Movers & Shakers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Board Reference
• Setup
• Player Setup
• Game Overview
• How to Play — 1. Action Phase
• Actions
  • A. Receive/Pay Money
  • B. Advance Market Markers
  • C. Increase Asset Value
  • D. Establish an Agency
  • E. Load Crates
  • F. Move Trains
  • G. Boost Performance
  • H. Ship Crates
• How to Play — 2. Administration Phase
  • a. Evaluate Shipping Zone
  • b. Collect Money from Deliveries
  • c. Adjust the Market
  • d. Invest Money
  • Starting Round 2
• End of the Game
• Reference Guide — Setup Cards
• Load Cards
• Move Cards
• Solo Mode
  • Solo Components
  • Solo Setup
  • How to Play Solo
  • Priority Rules for Loading and Moving
  • End of the Round (Solo)
  • End of the Game (Solo)
  • Rivals Variant
  • Solo Campaign Mode

Components

• 1 double-sided game board
• 4 Company boards (marked with the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western symbols)
• 33 Load cards
• 33 Movement cards
• 5 Setup cards
• 16 Performance Bonus tiles (8 white, 8 red)
• 24 Deal tiles (10 Single, 14 Double)
• 30 Investment tokens
• 1 Notepad
• 8 Starting Contracts (4 sets, marked with the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western symbols)
• 4 Asset tiles (Valuables, Resources, Bonds, Infrastructure)
• 45 Agencies (9 Northern, 12 Eastern, 16 Southern, 8 Western)
• 1 Investment Grid overlay

Player components (one set per player, in each player color):

• 1 Benares Market marker
• 1 Calcutta Market marker
• 1 Financial Advisor
• 1 Performance marker
• 1 Turn Order marker
• 9 Investment markers
• 2 Small Freight Cars
• 1 Medium Freight Car
• 1 Large Freight Car
• 25 Crates
• 8 Commercial Contracts
• 8 Strategic Contracts
• 4 Asset Value markers (1 in each color)
• 1 Cash Flow marker

Board Reference

The main Game board and the Company boards both contain several sections that are referred to throughout this rulebook.

Game Board: Benares (city), Warehouse, Performance section, Market track, Investment grid, Warehouse, Turn Order track, Junction Segment, Loading zone, Single Track Segment, Shipping zone, Calcutta (city).

Company Board: Asset Value track, Agency track, Concession Bonuses, Company actions (Development action, Logistics action), Card slots, Cash flow track, Contract slots.

The current names/spelling for these cities are Varanasi and Kolkata, but the game keeps the names these cities had back in the late 19th century.

Setup

A. Place the Game board in the center of the table. Use the side of the board that corresponds to the number of players: one side for a 1- or 2-player game, the other side for a 3- or 4-player game. In a 3-player game, place the Investment Grid overlay over the existing Investment grid.

B. Shuffle the Load cards and the Movement cards separately. Place each deck face down next to the Game board. These form the Load deck and the Movement deck.

C. Sort the Agencies by type. Place them in four separate face-up stacks next to the Game board.

D. Sort the Deal tiles by type. Place them in two separate face-up stacks next to the Game board.

E. Place all Investment tokens in a pile next to the Game board.

F. Shuffle the white and red Performance Bonus tiles separately. Place each tile randomly on the indicated spaces in the Performance section of the Game board.

G. Each player takes 1 random Company board and places it in front of themselves.

H. Each player takes the 2 Starting Contracts whose icon on the back matches the icon in the lower-left corner of their Company board, and slides them into the matching Contract slots on the right side of their board, making sure the seals match. Then, each player places 2 Crates on each of these Starting Contracts.

I. Each player chooses a color and takes all components in their player color, along with a full set of 4 Asset Value tiles and 1 Cash Flow marker.

J. Each player places all their Asset Value tiles above the "0" space of the Asset Value track at the top of their Company board.

K. Each player places their Cash Flow marker below the "0" space of the Cash Flow track at the bottom of their Company board.

L. Each player separates their Contracts by seal color and forms two face-down stacks to the right of their Company board.

M. Each player places their Benares Market marker, Calcutta Market marker, and Financial Advisor in their designated column of the Market track on the Game board.

N. Each player places their Performance marker on the "0" space of the Performance track on the game board.

O. Each player draws 4 cards from the Load deck and 4 cards from the Movement deck and keeps them hidden from the other players.

Player Setup

After completing the main setup, lay out the five Setup cards next to the board in alphabetical order, from A to E. Take 1 Deal tile and the four Asset tiles, shuffle them face down, and place 1 tile randomly above each of the Setup cards—1 per card.

Randomly determine which player will draft first. This player receives ₹2 (₹ = British Indian Rupee) on their Cash Flow Track (by advancing their Cash Flow marker 2 steps). Then, going clockwise, each subsequent player receives ₹1 more than the previous player (e.g., ₹3 for the second player, ₹4 for the third, etc.).

In that draft order, each player selects one pairing of Setup card and Asset/Deal tile. This combination determines the starting location of their Freight Cars, their initial Assets, and their turn order for the first round. Players keep their Asset/Deal tile for later use.

Players then place their 4 Freight Cars on the map according to their chosen Setup card and receive the corresponding starting bonuses and marker advancements (see the Reference Guide's Setup Cards list).

Following the alphabetical order of the selected cards, players place their Turn Order markers onto the Turn Order track (the first letter goes into position 1, and so on).

