Next Station: Paris
Next Station: Paris Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 1 pad with maps of Paris
- 4 different coloured pencils: orange, green, purple, and blue
- 11 Station cards: 6 Street cards (yellow background) and 5 Metro cards (blue and green background)
- 5 Shared Objective cards
- 8 City Gate cards
Main Rules
Goal of the Game
Score as many points as you can by optimising the routes of the 4 metro lines on your map of Paris.
Setup
- Take 1 Map of Paris sheet and 1 coloured pencil each and place them in front of you.
- In a 3 player game, place the remaining pencil on the table between 2 of the players. In a 2 player game, place 1 each of the 2 remaining pencils to the left of each player.
- Decide on a name for the network planner you'll be playing as, and write it in the blank box at the top of your sheet.
- The last player to have taken the metro is the controller for this round.
Map of Paris
Each sheet shows a map of the city of Paris where you will draw your metro lines to join up different stations, as well as a scoring area where you will keep track of your points.
Each metro station is represented by a symbol: Square, Triangle, Pentagon, Circle.
How to Play
The game is played over 4 rounds. You will be drawing a new metro line in a different colour each round. Each round, carry out the following phases in order:
- Identify your departure station
- Build your metro line
- Score points for your line
- Get ready to build the next metro line
1 — Identify your departure station
Your departure station, where you will begin to build this round's metro line, is the same colour as the pencil you are using in this round. Each player has a new departure station of their own each round.
Departure station for the player using the orange pencil for this round.
2 — Build your metro line
- The controller for the round shuffles the 11 Station cards together and places them face down in a pile in the centre of the table.
- This phase consists of several turns (between 5 and 10) according to the Station cards that are flipped over. Each turn, the controller flips over the Station card at the top of the pile so that it is face up. All players draw a metro section on their maps at the same time, in accordance with the Construction Rules.
- Drawing a section is always optional. If you can't or don't want to draw a section during a turn, ignore the Station card that has been flipped over.
- When the controller flips over the fifth Metro card (blue and green background), this signals the end of this phase. All players have the option to draw this last metro section, after which the phase ends.
3 — Score points for your line
Each metro line scores you points according to its route and the Parisian monuments it connects. In your scoring area, note down the points scored for your line: see Points Scored for Your Line.
4 — Get ready to build the next metro line
(Ignore this phase after the fourth round!)
Take the coloured pencil of the player on your right or, in a game with fewer than 4 players, take the pencil placed on your right.
- Play the next round with the pencil you have just taken to build a new metro line in this colour. The player sitting on the left of the controller for the previous round is the controller for this round.
End of the Game
The game ends when you have finished the fourth round, when all players have drawn their own network of 4 metro lines in different colours. Count up all the points scored by your Parisian metro network as follows:
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Points for the 4 lines: add together all the points scored by your 4 metro lines and write the total in the last blue box in your score line (the line of outlined totals boxes in the scoring area), to the right of the totals boxes for your individual line scores.
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Points for overhead crossings: in your network, find the overhead crossings your metro lines go through. Each crossing used once scores 2 points and each used twice scores 6 points. Write your total in the black box on your score line.
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Interchange station points: in your network, find all of your interchange stations and add up the points they score. Each interchange station connecting 2 lines scores 2 points, each station connecting 3 lines scores 5 points, and each station connecting 4 lines scores 9 points.
The central platform is also a station and can act as an interchange station between your metro lines.
Add up the points scored by each type of interchange station and write your total in the green box on your score line.
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Determine your final score by adding up the points scored by your 4 metro lines, the points scored by your overhead crossings, and the points scored by your interchange stations: write your total in the final box at the bottom right of your scoring area.
Example: Marie scored 134 points from her 4 metro lines. She also crossed 3 overhead crossings once (6 points) and 2 overhead crossings twice (12 points). Finally, she had 4 interchange stations connecting 2 lines (8 points), 1 interchange station connecting 3 lines (5 points), and 1 interchange station connecting 4 lines (9 points). She has a final score of 174 points for her entire Parisian metro network.
Final stop! Pencils down! The player with the highest final score wins the game and is named the best metro network planner in Paris.
In the case of a tie, the player with the highest score for a single metro line is declared the winner. If there is still a tie, the players involved share the victory for their brilliant planning!
Construction Rules
A metro line is made up of several sections joined end to end. A "section" is a line that connects 2 stations.
- To correctly draw a section, you must:
- connect 2 stations with a single straight line going horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, following the dotted grey lines laid out on the map.
- draw your first section starting at your departure station and ending at a station with the same symbol as shown on the card flipped over by the controller.
- start each new section from one end of your metro line.
- You may not:
- draw a section where there is no dotted grey line.
- change the direction of your line before reaching the next station.
- pass through a station to end your section at the next one.
- cross metro lines over each other, regardless of their colour (unless you are using an overhead crossing; see below).
- draw multiple sections between 2 stations, regardless of their colour.
