
Paperclip Railways: Boardgame Guru
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- 2011

2011
Rules assistance for Paperclip Railways
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Paperclip Railways is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Tony Boydell and its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Network and Route Building.
"The fasten-ating railway game where the trains are stationery" In Paperclip Railways, players initially lay out a fantasy landscape in which to build railway stations; these stations give in- and end-game bonuses and are connected by customizable lengths of track made from paperclips! Players score for the stations they build from and to, and for how long their railway links are and, at the end of the game, for various achievements. The player with the most victory points is declared the winner.
Paperclip Railways 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 Paperclip Railways is 45 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 Paperclip Railways 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.
Paperclip Railways has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Paperclip Railways belongs to these categories: Card Game, Territory Building, and Trains. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement 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 Paperclip Railways are: Tony Boydell. 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 Paperclip Railways 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.