Setup example for 3 players: Arjun gets randomly chosen to draft first. He receives ₹2. Indrani is second and receives ₹3, followed by Somenath who will start the game with ₹4. The five Setup cards (A to E) are laid out on the table with one randomly drawn tile placed above each card. In draft order, Arjun chooses Setup card C with a Deal tile, followed by Indrani, who picks Setup card A with a Valuables Asset tile. Finally, Somenath takes Setup card D with a Bonds Asset tile. All players keep their tiles for later use. Each player now places their Freight Cars on the map and receives starting bonuses according to their Setup card. For example, Somenath's Setup card has him place 1 Small Freight Car, loaded with a Crate, in a Segment on the map, his Large Freight Car in Benares, and his Medium Freight Car and remaining Small Freight Car in Calcutta. Next, he advances both his Benares and Calcutta Market markers. He can also load a Crate from one of his Contracts onto one of his Freight Cars—he chooses to place a Crate from his Contract onto his Medium Freight Car in Calcutta—and finally, he receives a Southern Agency, and places it to the far right on his Company board's Agency track. Finally, players determine the turn order. Since turn order is determined by alphabetical order of the cards, Indrani becomes the Start Player for Round 1 and places her Turn Order marker in the first position. Arjun (C) places his in the second position, and Somenath (D) in the third.

This game uses the British Indian Rupee as its currency. During the time of the Bengal Presidency, amounts were typically written using the abbreviation "Rs." rather than the ₹ symbol, which was only introduced in 2010. But to improve clarity, the rulebook uses the "₹" symbol throughout.

Game Overview

Movers & Shakers is played over the course of two rounds, and the goal is to score as many Victory Points (VP) as possible. All VP are awarded at the end of the game. Players earn points by:

• Fulfilling Contracts
• Making deals with regional agencies
• Making investments
• Improving their overall performance

Each round consists of two phases: the Action Phase and the Administration Phase.

During the Action Phase, players choose a card from their hand and place it into a slot of their choice on their Company board. They then perform the action shown on the card, as well as the action linked to the slot where the card was placed. These slot effects vary, so careful planning is essential.

During the Administration Phase, players evaluate the Shipping zone of the board, which affects deals and modifies turn order. They then collect money from completed deliveries, adjust the Market, and invest their money to prepare for the next round.

Round Structure:

1. Action Phase (in either order)
   • Perform Card action
   • Perform Card Slot action
2. Administration Phase
   • Evaluate Shipping Zone
   • Collect money from deliveries
   • Adjust the Market
   • Invest money

How to Play — 1. Action Phase

In turn order, each player chooses and plays one card from their hand. There are two types of Action cards: Load cards and Movement cards. Despite their type, all are considered Action cards for gameplay purposes.

To play a card, place it in any available slot on your Company board (i.e., a slot not already occupied by another card). Each slot shows two possible actions—one at the top and one at the bottom. When placing your Action card, you must slide it either up or down to cover one of these two actions. The uncovered action is the one you will perform.

• The top actions are called Development actions, which focus on growth, strategic expansion, and external operations—broadening your company's reach.
• The bottom actions are called Logistics actions, which deal with the day-to-day functioning of your company, such as movement, upgrades, and efficiency.

Both types are referred to collectively as Company actions. You may only perform one of these per turn—either the Development or the Logistics action—depending on how you place your card. Choose wisely.

After placing your Action card, you may perform the action(s) shown on the card itself and the uncovered Company action. The order in which you resolve them is up to you, but you must complete each action fully before starting the other.

If you place your card to uncover the top (Development) action, note that each Action card has a Development icon in the top-left corner. The slot you place the card in determines how many times you may perform that Development action.

Players continue taking turns playing Action cards in this manner until each player has placed six Action cards and all card slots are filled. Once this is done, proceed to the Administration Phase.

Important: Performing actions—whether from the Action card itself, the Company action, or both—is always mandatory. The only action where you have a bit of flexibility is the number of Crates you can Load: you can always Load a number of Crates up to the number indicated. But otherwise, you must always perform the Card action(s) and Company action(s) as indicated. In the very rare case where you cannot perform any Card action, you must place the card as usual, but you skip your Card action, and receive ₹3.

Example: It's Indrani's turn. She chooses to play a Load card from her hand into the third card slot of her Company board. She places the card to cover the Logistics action, leaving the Development action visible. She decides to perform the card action first. She loads a Crate onto one of her Freight Cars, and another onto a Ship. Then, she performs the Development action from the card slot: she advances two of her Asset Value markers (they can be the same or 2 different ones), and draws a new Load card, adding it to her hand.

Actions

Most actions appear on Action cards and Company board slots, but some also trigger as bonuses from other actions—allowing for interesting domino effects and combos during your turn.

A quick note on Action card iconography, particularly the lines that sometimes divide actions on a card: when a card shows an upper and lower option, you must choose either the upper or the lower option. When two icons are shown together without a divider, you may perform both indicated actions, choosing which of the two to perform first, but you must always complete one before starting the other. When icons are separated by a thin line, read the actions as if they were on a single line.

A. Receive/Pay Money

Money in Movers & Shakers works a little differently than in most games. Instead of collecting (a coin icon with a white number) or spending (a coin icon with a red number) individual coins, you manage your finances by sliding your Cash Flow marker along your Cash Track.

Each time your Cash Flow marker reaches the "10" space, you immediately gain 1 Investment Token and reset your marker back to "0." These Investment Tokens are extremely valuable: they allow you to make investments at the end of each Round, earning you Victory Points and boosting your Asset Values.

Note: Managing your cash is a delicate balance. While earning Investment tokens is crucial, you'll also need Rupees to pay for many in-game actions. Running out of liquid cash can seriously slow your progress—so plan your spending carefully.

Example: Arjun receives ₹4 from performing an Action. His Cash Flow marker sits at ₹8, meaning he ends up with ₹12. He receives 1 Investment token, and moves his Cash Flow marker to the ₹2 spot.

B. Advance Market Markers

There are three types of Market markers in the game: the Benares Market marker, the Calcutta Market marker, and the Financial Advisor. Whenever you trigger the matching icon, advance the corresponding marker the indicated number of steps forward on the Market track. If you see the generic Market icon, you may choose any one of the three markers to advance.

The Benares and Calcutta markers determine the value of Crates delivered to their respective cities. The Financial Advisor grants instant bonuses as he climbs the Market track, rewarding you each time he crosses an even-numbered row: receive a Double Deal tile, receive a Southern Agency, receive a Single Deal tile, receive a Northern Agency (rewards alternate as he climbs).

