Transorient Express Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Game Turn
  • Mandatory action
  • Optional action
  • End of the turn
• End of the Round
• End of the Game
• 2-Player Game
• Example Game
• Destination Cards
• Luggage Cards
• Objective Cards
  • Visa cards (1 to 6)
  • Route cards (13 to 18)
  • Season cards (7 to 12)
• Summary
  • Destination Cards
  • Luggage Cards
  • Objective Cards

Contents

• 72 Destination cards
• 16 mini Luggage cards
• 18 mini Objective cards (3 types: Route, Visa & Season)
• 1 bag (for drawing random train tokens)
• 50 Train tokens in 5 assorted colors (10 of each)
• 1 Stationmaster token

Object of the Game

In Transorient Express, you collect Destination cards by paying their cost in Train tokens.

When a player has 7 cards in front of them, the game finishes at the end of the round and the player with the most Victory Points wins the game.

Setup

Number of players	2	3	4
Number of columns	5	4	5

1. Put all the trains in the bag.
2. Give every player 2 random trains to begin the game. Each player's pile of trains should be visible to all players at all times.
3. Form the Central Station: shuffle the Destination cards and make 2 rows of face-up cards according to the number of players, as shown in the table. Put the rest of the cards in a pile face down next to them.
4. Put 3 random trains under each column.
5. Draw 1 random card of each type of Objective card and lay these 3 cards face up so everyone can see them.
6. Shuffle the Luggage cards and put the pile face down in reach of all players.
7. The last person to travel on a train takes the Stationmaster token and begins the first round.

Gameplay

On your turn, you MUST first take a Destination card from the bottom row or take a pile of trains from under the first row and put them into your personal store.

Then, you MAY play one of your Destination cards from your hand in front of you by paying its cost in trains, which may trigger certain effects.

The game is played in a series of rounds. During a round, play moves clockwise as each player takes their turn, until there is only one card left in the bottom row of the Central Station.

In a 2-player game, each player takes 2 turns (see 2-player section); with 3-4 players, each player takes only one turn.

The bottom row of Destination cards are the cards you can take during this turn. The cards in the top row are cards that will be available in the next round.

Each player takes their turn, beginning with the player with the Stationmaster token.

Game Turn

Mandatory action

On your turn, you MUST choose ONE (and only one) mandatory action from the following:

• Choose a Destination card from the bottom row of the Central Station
• Choose one of the piles of trains from the Central Station

After taking their mandatory action, the first player in each round must put the First Player token into one of the remaining columns.

If you choose to take one of the Destination cards, put it into your hand for free, then put all the trains that were under that card back into the bag.

Remember, you can only have 2 Destination cards in your hand at the end of your turn.

If you choose to take one of the piles of trains, put them into your personal store and then discard the Destination card that was above them.

Remember, you can only have 5 train tokens in your store at the end of your turn (unless a card says otherwise).

In either case, do not replace the card or the trains straight away.

On each of the following turns, there will be one fewer Destination card/Trains set to choose from. When the last player has taken their turn, there will only be one column left.

After the first player's turn, if the Stationmaster token is in the column you chose, take it and put it in your personal store.

Optional action

After taking your mandatory action, you MAY play ONE (and only one) Destination card from your hand:

• Pay its cost in trains by putting them back in the bag;
• Put the Destination card in front of you next to your other Destination cards, arranging them however you want; (you can play the same destination more than once);
• If a card has an effect, apply it immediately.

You can choose to play the card you've just taken, or to keep it for a later turn.

End of the turn

If you have more than 2 Destination cards in your hand, discard until you have only 2.

If you have more than 5 Train tokens in your store, put any extra back in the bag.

Certain Destination card effects allow you to keep more than 5 Train tokens at the end of the turn!

If there are at least 2 cards in the first row of the Central Station, then play moves clockwise to the next player. If there is only one card, then the round ends.

End of the Round

Players continue taking turns until there is only one full column left, which signals the end of the round.

Then, do the following:

• Add a train drawn at random to the remaining pile.
• If the Stationmaster token has not been taken (3 or 4 player game), this returns to its previous owner.
• Slide the cards in the top row of the Central Station down to the empty slots in the first row.
• Now fill the empty top row with new Destination cards.
• Place new piles of 3 trains under each new card in the first row.
• Begin a new round with the player who has the Stationmaster token.

(See example on page 8.)

End of the Game

The game ends when a player plays a 7th Destination card in front of them. The current round finishes, and the game ends.

