
- BGG rank
- BGG #137
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Age of Steam
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2002

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

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Railways of Antarctica is an expansion for Railways of the World released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Joe Holliday and Don Lynch and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, and Pick-up and Deliver.
A 9" x 12" map of Antarctica, created by the EGG staff, for use with the ICE trains included in the Railways of Nippon Kickstarter. A contest was held to select the best rules, and the winning rule set was published on the Railways of Nippon Kickstarter page.
Railways of Antarctica supports 2–4 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 Railways of Antarctica is 90–120 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 Railways of Antarctica for ages 12 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.
Railways of Antarctica belongs to these categories: Trains, Transportation, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Network and Route Building, and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Railways of Antarctica are: Joe Holliday and Don Lynch. 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 Railways of Antarctica as an expansion for Railways of the World. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Railways of the World to use it. Check that your edition of Railways of the World is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.