Keep any Deal tiles next to your Company board. Place Agencies onto your Agency track, always filling spaces from right to left.

C. Increase Asset Value

Advance the indicated Asset Value marker(s) the specified number of steps on the Asset Value track. These four markers represent the value of the four different Asset types in the game: Bonds, Valuables, Resources, and Infrastructure.

Increasing Asset Value is a key way to score Victory Points at the end of the game. As shown beneath the Asset Value track, each marker's final position determines the number of VP you gain. Each Asset's value is multiplied by the number of matching Assets you've collected. You can collect Assets through:

1. Setup Asset tiles: received during game setup.
2. Contracts: the most common source.
3. Performance Bonus tiles: gained as your Performance marker advances.

When increasing Asset Values via a Logistics action, you may choose which Asset advances 1 step and which advances 2 steps.

D. Establish an Agency

When you establish an Agency, take the indicated Agency and place it on your Agency track, starting from the rightmost empty space and moving left. Each of the four Agency types represents a different aspect of your Company's expansion across the Bengal Presidency and grants a unique advantage when acquired:

• Northern Agency: grants 1 VP at the end of the game for each Deal tile you've collected.
• Eastern Agency: grants 2 VP at the end of the game for each Deal tile you've collected.
• Southern Agency: gain ₹4 immediately; also grants 1 VP at the end of the game for each Deal tile you've collected.
• Western Agency: provides no immediate effect, but accelerates access to Concession Bonuses by advancing your Agency track.

Concession Bonus: As you increase your Asset Values and establish new Agencies, the markers and tiles on your Company board will gradually move toward each other. When an Asset Value marker and an Agency meet, you unlock a Concession Bonus. Refer to the Concession display in the top-right corner of your Company board and gain the bonus listed next to the corresponding Asset type. Since you have 4 Asset Value markers, you can unlock up to 4 Concession Bonuses over the course of the game.

Example: Somenath places a Load card from his hand into the rightmost card slot of his Company board, and leaves the Logistics action visible. He decides to perform the card action first. He pays ₹2 to Load 2 Crates, and establishes a Northern Agency. Next, he performs the Logistics action and decides to advance his Resources marker 1 step, and his Infrastructure marker 2 steps. This unlocks a Concession Bonus, so he receives ₹3 and can increase another Asset Value marker of his choice—he decides to advance his Bonds marker one more step.

E. Load Crates

This action, along with "Move Trains," forms the heart of the game. As you play, you'll aim to load Crates onto Freight Cars—your own and those of your rivals—and move them across the map to deliver goods from one city to another.

To load a Crate, remove one (or more) goods from your active Contracts and place them onto a Freight Car with available space that is currently located in a Loading zone. These zones include both cities and the two central Junction Segments.

Important: It doesn't matter who owns the Freight Car—you can load Crates onto ANY Freight Car, not just your own. It also doesn't matter which Loading zone the Freight Car is in.

Unless stated otherwise on the Action card you are using, you cannot load more than one Crate into the same Freight Car during a single turn. You may take goods from either or both of your active Contracts, but each Crate must go into a different Freight Car.

Example: Arjun plays a card from his hand, which allows him to load 2 Crates, plus 1 additional Crate, since he possesses 1 Deal tile. He decides to Load all 3 Crates from his Bonds Contract. The first Crate is loaded onto his Large Freight Car in Calcutta, the second is loaded onto Somenath's Medium Freight Car in Benares, and the third one is loaded onto his Small Freight Car in the Northern Junction Segment. At the end of his turn, his completed Bonds Contract lets him establish a Southern Agency. He draws 2 Strategic Contracts, keeps one, places the other on the bottom of the stack, and adds 3 Crates to the chosen Contract.

Contracts: Each player has a personal set of 16 Contracts plus 2 Starting Contracts, divided into two distinct types based on the seal color on the back of each tile:

• Commercial Contracts focus on short-term economic benefits. They reward you with cash, allow you to increase the value of your Assets, and often involve shipping Crates.
• Strategic Contracts are geared toward long-term company growth. Completing them improves your Performance and Agencies, helping you scale your operations over time.

Each Contract shows the Asset type it represents, the number of Crates placed on it when selected, and the reward received once it is completed (i.e., when all Crates have been loaded onto Freight Cars). Balancing both types of Contracts is essential to building a versatile and successful company.

At the END of your turn, if one or both of your Contracts have been fully completed (i.e., emptied of Crates), follow these steps for each completed Contract:

1. Gain the reward shown at the bottom of the completed Contract.
2. Place the completed Contract to the left side of your Company board.
3. Draw 2 new Contracts from the same stack (Commercial or Strategic) as the one you completed.
4. Choose one to keep and place it face up in the empty Contract slot. Return the other to the top or bottom of the stack.
5. Place the required Crates shown at the top of the new Contract onto it immediately.

F. Move Trains

Now that you know how to load Crates onto Freight Cars, it's time to move those Freight Cars across the map. One of the primary ways to earn money—and ultimately Victory Points—is by delivering Crates to Benares and Calcutta.

To do this, you'll use the Move Trains action, which allows you to move Freight Cars across a number of Rail Segments.

Rail Segments: The railway on the board is divided into Rail Segments, which appear in two forms: Single Track Segments and Junction Segments. Each Rail Segment contains one or more rows, and each row is made up of three spaces, each space fitting one Small Freight Car. A single row can hold a combination of Freight Cars based on their size, up to a total of 3 Small equivalents: for example, 3 Small Freight Cars, or 1 Medium Freight Car and 1 Small Freight Car, or 1 Large Freight Car.

Note: You may always place fewer Freight Cars, but may never exceed the space available in a Segment row.

What is a Train? A Train is any group of Freight Cars that share a single Rail Segment row. These Freight Cars may belong to one or more players. A Train can consist of just 1 Freight Car or several, as long as they fit within the row's space. A Train's size is defined by its capacity: a size-1 Train can carry 1 Crate, a size-2 Train can carry 2 Crates, and a size-3 Train can carry 3 Crates.

