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Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition

Horrible Guild · 2018
1–620–30 min8+ yrs1.5/5 complexity7.1 BGG#641 BGG23,8 KPartyCouplesFamily
short answer

How do you play Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition?

The primary objective in Railroad Ink is to build the most efficient and extensive transportation network possible. Players strive to connect as many of the red exit points situated along the edges of the grid as they can into a single, massive route network. Additionally, you want to fill in the central 3x3 square area of your map as completely as possible, as well as create the longest continuous highway and railroad routes, while avoiding unfinished dead-end segments that subtract points at the end of the game.

To find the best price for Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

FromRON 99
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition box art
official art · Horrible Guild
the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
🧩
01

Setup

Give each player a wipe-clean grid map, a marker, and place the four white route dice nearby.

The rules, step by step

Setup
Setting up a game of Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is extremely fast and simple. Each player takes a wipe-clean player mat and a dry-erase marker. Place the four standard white route dice in a central rolling tray or area accessible to everyone. The game is designed to be played over seven distinct rounds, tracked directly on the player sheets. Optional expansions like Rivers or Lakes add extra dice and rules, but the base game only requires the four route dice and your personal map sheet, making cleanup and setup almost instantaneous.
Objective
The primary objective in Railroad Ink is to build the most efficient and extensive transportation network possible. Players strive to connect as many of the red exit points situated along the edges of the grid as they can into a single, massive route network. Additionally, you want to fill in the central 3x3 square area of your map as completely as possible, as well as create the longest continuous highway and railroad routes, while avoiding unfinished dead-end segments that subtract points at the end of the game.
On your turn
Gameplay unfolds over seven rounds. At the start of each round, a player rolls the four white route dice, which feature various road, railway, station, and crossing symbols. Every player must draw all four rolled dice onto their individual player grids during that round. In addition to the standard dice, players can choose up to three times per game to draw one of the special central route tiles shown at the top of the board, though only one special tile can be used per turn, and each can only be selected once.
Scoring
Scoring is calculated at the end of the seventh round using the scoring track on your player mat. You earn points based on the size of your single largest connected network of exits. You also gain points for every square filled within the central 3x3 zone, points for your longest highway and longest railway, and bonus points for central special squares. From this total, you subtract penalty points for any unfinished route ends that fail to connect to an edge exit or board edge.
Game end
The game concludes immediately after the seventh round is played and all players have finished drawing their final dice results onto their maps. There is no trigger based on points or board completion; the round tracker strictly dictates the duration. Once the seventh round is drawn, players immediately proceed to the scoring phase, tallying their networks, center squares, longest routes, and deductions to determine the final winner.
Tips
To maximize your score, always plan ahead and try to keep your routes open-ended rather than boxing them in too early. Keep track of your special tiles and use them wisely when the dice roll unfavorable results. Pay close attention to dead ends, as leaving routes dangling without reaching the board edge or an exit will cost you valuable negative points during final scoring. Connecting multiple edge exits into one network yields exponentially higher points than keeping them isolated.
game anatomy
Complexity1.5 / 5
BGG rating7.1 / 10
Vibe
PartyCouplesFamily
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
🌐 plays without English
Play time
20–30 min
Players
1–6
Recommended age
8+ yrs
BGG rank
#641
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1What is the goal of the game?
The primary objective in Railroad Ink is to build the most efficient and extensive transportation network possible. Players strive to connect as many of the red exit points situated along the edges of the grid as they can into a single, massive route network. Additionally, you want to fill in the central 3x3 square area of your map as completely as possible, as well as create the longest continuous highway and railroad routes, while avoiding unfinished dead-end segments that subtract points at the end of the game.
Q2How do you set up the game?
Setting up a game of Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is extremely fast and simple. Each player takes a wipe-clean player mat and a dry-erase marker. Place the four standard white route dice in a central rolling tray or area accessible to everyone. The game is designed to be played over seven distinct rounds, tracked directly on the player sheets. Optional expansions like Rivers or Lakes add extra dice and rules, but the base game only requires the four route dice and your personal map sheet, making cleanup and setup almost instantaneous.
Q3How does a turn work?
Gameplay unfolds over seven rounds. At the start of each round, a player rolls the four white route dice, which feature various road, railway, station, and crossing symbols. Every player must draw all four rolled dice onto their individual player grids during that round. In addition to the standard dice, players can choose up to three times per game to draw one of the special central route tiles shown at the top of the board, though only one special tile can be used per turn, and each can only be selected once.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Scoring is calculated at the end of the seventh round using the scoring track on your player mat. You earn points based on the size of your single largest connected network of exits. You also gain points for every square filled within the central 3x3 zone, points for your longest highway and longest railway, and bonus points for central special squares. From this total, you subtract penalty points for any unfinished route ends that fail to connect to an edge exit or board edge.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes immediately after the seventh round is played and all players have finished drawing their final dice results onto their maps. There is no trigger based on points or board completion; the round tracker strictly dictates the duration. Once the seventh round is drawn, players immediately proceed to the scoring phase, tallying their networks, center squares, longest routes, and deductions to determine the final winner.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
To maximize your score, always plan ahead and try to keep your routes open-ended rather than boxing them in too early. Keep track of your special tiles and use them wisely when the dice roll unfavorable results. Pay close attention to dead ends, as leaving routes dangling without reaching the board edge or an exit will cost you valuable negative points during final scoring. Connecting multiple edge exits into one network yields exponentially higher points than keeping them isolated.
Q7How much does Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition cost?
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition costs around 99 RON in Romania.
Q8Where can I buy Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition cheapest?
The lowest price for Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition right now is 99 RON at Dragon Games. The Prices tab lists every store currently tracking it.
Q9How do you play Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition?
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is a dice game, for 1–6 players, taking ~20–30 minutes, featuring bingo. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition support?
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition is played by 1–6 players.
3 shops

All prices

3 shops · sorted by priceupdated today
Dragon GamesCHEAPESTEnglish edition 2018
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition (Limba Engleza)
free over RON 199
RON 99
The Guild HallEnglish edition 2018GLS Locker
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition - EN
RON 99
Buyout of stock
Regatul JocuriloreasyboxCultural voucher
Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition
RON 119
Buyout of stock
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Second-hand · from €15 · 1 listing
🚚 Free shipping over RON 199

Price history

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Price trend over the last 90 days: minimum 64 lei, maximum 119 lei, now 80 lei.

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