Components

• 1 Game Board

• 54 Price & Production Cards

• 27 Town Cards

• 12 Railroad Cards

• 24 Building Cards

• 200 Commodity Tokens (Coal, Wheat, Wood, Iron, Goods, Luxury)

• 8 Railroads Bonus Tiles

• 30 Money Tokens (various denominations)

• 4 Reference Cards

• 4 Player Markers
  

Setup

1. Game Board: Place the game board in the center of the table.

2. Price & Production Cards: Shuffle and place the deck face-down next to the game board.

3. Town Cards: Shuffle and place the town cards deck face-down next to the game board.

4. Railroad Cards: Shuffle and place the railroad cards deck face-down next to the game board.

5. Building Cards: Shuffle and place the building cards deck face-down next to the game board.

6. Commodity Tokens: Place all commodity tokens in separate piles near the game board.

7. Money Tokens: Place money tokens in a bank near the game board.

8. Player Markers: Each player selects a color and takes the corresponding player marker.

9. Initial Market Setup: Draw the top five Price & Production cards and place them face-up in the market area of the game board.
   

Gameplay

The game is played over several rounds, with each player taking a turn in clockwise order. On your turn, you can perform one of the following actions:

1. Production:

   • Play a Price & Production card from your hand.

   • Produce the commodities shown on the card and place them in your storage area.

   • Adjust the market prices for the produced commodities according to the card.

2. Sell Commodities:

   • Sell one type of commodity from your storage to the market.

   • Receive money based on the current market price for the sold commodities.

   • Adjust the market price downward for the sold commodities.

3. Town Development:

   • Purchase a town card from the market by paying the required commodities.

   • Each town card provides victory points and may have special abilities.

4. Railroad Development:

   • Purchase a railroad card from the market by paying the required money.

   • Each railroad card provides victory points and may have special abilities.

5. Building Development:

   • Purchase a building card from the market by paying the required money.

   • Buildings provide various benefits, such as production bonuses or victory points.

6. Auction:

   • Start an auction for a railroad card.

   • All players may bid on the railroad card, with the highest bidder winning the card.

   • Pay the winning bid to the bank and take the railroad card.
     

End of Game

The game ends when one of the following conditions is met:

• The town card deck is depleted.

• The railroad card deck is depleted.
  

Scoring

Players tally their victory points from the following:

• Town cards: Points as indicated on each card.

• Railroad cards: Points as indicated on each card.

• Building cards: Points as indicated on each card.

• Bonus points for having the most of each type of railroad.
  

Tips and Strategies

• Balance Production and Selling: Efficiently manage your commodities to maximize profits.

• Timing Auctions: Carefully choose when to initiate auctions to secure valuable railroad cards.

• Building Benefits: Invest in buildings that complement your strategy and provide long-term benefits.