Minimum Load Requirement: To be eligible for movement, a Freight Car must be loaded with at least half of its total capacity:

• A Small Freight Car must be fully loaded (1 Crate).
• A Medium Freight Car can move with 1 or 2 Crates.
• A Large Freight Car must have at least 2 Crates to move.

Important: Only Freight Cars meeting this minimum load threshold can be part of a Train and move across the board.

Taking the Move Trains Action: When you take the Move Trains action, you may either form a new Train or move an existing one already on the board.

To form a new Train, select any eligible Freight Cars—that is, Freight Cars that meet the minimum load requirement—and group them together. This is only allowed in the two main cities, Benares and Calcutta, where Trains begin their journey. Once the Train is formed, slide it onto the first Single Track Segment leading out of the city. This entire process—grouping the Freight Cars and placing them on the track—counts as one movement. Even a single Freight Car placed on the track in this way counts as forming a new Train.

Alternatively, you may move an existing Train already on the board by advancing it 1 Rail Segment in its current direction. For each movement point you spend, you may choose any Train on the board; you are not required to continue moving the same Train.

When positioning the Train, slide it fully to the front of the row, matching its direction—push the Train as far as it can go within the Segment to maintain clear positioning. An existing train may not be split until its arrival into a Junction Segment or a City.

Important rules:

• No Reversing: Trains always move in a clockwise direction. A Train starting in Benares must head toward Calcutta, and vice versa.
• Mandatory Movement: You must use all movement steps granted by the action or bonus, unless it's physically impossible (e.g., no eligible Freight Cars available).
• Shared Control: Any player may move any Train, regardless of who owns the Freight Cars or the Crates they carry.

Merging Trains: When moving a Train into a row with another Train, you must merge the two Trains if the combined size does not exceed 3 Freight Car spaces. This applies in both Single Track Segments and within a row of a Junction Segment. You may not leave a gap between Freight Cars in a Track Segment row.

Splitting Trains: When a Train arrives at a Junction Segment, you are allowed to split the Train across multiple rows, depending on your needs and the available space. How you divide the Freight Cars is entirely up to you, but Cars that end up sharing a row must be merged.

Pushing Trains: Whenever you move a Train—or split one upon entering a Junction Segment—and there's an existing Train but insufficient space to merge, you'll need to push the Train that's already ahead of you. When this happens, the Train in front is pushed forward for free, moving 1 Segment ahead without using any movement points. This can create a chain reaction, with one push leading to another across multiple Segments. Because of this, it's important to always complete one movement step fully before triggering the next.

If a Train is pushed into a Junction Segment, you may choose to split it up following the usual rules. However, this may lead to additional pushing situations, depending on how the Freight Cars are arranged. If multiple pushes are triggered at once, you must respect the order in which the Trains arrive into the Junction (the frontmost Freight Car/Train moves in first, etc.).

Forming a gap in a row is never allowed.

Shortcuts: There are two special tracks on the board called Shortcuts, one located just before reaching each City. When moving Trains, you may spend the indicated number of movement steps to bypass the final Segments of a railroad (four steps before Benares, three before Calcutta).

Important: When pushing Trains, you may never push a Train over a Shortcut. If a Train is pushed out of the Junction Segment directly before a Shortcut, it must be pushed into the next available Single Track Segment instead.

Arrival in a City: Eventually, every Train will reach its destination in Benares or Calcutta. When a Train arrives in a City, the first thing you must do is unload its cargo. Take all the Crates from the Freight Cars and place them in the warehouse adjacent to that City. These delivered Crates will earn their owners Rupees at the end of the round.

Next, each Freight Car that arrives in the City increases its owner's Performance. Move your Performance marker forward a number of spaces equal to the car's size (1 for Small, 2 for Medium, 3 for Large). Always resolve Performance gains in order, Freight Car by Freight Car: start with the frontmost Freight Car, advancing its owner's marker first, then move on to the next Freight Car, and so on.

Once everything is resolved, split up the Freight Cars and leave them available anywhere in the City, ready to be loaded and moved again on a future turn.

Example 1: Arjun places a Movement card from his hand into the third card slot of his Company board, and leaves the Logistics action visible. He decides to perform the Card action first, and since his Benares marker is the highest among all players, he can Load 3 Crates. He then decides to perform his Logistics action, which allows him to Move Trains 4 Segments, toward Calcutta. There's already a bunch of Trains on the map, and a few ready to depart from Benares. For his first move, he decides to form a new train by grouping his Medium Freight Car and Somenath's eligible Small Freight Car into the first Single Track Segment (his own Small Freight Car is not eligible since it's not loaded sufficiently). For his second move, he decides to form a Train using Somenath's Medium Freight Car and move it into the first rail Segment, since it carries one of his Crates—it's bound to please Somenath since he sees his Train gain a "free" movement from Arjun, but it creates a chain reaction: the Train in the first Segment now gets pushed into the second Segment, which in turn pushes the size-3 Train that consists of Indrani's Medium Freight Car and his own Small Freight Car into the Junction Segment. Arjun decides to split the Train by moving Indrani's Medium Freight Car into the top row of the Junction, and his own Small Freight Car into the middle row. For his third move, Arjun moves the size-3 Train from the second Segment into the Junction. He decides to keep this train grouped, and this pushes his size-1 Train out of the Junction. For his fourth and final move, Arjun moves the size-3 Train out of the Junction (a reminder: when a player moves a Train out of a Junction, they CANNOT split up the Train; that only occurs when a Train enters a Junction), which in turn pushes his size-1 Train to the next Segment.