Each player then reveals their Luggage cards.

Add up each player's Victory Points:

• Check each Objective card and note the points for each
• Add up the points from your Destination & Luggage cards.

The player with the most Victory Points wins the game!

If there is a tie, the player with the most passport symbols wins. If the scores are still tied, those players share the victory!

2-Player Game

In a 2-player game, the cards are laid out in 5 columns like in a 4-player game, but each player takes 2 turns each round instead.

The first player takes a turn, then the second player takes two turns, then the first player takes their last turn.

The Stationmaster token isn't put into the Central Station but is instead passed directly to the next player. This way, each player has an opportunity to begin a round.

The rest of the rules stay the same.

In this version of the game up to 8 Destination cards can be played before the game ends.

Scan the QR code on the bottom of the box to download a score sheet.

Example Game

Franz is the first player. He chooses the pile of trains in the 2nd column and discards the corresponding Destination card. He then puts his Stationmaster token in the 4th column and chooses not to take his optional action.

At the end of his turn, he has 6 trains and puts one back in the bag.

Next, it's Clément's turn, and he chooses the Destination card in the 1st column and puts the trains underneath it back into the bag. He then plays a Destination card from his hand and its effect allows him to draw two Luggage cards, keep one, and discard the other.

Romain chooses the Destination card from the 4th column, takes the Stationmaster token, and puts the trains underneath the card back into the bag without playing a Destination card.

Finally, Laëtitia chooses to take the trains from the 5th column, and discards the corresponding Destination card. She plays a Destination card from her hand which will give her Victory Points at the end of the game.

The only column left is the 3rd column. The players add a random train from the bag to that column's pile and fill up the empty spaces with cards from the top row, then draw new cards to replace them. Finally, they add new piles of trains underneath any cards in the bottom row with an empty space.

The next round begins with Romain, who picked up the Stationmaster token.

Destination Cards

Each card shows its number and color (for example, the Middle East no. 5, green), its train cost (for example 2 green, 1 red), its Victory Points (1 point at the end of the game), and a card effect (for example: permanently reduces the cost of future cards by 1 red train).

• Destination cards can only be picked up during a mandatory action.
• You can only have 2 in your hand at the end of your turn. If you have 3, discard one by putting it at the bottom of the Destination card pile.
• You can only play one Destination card during your optional action by paying its cost. Apply the card's effects.

Luggage Cards

Luggage cards can only be picked up by playing Destination cards with a Luggage icon. Then, draw two Luggage cards without showing them to other players, choose one and put the other at the bottom of the Luggage card pile.

Keep your Luggage cards face down until the end of the game. You can look at your cards at any time.

Objective Cards

You draw 3 random Objective cards at the start of the game, which are the objectives for all players. Each Objective card can only be scored once.

Visa cards (1 to 6)

Score Victory Points based on the number of Passport icons on your Destination and Luggage cards. Some objectives are independent of other players, while others depend on your ranking.

Route cards (13 to 18)

Score Victory Points based on the sets of Destination cards in your collection. Sets must always begin with a 1. For example, a set of cards with only the numbers "4, 5, 6, 7" wouldn't count.

Season cards (7 to 12)

Score Victory Points based on the combinations of Destination card colors collected by each player. Can only be scored once.

If players are tied for a score on a ranked Objective card, each tied player scores the corresponding points, and the others score their points as normal for their ranking.

Summary

Destination Cards

• X Victory Points (from 1 to 12). Also available on Luggage cards.
• Reduces the cost of playing a Destination card by 1 green train (available for each color, stackable).
• Increases the number of trains that can be kept at the end of the turn by 1 (stackable).
• Passport icon: counted for Objective cards. Also available on Luggage cards.
• Draw 2 Luggage cards, keep one face down and put the other on the bottom of the Luggage draw pile.
• X Victory Points per green card (available for each color).
• X Victory Points per Passport symbol.
• At the end of the game, count as any numbered Destination card to complete a set.
• At the end of the game, count as any color Destination card.

Luggage Cards

Also available on Luggage cards (see above): X Victory Points per Luggage card.

Objective Cards

• X Victory Points if the combination is achieved (can only be scored once).
• Ranking medals from 1st to 3rd.
• Players score for the longest series of consecutive numbers beginning with 1, with the player with the longest receiving the top score, and so on.
• Players score individually for the longest set of consecutive numbers they have completed. Each set must begin with a 1. E.g. 1-2 = 2 VP, 1-5 = 6 VP, 1-7 = 9 VP.