Does a newly formed Major Corporation get a leadoff train? Official
No; leadoff trains are for new Minors only. A Major takes over the Minors' trains, which may rust in the export step before it first operates.
Source: BGG thread
What happens to shares a Minor had issued to the bank pool when it merges? Official
Each Minor share is replaced with a Major share in the same place: issued shares stay in the bank pool.
Source: BGG thread
Can a company merge with Northern Port if it only reaches the empty half of the port tile? Official
For a merger the companies only need to be connected by track, and the trace may touch both halves of the port tile. For running trains the halves stay separate.
Source: BGG thread
Does Resourceful Company still need a train after its rusted trains make their last run? Official
Yes. Every company must own a train at the end of its turn; after the bonus run the rusted trains go, so if none is left it must buy one, forced purchase included. The bonus run usually leaves the money for it.
Source: BGG thread
Can Overnight Company skip the same blocked city twice in one route? Official
No. Skipped cities are part of the route but are not stops and earn nothing, and a route may include a city only once.
Source: BGG thread
Does Tunneling Company get its 60 after each mountain tile or after the whole track action? Official
After each mountain, as soon as that dig is done — so 60 in the treasury is enough to dig two mountains in a row.
Source: BGG thread
May Suburban place a suburb on a city that already has a hub, and may a hub join a suburb city? Official
Suburbs cannot go on a city with a Suburban (or its Major's) hub, nor on capital, mine or port tiles; other companies' hubs and reserved spots are fine. The restriction is one way: hubs may later be placed in a suburb city.
Source: BGG thread
When does Suburban place its suburbs, and what happens to them after a merger? Official
Any time during its Operating Round turn, on a reachable basic city. Placed suburbs never move; unplaced ones stay with the Major, whose hubs then block suburbs in their cities.
Source: BGG thread
What is the second city on Eastern Mining's home tile for? Official
It is built-in revenue: the two stops form a guaranteed 2-stop route for Eastern Mining from its first turn. Nobody needs to put a hub there.
Source: BGG thread
When do Resourceful Company's rusted trains make their extra run, and do they free a train slot early? Official
They run in Resourceful's next turn. To buy the train that triggers the rust, the company still needs a free slot under the current limit.
Source: BGG thread
What is an "empty basic city spot" for Adaptive Company? Official
Any free spot in a city that is not a capital, port or mine, with or without a track tile, as long as it is not reserved for another company.
Source: BGG thread
With Headquarters, how many discs make one, and must every Corporation build one? Official
An HQ is three discs, at most one per Corporation, and you may place all hubs without making one (then it is gone). The designers recommend always making one: the effects are all upside.
Source: BGG thread
With Headquarters, must the two Minor hubs be in the same city when they merge? Official
No. After the merger the Minor hubs leave the map and can be stacked under a Major hub to form the HQ, with no connection needed. You can keep that stack on the charter and place it later as a normal hub.
Source: BGG thread
With Hostile Mergers, can anyone propose a merger that only works through Overnight's ability? Official
Yes. The ability belongs to the company, not its president, so any eligible shareholder may propose a merger Overnight can reach.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] How do I pick the Conglomerate's partner Minor, and how hard will the game be? Official
You choose the second Minor from those on the map, so you set the difficulty. Eastern Mining tends to be hard; pair a random draw with Expansive for an introductory game. Redrawing an awkward random Minor is fine.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] Does the Conglomerate count cities that are full of my hubs when it calculates revenue? Official
Yes. Its revenue counts cities it can reach, and a full city is still reachable.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] Can the Conglomerate lay or upgrade track past a city full of hubs? Official
Only if Overnight is part of it, from setup or absorbed later. It does ignore phase limits on upgrades, so in green it may turn a green capital purple to open a token spot.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] How many shares of each of my companies will the Conglomerate own? Official
One of each Minor, so normally two of each Corporation after a merger — unless you forced it to sell and merged before it bought back. Shares it never buys can be issued by your companies.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] Do the three shares set below the Conglomerate's charter pay dividends? Official
No. They do not exist for the game until they enter the bank pool one per cycle, and bank-pool shares never pay.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] When in OR1 does the Conglomerate issue its share — could that change the operating order? Official
It issues when its own turn starts, so it has no effect on the order of companies that already operated.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] Toward which target does the Conglomerate build its yellow track? Official
Toward the nearest revenue spot it can reach from any open end of its network; the priority list only breaks ties between equally near targets (and then the end nearer the acting hub). It always prefers adding new revenue this turn.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] If the Conglomerate can only lay one useful yellow tile, does it upgrade instead? Official
No. It lays the one tile that reaches a real target, and switches to an upgrade only when it can lay no yellow tile at all.