Example 2: Indrani activates her card's ability. She can either perform 4 moves, or 6 moves if she has already delivered Crates to both Benares and Calcutta, which she has—the choice is clear, she opts to take the 6 moves. She begins by moving her size-3 Train, spending 4 movement steps to take the Shortcut; she'd rather avoid helping Arjun and Somenath by pushing their combined size-2 Train into Benares. As her size-3 Train enters Benares, she delivers her 2 Crates along with one belonging to Somenath to the warehouse. Since her Large Freight Car enters the City, she advances 3 steps on the Performance Track—this grants her a Red Performance Bonus, and she chooses to pay ₹2 to claim the cheaper Bonds tile, which she places next to her player board for end-of-game scoring. Finally, she moves her size-1 Train 2 Segments further down the line. On a later turn, Indrani plays a Load card that allows her to load 2 Crates and perform 2 moves. She loads 2 Crates onto Freight Cars in Benares—1 onto her own Large Freight Car, and 1 onto Somenath's Medium Freight Car (each Crate must always be loaded into a different Freight Car). She then uses her 2 movement steps to move her Train. With the first step, she merges it with the Train ahead of her, forming a size-3 Train. With the second step, she pushes the newly formed Train into Benares. All Crates from Indrani, Somenath, and Arjun are delivered to the warehouse. Then, each player receives a Performance bonus, resolved in the order their Freight Cars enter the City: Somenath goes first and gains a white Performance bonus, choosing a Northern Agency and ₹4. Arjun is next—disappointed that Somenath took the bonus he wanted—but he instead takes ₹3 and advances his Financial Advisor. Finally, Indrani simply advances her Performance marker by one step.

G. Boost Performance

The Performance Track benefits players in two key ways: it grants bonuses during the game when your marker reaches certain icons, and it awards Victory Points at the end of the game, depending on your final position.

Whenever your marker lands on a white or red circle, you may choose one of the corresponding Performance Bonus tiles and remove it from the board. There are two types of Performance Bonuses:

• White Performance Bonuses provide an immediate, one-time effect (various actions explained throughout the Actions section) and also reward you with the amount of money shown in the same row. After using the bonus, the tile is removed from the game.
• Red Performance Bonuses grant you a Performance Bonus Tile which counts as an Asset for end-of-game scoring. To claim it, you must pay the amount of money shown in that row. Keep the tile until the end of the game.

Once your marker reaches the end of the track, you earn ₹1 for every extra space you advance beyond it.

H. Ship Crates

With this action, you may place the indicated number of Crates from your Contracts onto the different Ships of the Shipping zone. You may deliver them to different ships, or the same one. However, some actions will require you to ship the Crates to a specific ship.

Every crate you load onto the Ships gives you an immediate reward, one of: advance your Financial Advisor one step, receive ₹3, or advance 1 Asset Value marker of your choice.

The Crates placed here will also offer Deal tiles at the end of each round, and help determine player order for the next round.

How to Play — 2. Administration Phase

Once players have played a card in each of their Card slots, the round is over, and they move on to the Administration phase. This consists of four steps:

a. Evaluate Shipping Zone

Start by checking which player has the most Crates across all three Ships (I, II, and III combined). That player receives a Double Deal tile. All other players with at least one Crate on any Ship receive a Single Deal tile.

If there's a tie for most Crates, break it by comparing Crates on Ship I. If still tied, check Ship II, then Ship III, and finally use the current turn order to break the tie.

Once Deal tiles are assigned, adjust the turn order using the same order established above: the player with the most Crates goes first. If there's a tie, check who has more Crates on Ship I, then Ship II, then Ship III, and if the tie still isn't broken, use the current turn order.

Example: This is what the Shipping zone looks like at the end of Round 1: Arjun and Indrani both have 3 Crates in the Shipping zone, and Somenath has none. Since Arjun has more Crates on the first Ship, he wins the tie and receives a Double Deal tile. Indrani gets a Single Deal tile, and Somenath receives none, as he didn't ship any Crates this round. Arjun now becomes the new first player, followed by Indrani, and finally Somenath.

b. Collect Money from Deliveries

Each player receives Rupees based on the number of Crates they delivered in Benares and/or Calcutta. Check each warehouse, and multiply the number of Crates by the value of the matching Market marker. Remember to take 1 Investment token for every 10 Rupees you earn.

Example: Indrani managed to deliver 5 crates in Benares. Her Benares marker is on the third row, so she scores ₹5 per Crate, earning a total of ₹25. Next, she calculates her earnings from Calcutta, where she delivered 3 Crates. Since she scores ₹6 per Crate there, she earns an additional ₹18. Indrani therefore earns ₹43 in total. She receives 4 Investment tokens and advances her Cash Flow Marker by 3 steps.

In step b. of Round 2 only, Crates still present on Trains may earn money. Each Crate scores based on its position along the Path: either ₹1, ₹2, or ₹3 per Crate, depending on which Junction Segment it reached on the way. The owner of the Train is irrelevant—only the color of the Crate matters.

Example: Somenath still has a few Crates en route to Calcutta. He earns ₹2 for the 2 Crates in the indicated size-3 Train (2 × ₹1), and an additional ₹6 for the 2 Crates that have reached the third Junction (2 × ₹3).

c. Adjust the Market

At this point, players must adjust their Market Value markers. Move all three of your personal markers to the lowest-valued position among them. Then, gain the Rupee bonus shown for that row. Note that there is no bonus for rows 1 and 2.

d. Invest Money

Finally, players may now use their Investment tokens. In the new turn order, each player may spend any number of Investment tokens to place 1 Investment marker per turn into the Investment grid. Players continue taking turns until they are done investing.

When placing your marker, choose a row and spend the number of tokens shown to the left of that row. Then, immediately advance a number of Asset Value markers as indicated at the top of the column.

You may place your Investment marker in a space that already contains other markers. However, for each marker already present (regardless of color), you must reduce your Asset advancement by one step. If this penalty would reduce your total advancement below zero, you may not place your marker in that row. Check the markings underneath each column to see how many Investment markers players can place in a particular column.

Note: If advancing your Asset Value markers triggers one or more Concession Bonuses that grant you Rupees, immediately advance your Cash Flow marker as usual. Any Investment tokens gained this way may also be used during the same phase.

