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30 Rails
2016
Rules assistance for 30 Rails
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 20–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.7/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for 30 Rails
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
30 Rails is a board game released in 2016 for 1–8 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Julian Anstey and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Network and Route Building.
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About the game
A pencil and paper game of building railway networks for one or more players. 30 Rails is played on a 6 x 6 grid of squares. First, each player draws mountains, a mine and four stations on their sheet. The game then consists of thirty turns which will fill the remainder of the grid with track. Each turn two dice are rolled. One die will determine which track type is placed, the other gives constraints as to where the track can be placed. The winner is the player who can connect most stations to each other, and to the mine. The advanced game adds shares. Players are required to buy shares in any particular line in order to score for it, but choosing the right moment to do so gives flexibility to track placement. Designed for the 2016 One Page PNP Contest
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
30 Rails supports 1–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 30 Rails is 20–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 30 Rails for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
30 Rails has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
30 Rails belongs to these categories: Print & Play and Trains. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Network and Route Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 30 Rails are: Julian Anstey. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 30 Rails as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.