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] Which grey trains does the Conglomerate buy, and how many trains in a president action round? Official
The designer buys 7-trains, which usually reach every stop; an ∞-train is allowed but at full price, never by trade-in. With a president's certificate it buys its normal train plus the extra one (and Spacious adds one more).
Source: BGG thread
[Solo] [Landmarks] Where do the open legs of the Conglomerate's starting track point? Official
At the nearest thing it would care about, using the basic-action priority list for ties — basic cities and Landmarks included; Landmarks it ignores stay ignored.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can trains sold at the Cliff be bought again from the bank pool? Official
Yes. They go to the bank pool like any other train.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can several routes include the Cliff in one Operating Round? Official
Yes, but the train sale happens only once per company per Operating Round.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] With Coupling, what can be sold at the Cliff? Official
If an uncoupled half reached the Cliff, the whole train card is sold. Of two coupled trains only one card can be sold.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Does the city a train reaches through the Void count as a stop? Official
Yes. Enter the Void, reappear at any open city, count that city, and continue if the train has stops left.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can a route reach my hub through the Void when my hub is not connected to it? Official
No. A hub of yours must be connected to the Void by track; the Void cannot provide the hub that makes the route legal.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can the Ancient Ruins move another company's hub? Official
No, only a hub of the operating company.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Why do the Park pictures show trees on the Park tile? Official
That is a bookkeeping habit: put one tree marker on the Park for each city that could connect, and move it onto the city when it connects.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] How does the Mirage move around, and can a train run through it? Official
The Mirage and both Deserts are three separate hexes. When the Mirage is run it swaps with the Desert matching the train's parity, so it may hop across the map. No track runs through it: it is the end of a route.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Must the Rock Formation be at the start or end of a route? Official
Yes, like the Cave.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] May track be laid or upgraded so it points into a Landmark edge with no track? Official
Yes. Landmark hexes count as blank hexes for laying track.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] With several Metropolitan shareholders, who lays tiles and hubs first? Official
Each player does everything they are allowed with the Metropolitan — tiles, then hub — before the next player starts.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] If every player holds one Metropolitan share, does everyone lay track? Official
Yes, all shareholders act.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] With two trains, does the Metropolitan run both? Official
Yes, as separate routes; the best route is found for each.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Does the Metropolitan work with the base-game variants? Official
Yes: stock drops per share sold apply to it, it works without local routes, and its shares count toward the Bank Break certificate limit.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can Circus double a stop for every train it runs? Official
No. Once per Operating Round one train may spend a stop to count one city twice, and only that train gets the extra revenue.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can Circus double one half of Northern Port's tile or one Eastern Mining stop? Official
Yes, any city or Distant Destination within the stops being run — one fewer than the train number, since the double uses a stop.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can Circus run to the Cliff and still double its hub city? Official
Only if the train has the stops: the Cliff and your hub must both be stops of that train, and the double uses one more. A 2-train can only double its home.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] With the Pullman Car and Circus on the same top city, is it counted three or four times? Official
Three: each effect adds the city's value once more; neither doubles the other.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Is uncoupling real — do I swap train cards? Official
No, it is imaginary and chosen fresh each Operating Round; the coupling markers just link cards. Coupled trains go back to normal afterwards.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Can Coupling join three trains, or split an ∞-train? Official
It may couple three or more trains (three 2-trains run as a 6). It may not uncouple an ∞-train; only numbered trains split.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] Why does Rural Expansion mention Tunneling's payment timing? Official
Timing only: Tunneling gets its 60 right after each mountain, so it can keep paying for extra tiles from that money.
Source: BGG thread
[Landmarks] How do we play Bank Break with six or seven players? Official
Use a bank of about 12,000–13,000 and the certificate limits of 4 players for 6 and of 5 players for 7.
Source: BGG thread