Example: Arjun has 4 Investment tokens, Indrani also has 4, and Somenath has five. Since Arjun is the first player, he acts first. He spends all 4 tokens to place his Investment marker in the third column, earning 3 Asset Value advancements. Next is Indrani. She also spends 4 Investment tokens, but places her marker in the second column instead. Had she placed it on top of Arjun's marker in the third column, she would have received only 2 Asset advancement due to the penalty. By choosing the second column, she still gains one advancement, and secures a spot worth a massive 40 Victory Points at the end of the game. Finally, Somenath takes his turn. Since both rivals have used up their tokens, he has a free choice. He spends 3 Investment tokens to place 1 marker in the third column, gaining 1 Asset Value advancement, then spends his remaining 2 tokens to place another marker in the first column, which will be worth 18 Victory Points at the end of the game.

Starting Round 2

At the end of Round 1, prepare the board for the second and final round as follows:

1. Remove all cards from the Company Boards.
2. Return all Crates from both Warehouses and Ships to their respective owners' supply.
3. All Trains and Freight Cars, whether empty or still loaded with Crates, remain in their current positions.
4. Deal 3 Load cards and 3 Movement cards to each player.

Play now resumes with the new First Player, then continues in the new turn order.

End of the Game

At the end of the second round, players calculate their Victory Points by following these five steps. (Use the notepad provided to keep track of your scores.)

1. Assets: Each player multiplies the number of each Asset they acquired—whether from completed Contracts, starting Asset tiles, or Red Performance Bonus tiles—by the corresponding Asset Value their marker reached on the Asset Value Track.

Example: 3 Assets × 5 = 15 VP; 5 Assets × 5 = 25 VP; 1 Asset × 4 = 4 VP; 1 Asset × 4 = 4 VP.

2. Deals: Each player counts the total number of Deal tiles they collected during the game and multiplies it by the sum of VP values shown on all their Agencies.

Example: 5 Deals × 6 VP = 30 VP.

3. Performance Track: Each player scores the number of Victory Points indicated by their final position on the Performance Track.

Example: Somenath earns 12 VP.

4. Investments: Each Investment marker placed on the board grants the number of Victory Points shown in its slot.

5. Secret Investor Bonus: Each Investment marker you placed is also worth an additional bonus equal to the value of your lowest Asset.

Example: Arjun placed 3 Investment markers, and his lowest Asset is worth 3 VP. He scores another 9 VP. Combining his Asset, Deal, and Performance totals of 36 + 30 + 16, Arjun earns 82 VP.

The player with the most Victory Points is declared the winner, having built the most successful and influential operation. In the case of a tie, the tied player with the most remaining Rupees is considered to have managed their wealth most wisely and wins the game. If a tie still remains, prestige breaks the deadlock: the player who sits earlier in the current turn order claims the final honor.

Reference Guide — Setup Cards

• Setup Card A: Place 1 Small Freight Car in Junction A, and load it with a Crate. Place your Large Freight Car in Calcutta. Place your Medium Freight Car in Benares. Place 1 Small Freight Car in Benares. Advance your Calcutta Market marker 2 spaces. Advance an Asset Value marker of your choice one step. Draw 1 extra Load card.
• Setup Card B: Place 1 Small Freight Car in Junction B, and load it with a Crate. Place your Large Freight Car in Benares. Place your Medium Freight Car in Calcutta. Place 1 Small Freight Car in Calcutta. Advance your Benares Market marker 2 spaces. Advance your Performance marker 1 step. Draw 1 extra Move card.
• Setup Card C: Place 1 Small Freight Car in Junction C, and load it with a Crate. Place your Large Freight Car in Calcutta. Place your Medium Freight Car in Benares. Place 1 Small Freight Car in Benares. Advance your Calcutta or Benares Market marker one space. Advance 2 different Asset Value markers of your choice one step. Receive a Northern Agency.
• Setup Card D: Place 1 Small Freight Car in Junction D, and load it with a Crate. Place your Large Freight Car in Benares. Place your Medium Freight Car in Calcutta. Place 1 Small Freight Car in Calcutta. Advance your Benares and Calcutta Market markers one space. Load 1 Crate from one of your starting Contracts into a Freight Car of your choice. Receive a Southern Agency.
• Setup Card E: Place your Medium Freight Car in Junction E, and load it with 1 Crate. Place your Large Freight Car in Benares. Place both of your Small Freight Cars in Calcutta. Advance your Financial Advisor 2 steps (and gain the instant bonus). Ship 1 Crate from one of your Starting Contracts to Ship III (and gain the ship's reward).

Load Cards

Reminder: When loading multiple Crates, they must go into different Freight Cars, unless the card indicates otherwise.

• L1. Load up to 2 Crates from 2 different Contracts, AND pay ₹2 to Load 1 additional Crate.
• L2. Load up to 2 Crates from the same Contract, AND Load 1 additional Crate if you already have at least 1 Crate on a Ship.
• L3. Pay ₹2 to Load 3 Crates, OR pay ₹2 to Load up to 2 Crates and Perform 2 moves.
• L4. Load one or more Crates onto 1 Freight Car (yours or another player's). You may fill it completely with this action. Pay ₹1 per Crate loaded.
• L5. Pay ₹2 to Load up to 3 Crates.
• L6. Load 1 Crate, AND Ship 1 Crate.
• L7. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Perform 1 move per card you've played this round (including this one). Pay ₹1 per move.
• L8. Load 1 Crate, AND Perform 2 moves if you used this card to trigger one of the Logistics Actions in the third or fourth slots on your Company board.
• L9. Load 1 Crate, AND Perform 3 moves.
• L10. Load up to 2 Crates, OR Load up to 3 Crates into other players' Freight Cars.
• L11. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if you have at least 1 Crate delivered in Calcutta.
• L12. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if you have at least 1 Crate delivered in Benares.
• L13. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if you currently have ₹5 or more in your Cash track.
• L14. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if your Performance marker is at 3 or more in Round 1, or 8 or more in Round 2.
• L15. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if your Calcutta Market marker is the highest (or tied for highest) among your markers on the Market track.
• L16. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if your Benares Market marker is the highest (or tied for highest) among your markers on the Market track.
• L17. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if your Financial Advisor is the highest (or tied for highest) among your markers on the Market track.
• L18. Load up to 2 Crates, AND Load 1 additional Crate if your Financial Advisor is on position 6 or higher on the Market track.
• L19. Pay ₹2 to Load 1 Crate, plus 1 additional Crate for each of your Crates currently placed on different ships.
• L20. Load 1 Crate for each of your Market markers (Benares, Calcutta, Financial Advisor) that is at position 6 or higher.