- create a loop, i.e. go back through a station that is already part of the metro line you are building, including the central platform: see Special Stations.
Special Stations
Departure Stations: as well as being the starting points for your metro lines at the beginning of each round, these 4 stations can also be used as normal stations. They can be used as the start or end point of a section, as long as the controller has flipped over a card with the corresponding symbol.
Central Platform: this station has 4 symbols. This means that you can end any of your new metro sections here, regardless of the symbol on the card flipped over by the controller.
Each of your metro lines can connect to the central platform then leave it again via any dotted grey line connected to it.
Remember: you may not go back through a station that is already part of the metro line you are building, so each of your 4 metro lines can only pass through the central platform once.
Parisian Monument: each of the 8 monuments on the map of Paris acts as a station where you can start or end a metro section during a turn, regardless of the symbol shown on the card flipped over by the controller.
Each monument connected on your metro line scores you 2 points at the end of the round: see Points Scored for Your Line.
Overhead Crossings
Each of the 8 overhead crossings on the map of Paris allows you to cross 2 metro sections, one above the other, regardless of their colour.
Note: an overhead crossing is not a station, but a path for your metro section to travel on. Over the course of the game, you may be able to draw a section in each direction from the same overhead crossing.
The first time you use a crossing, you can draw your metro section either above or below the crossing, just make sure that it's going in the same direction as your section.
Drawing 2 sections of the same colour on an overhead crossing does not count as creating a loop.
Remember: you still may not cross metro sections in any other part of your network.
Special Cards
Free Entry or Guided Tour: when this card is flipped over by the controller, each player may choose to take one of the following actions during the turn:
- Free Entry: draw a metro section going to a station of your choice.
- or, Guided Tour: draw a section going to a monument and then draw a second section from this monument to a station of your choice.
Note: make sure to follow normal Construction Rules when drawing these sections.
Railway Switch: when the controller flips over this card, they immediately flip over the next Station card as well. The Railway Switch card gives all players the option to add a switch to their metro line by drawing their new section starting from any station on the line they are building.
If they do so, their metro line will now have a new end that they can use as a starting point for new sections until the end of the current round.
- Using the Railway Switch card is optional: if you can't or don't want to add an additional end to your line, then draw your new section this turn from one of the existing ends of your metro line.
- If the central platform is already part of the metro line you are building during this round, you can use the Railway Switch card to create an additional end starting from the central platform.
Note: you can't use a switch to create a loop on your metro line!
Example: the controller draws the Railroad Switch card and then flips over a Square card. Frank can choose from the 4 possibilities indicated by the arrows in the diagram to create a switch on his green metro line.
Interchange Stations
From the second round until the end of the game, you may have the option to create "interchange stations": stations that are part of multiple metro lines.
Each interchange station in your network scores you extra points at the end of the game, depending on how many metro lines it is on. See Interchange station points.
Note: overhead crossings are not stations, so they do not count as interchange stations.
The central platform is also a station so it can be part of all your metro lines.
Example: Simon created 3 interchange stations with his 2 orange and purple metro lines.
Points Scored for Your Line
Itinerary
The city of Paris is divided into 13 districts: 8 main districts each containing several stations and 5 secondary districts containing only 1 station each. 4 of the secondary districts are located in each of the 4 corners of the city and the fifth is located in the centre and contains the central platform.
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First count the number of districts through which your metro line passes: write down the number of districts in the corresponding box.
Remember: the central platform is considered its own district.
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Next identify the district in which your metro line passes through the largest number of stations. Write down the number of stations in the corresponding box.
Note: the central platform and each monument are counted as stations.
Remember: overhead crossings are not stations.
Parisian Monuments
Each monument on your metro line scores you 2 points. Multiply the number of monuments on your metro line by 2 and write the result in the corresponding box.
Total Points Scored by Your Metro Line
To calculate the total number of points scored by your line, multiply the number of districts your line passes through by the biggest number of stations your line passes through in a single district. Then add your points scored by the Parisian monuments.
Example: Marie passed through 7 different districts with her blue metro line. The largest number of connected stations within a single district on this line was 5 (district number 2). The 5 monuments on her line score 10 points. The total points scored by Marie's blue metro line is 45 points = (7 x 5) + 10.
Advanced Mode
You can play Next Station Paris in advanced mode by adding the Shared Objective cards, the City Gate cards, or a combination of the two.
Shared Objectives (5 cards)
Setup
- First set up the game as described in the base rules.
- Shuffle the 5 Shared Objective cards face down and place 2 of them at random face-up next to the pile of Station cards. Place the remaining Shared Objective cards back in the box.
How to Play
The 2 Shared Objective cards remain visible throughout the game. All players can attempt to fulfil either of these objectives, or both, over the course of the game's 4 rounds. Players receive 10 extra points during final scoring for each objective they achieve.
Shared Objective card details:
- Create a metro network (counting all of your lines) that has 3 (or more) interchange stations that each have 3 (or more) metro lines passing through them.
