- BGG rank
- BGG #8,388
- BGG rating
- 6.8
20th Century Limited
- 2–5 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,201
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Orient Express
2017
Rules assistance for Orient Express
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 45–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.6/5
Rules assistant for Orient Express
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Orient Express is a board game released in 2017 for 2–5 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Jeff Horger and Carla Horger and its main mechanics are Network and Route Building.
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About the game
Europe is a continent that is both insular by nation, yet hopelessly entangled economically as a whole. You have decided to be a part of the growing railroad boom. All over the continent, rails are needed to connect disparate regions for business and recreation. As your lines cover more ground, it is likely that they be coveted by the very governments you have chosen to support. Eventually they will nationalize your work. Of course you will be well rewarded, but your company will have to start all over in new locations to keep moving ahead. Victory will come to those most able to merge the private and public demands. You may be the mogul that creates the Orient Express, but eventually all of your hard work will become property of the people. Orient Express is the sequel to 20th Century Limited. Players create passenger routes or some of the most famous railroads of Europe. When Regional Company routes are scored, they are removed from the board as those routes have been nationalized. The game is very flexible, allowing players to choose which regions to build in and which ones to connect.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
Orient Express supports 2–5 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 Orient Express is 45–90 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 Orient Express for ages 14 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.
Orient Express has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Orient Express belongs to these categories: Trains. Its main mechanics are 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 Orient Express are: Jeff Horger and Carla Horger. 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 Orient Express 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.