Move Cards

• M1. Pay ₹1. Perform 1 move per card you have played this round, including this one.
• M2. Perform 1 move for each empty card slot on your Company board. Since this card is being played now, it already counts as placed—so the maximum number of moves is 5.
• M3. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if your Financial Advisor is on position 6 or higher on the Market track.
• M4. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if your Performance marker is at 3 or more in Round 1, or 8 or more in Round 2.
• M5. Perform 2 moves, AND 1 additional move for each Asset Value marker at value 3 or higher.
• M6. Ship 1 Crate, AND Perform 2 moves.
• M7. Pay ₹3. Perform 3 moves, AND 1 additional move for each of your own Freight Cars currently on rail Segments (excluding those present in Benares or Calcutta).
• M8. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if you own at least 1 Deal tile.
• M9. Perform 5 moves toward Calcutta, OR Perform 3 moves.
• M10. Perform 3 moves, AND Immediately get ₹1 per Train you Moved with this action.
• M11. Perform 5 moves toward Benares, OR Perform 3 moves.
• M12. Perform 3 moves, AND Perform 2 additional moves if you moved at least 1 Medium Freight Car during the first 3 moves.
• M13. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if you have at least 1 of your Crates on a Ship.
• M14. Perform 3 moves, OR Pay ₹3 to Perform 6 moves.
• M15. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if you currently have ₹5 or more in your Cash track.
• M16. Perform 3 moves, AND Perform 2 additional moves if you moved at least 1 Large Freight Car during the first 3 moves.
• M17. Gain ₹1, AND Perform 1 move for each Crate currently on one of your Contracts (choose which Contract to use).
• M18. Pay ₹1 to Perform 5 moves.
• M19. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if you have at least 2 Agencies.
• M20. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if you have at least 1 Crate delivered in Benares or Calcutta.
• M21. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if your Benares marker is the highest (or tied for highest) among all your markers.
• M22. Perform 3 moves, OR Perform 5 moves if your Calcutta marker is the highest (or tied for highest) among all your markers.

Solo Mode

Face the Major: Step into the bustling world of 19th-century Bengal, where ambition and opportunity run as hot as the steam engines thundering down the rails. Once a decorated officer in the Bengal Regiment, Major Anil Banerjee traded his uniform for a business empire, channelling his strategic mind and iron discipline into the booming railway trade. Now, he's your rival—a calculating magnate who sees every crate, contract, and rupee as a move in his grand campaign. Outsmart him, outbuild him, and prove that your business acumen can match his military precision in a true battle of wits and wealth.

Solo Components

1 Solo board, 1 Solo Campaign board, 1 Solo Player Aid, 7 Solo Load cards, 7 Solo Movement cards, 6 Campaign Goal tiles, 6 Rival tiles.

Solo Setup

Set up the game as for a 2-player game, with the following changes:

1. Take the Solo Board and place it next to the main Game board. This replaces the Company board for Major Banerjee.
2. Major Banerjee Pieces – Take all the Freight Cars, Crates, Turn Order disc, Investment markers, Financial Advisor, Performance Marker and Market markers of an unused colour.
3. Setup Cards – After placing the Setup Cards and randomizing the Deal tile and the four Asset tiles, choose one combination of Card and tile. Then, take the four remaining Setup cards, and draw one at random for Major Banerjee. You apply the player order and Freight Car placement, but Major Banerjee does not receive a bonus, nor does it receive an Asset/Deal tile.
4. Initial Money – As in the normal game: you receive ₹2 if you are the first player, or ₹3 if you are the second.
5. Major Banerjee Deck – Create Major Banerjee's deck by shuffling the 8 round-1 cards (4 load, 4 movement). Set aside the Round 2 Cards; you will be needing them at the end of Round 1.

How to Play Solo

You play against Major Banerjee as if he were a human opponent. On his turn, draw the top card of his deck and resolve all actions from top to bottom.

Each Solo Card shows: Major Banerjee's cash value for that turn (it only applies when one of your cards requires a comparison, e.g. Card L21; if you are the first player and there is no bot card on the solo board yet, use ₹0 as Major Banerjee's cash value); the round in which the card should be used (1 or 2); and the actions Major Banerjee will perform, from top to bottom.

Major Banerjee's actions are similar to any player's actions:

• Move Major Banerjee's Benares, Calcutta, or Financial Advisor marker 2 steps up the Market track.
• Move Major Banerjee's lowest marker (Benares, Calcutta, or Financial Advisor) 2 steps up the Market track. If there's a tie, you choose which marker advances.
• Remove the two topmost white Performance Bonus tokens (one from each column).
• Remove the two bottommost red Performance Bonus tokens (one from each column).
• Add one of Major Banerjee's Crates to the indicated Ship.
• Add one of Major Banerjee's Investment markers to the Investment Grid, placing it on the rightmost space of the indicated row.
• Perform the indicated moves toward Benares, toward Calcutta, or in either direction, following the Priority Rules below.
• Load the indicated number of Crates onto the Freight Cars, following the Priority Rules below. As always, each Crate must be loaded onto a different Freight Car.

General remarks: Whenever Major Banerjee's Crates are delivered, they are immediately returned to his general supply. When moving trains, Major Banerjee will not split any train at junctions unless the train contains only your Freight Cars carrying your Crates. If a Freight Car carries any of his Crates, Major Banerjee will always try to merge Freight Cars into new trains (if space allows) and keep them joined if they are his colour or carry his Crates. In short, Major Banerjee merges trains when it benefits him and splits them when it benefits you less. He will always act in his own best interest.