- Have 1 of your metro lines cross at least 7 districts of Paris.
- Create a metro network (counting all of your lines) that includes at least 6 Parisian monuments.
- Create a metro network (counting all of your lines) that contains at least 2 different overhead crossings that have been used twice (by any colour of line).
- Create a metro network (counting all of your lines) that passes through all the stations of 1 of the 8 districts.
Final Scoring
- During final scoring, for each Shared Objective that you achieved, cross off a "+10" box in the scoring area.
- Add 10 points per achieved objective to your total to get your final score.
City Gates: 4 Secondary District cards (red) and 4 Bonus cards (yellow)
Setup
- Set up the game as described in the base rules.
- Flip over the 4 Secondary district cards (red) and place them in a column in the centre of the table. Each card represents the station in 1 of the 4 secondary districts located in the corners of the city.
- Shuffle the 4 Bonus cards (yellow) face-down. Place 1 to the right of each of the Secondary district cards, then flip them face up. Each Bonus card is associated with the Secondary district card to its left for the duration of the game.
How to Play
When a player draws a section ending at the station represented on a Secondary district card, they can then activate the effect shown on the associated Bonus card.
- Each player can activate all 4 bonuses throughout the game, each time they end a section at the district station shown.
- The effect of the Bonus card is optional and instant: you can't save it for another turn.
- If a Bonus card effect allows you to end a section at the station of another secondary district, first activate the effect of the first Bonus card before activating the effect of the second Bonus card.
Bonus card details:
Railway Switch and Free Entry: immediately draw another section during this turn, from any station on the line you are building, to the station of your choice.
Double Free Entry: immediately draw 2 sections during this turn to the stations of your choice. For each of these sections, you can choose which end of your metro line you will draw the section from.
Double District: immediately circle the district you've just ended your section at with a dotted line. This indicates that this secondary district counts as 2 districts instead of 1 at the end of the round, when you count the points scored by this line.
This bonus is only valid when scoring the line built in this round.
Note: if you play with the Shared Objective card which requires you to cross at least 7 districts with 1 of your metro lines, this secondary district only counts as 1 district, rather than 2, when counting the number of districts crossed to achieve this objective.
Double Station: immediately circle a station of your choice on the metro line you are building with a dotted line. This indicates that this station counts as 2 instead of 1 at the end of the round, when counting the points scored by this line.
This bonus is only valid when scoring the line built in this round.
Note: you can't use this bonus to circle a special station.
Compatibility between Next Station London, Next Station Tokyo, and Next Station Paris
- You can play:
- Next Station Paris or Tokyo using the Pencil Power cards from the Next Station London game.
- Next Station Paris or London using the Special Station cards from the Next Station Tokyo game.
- Next Station London or Tokyo using the City Gate cards from the Next Station Paris game.
- Whichever combination you choose to play with, we recommend playing with just 1 of these 3 advanced add-ons at a time: in each case, refer to the rules for the add-on you're playing with.
- Note that each game has its own specific Shared Objective cards that match the layout of that particular city, so they can't be used with the other games.
Solo Mode
Next Station Paris also has a single-player mode.
Goal of the Game
Your goal is to optimise your network to achieve the highest score possible and to win the congratulations of the Mayor of Paris!
Setup
- Arrange the 4 coloured pencils in a random order in your play area.
- In this game mode, you can also choose to add the Shared Objective cards, the City Gate cards, or both. Arrange each add-on selected as indicated above.
How to Play
All the rules are identical to those of the base game. Follow the order of the pencils placed in your play area, from left to right, to decide the order in which you will build your metro lines.
Final Scoring
When you play with the Shared Objective cards, the City Gate cards, or with both, deduct 10 points from your final score for each add-on used.
Calculate your final score and gain the recognition of the Mayor of Paris based on how successful you were in your metro planning.
| Score | Result |
|---|---|
| ≤ 100 | FINAL STOP! The city of Paris thanks you but no luck this time! Play again to show them what you're really made of! |
| 101 < ... < 120 | Come on! It's time to get back on track. The city won't choose you with a network like that! |
| 121 < ... < 140 | Your project is finished but there were some problems during the design phase. You're not far from becoming a recognised network planner! |
| 141 < ... < 160 | A well-led project. Just a little more effort and you'll be the star of the metro network. |
| 161 < ... < 180 | Well done! Thanks to you, the Parisian metro is running like a charm. So efficient! |
| ≥ 181 | Congratulations, you did it! From now on, we'll call you Fulgence, after the civil engineer who constructed the Paris Métro! |
Credits
English Translation: Elizabeth Sexton and Lucy Galbraith for The Geeky Pen. © 2024 Blue Orange Edition. Next Station Paris and Blue Orange are trademarks of Blue Orange Edition, France. Game published and distributed under license by Blue Orange, 97 impasse Jean Lamour, 54700 Pont-à-Mousson, France. www.blueorangegames.eu