Priority Rules for Loading and Moving

The Solo Board displays a schedule you must follow from left to right, top to bottom, to determine which Freight Car Major Banerjee loads or moves first:

Load Action priority: 1. Major Banerjee's large Freight Car. 2. Your large Freight Car. 3. Major Banerjee's medium Freight Car. 4. Your medium Freight Car. 5. Major Banerjee's small Freight Car. 6. Your small Freight Car.

Move Action priority (max. 2 Moves per Train): 1. Major Banerjee's large Freight Car (loaded with any Crates). 2. Your large Freight Car (only if it carries at least one of the Major's Crates). 3. Major Banerjee's medium Freight Car (loaded with any Crates). 4. Your medium Freight Car (only if it carries at least one of the Major's Crates). 5. Major Banerjee's small Freight Car (loaded with any Crates). 6. Your small Freight Car (only if it carries at least one of the Major's Crates).

If, after completing the full loading or movement sequence, not all indicated crates or trains were handled, repeat the entire process once more in the same priority order. Do not repeat it more than once. If loading or movement is not possible, ignore the action or any remaining part of it.

Important: Most Solo Action Cards show a Load action first and a Move action second. A double arrow between them means that if Major Banerjee can load at least half of the indicated crates (rounded up), you perform the Load action first, then the Move action. If he cannot load the minimum number of crates, perform the Move action first, then load as many crates as possible afterward.

Major Banerjee will always move or merge with a train if it is his own or if it carries any of his crates. When applying the Priority Rules, treat any merged trains as a medium-sized Freight Car. Remember that Major Banerjee will split merged trains when they enter a junction if they are pulling only your Freight Cars carrying your crates.

Since there are two small Freight Cars, follow these rules: when loading crates, if both are available, you choose which one to load; when moving trains, if both are available, move the one closest to its destination station; if there's still a tie, the player chooses which one moves.

End of the Round (Solo)

Perform the same steps as you usually would, with the following changes for Major Banerjee:

a. Evaluate Shipping Zone: Apply the Player Order rule; in case of a tie on the Cargo Ships, keep the same order as before. The Major does NOT receive a Deal marker.

b. Collect Money from Deliveries: The Major does NOT receive any Rupees.

c. Adjust the Market: Major Banerjee's Market markers also move down to the lowest-valued position among them.

d. Invest Money: If Major Banerjee goes first, place an Investment disc for him first, then alternate placing three discs between him and the player, following the Investment Priority: always choose the leftmost available space, starting from the row with 4 Investment discs, then 3, 2, and finally 1. For example, if Major Banerjee places his first marker in the row with 3 discs, his next will go in the 2-disc row, and so on. Major Banerjee never places a disc on top of another disc, though you may.

At the start of Round 2, shuffle the six Round-2 cards together with the two remaining Round-1 cards, place the deck face down, and draw one card on the Major's turn.

End of the Game (Solo)

At the end of the game, score as normal and compare your results with the Solo Rankings Card:

• 285 VP — Titan of Industry: You've built an empire worthy of history—fortune, fame, and legacy secured.
• 260 VP — Master of Commerce: Your network dominates the trade routes; rivals whisper your name with awe.
• 235 VP — Renowned Magnate: A respected player in Bengal's booming economy—success runs on your rails.
• 210 VP — Rising Industrialist: Your ventures are taking off, and your name is starting to carry weight.
• 185 VP — Apprentice Tycoon: You've laid the first tracks of your empire—a modest but promising start.

Rivals Variant

If you'd like a bit more of a challenge, you can add a Rival Tile at the start of your solo game. Randomly draw one Rival Tile and place it in the upper right corner of the Solo Board. You'll now need to beat the Major's target score, and he will also begin the game with a specific advantage during setup:

• Setup: Major Banerjee starts Rounds 1 and 2 with a Crate on Ship III. Score to beat: 260 VP.
• Setup: Major Banerjee starts with all three of his Market markers in the value-4 row. Score to beat: 260 VP.
• Setup: Add a second Large Freight Car for Major Banerjee, placing it in the opposite city from his first. When following the Priority list, this new Freight Car is placed immediately after his original Large Freight Car and before the player's Large Freight Car. Score to beat: 210 VP.
• Setup: Major Banerjee starts with Investment markers on the 40 and 24 spaces of the Investment grid. Score to beat: 235 VP.
• Setup: Remove both topmost white Performance Bonus tokens and both bottommost red ones. Score to beat: 210 VP.
• Setup: Remove the Western Agencies from the game. If you would win one, choose another Agency of your choice. Score to beat: 235 VP.

Solo Campaign Mode

For those seeking an even greater challenge, you can play Movers & Shakers in Solo Campaign Mode. In this mode, you'll play three consecutive games, each with specific victory conditions and goals to complete.

Place the Solo Campaign Board next to the Solo Board. Shuffle all six Goal tiles and place them on the campaign board. Your objective is to win all three solo sessions, meeting the required score thresholds and completing at least one available goal in each game.

• Game 1: Score at least 210/220 VP and complete one of the three available goals.
• Game 2: Score at least 230 VP and complete one of the remaining goals (one or two may still be available, depending on your chosen path).
• Game 3: Score at least 245 VP and complete the final goal.

After the first game, choose your path based on the goal achieved: leftmost continues left, rightmost continues right, and middle lets you choose. Once chosen, you must follow that path for the rest of the campaign, as indicated on the campaign board.

You lose the campaign if you fail to meet either the score requirement or the goal condition in any game.

Tip: use a Crate of your colour to mark your progress on the Solo Campaign board.

The six Campaign Goals are: finish with all three Market markers at value 10; reach value 10 in at least three different assets; end the game with at least seven discs on the Investment track; be first during the Ship Phase in both rounds; finish the game with eight completed Deals; and deliver at least 15 Crates in total by train across the whole game (not 15 per round)—keep the Crates you delivered in Round 1 separate to keep track of this goal.