- BGG rating
- 8.1
Rail Barons of the World
- 1–6 players
- 45–120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2022
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Rules assistance for Railways of Australia
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60–120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Railways of Australia
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Railways of Australia is an expansion for Railways of Nippon released in 2022 for 2–6 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Randal Lloyd and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Network and Route Building.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #245
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Railways of the World
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #139
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Age of Steam
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #296
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Indonesia
- 2–5 players
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,023
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Tramways
- 1–5 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #955
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Imperial Steam
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #137
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Keyflower
- 2–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #366
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Great Zimbabwe
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,833
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Steam Power
- 1–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,963
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Terminus
- 1–5 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,120
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Akrotiri
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #352
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Steam
- 3–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,723
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Rolling Freight
- 2–5 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2012
About the game
In the late 19th century, railway expansion across Australia suffered from inconsistent rail gauges as the colonies could not agree upon a standard. This lack of planning meant that different rail gauges must meet up at a station for passengers and cargo to switch from one line to the next before continuing on their journey. This break of gauge creates new challenges in rail line efficiency and new headaches for aspiring Rail Barons! Railways of Australia is an expansion map for Railways of the World, designed for 2 to 6 players. You will need the pieces from the Railways of the World base game or the Railways of Nippon base game to play it. Railways of Australia is a large 2-6 player map. This map has several unique features: a new terrain type - towns; region borders; and rebound Railroad Operations cards. When built, a town becomes a Gray New City on the map. There are also Railroad Operations cards that automatically build each of the 10 towns on the map. Players cannot build across region borders unless connecting through a city, or using a 'Triple Gauge' Railroad Operations card. This expansion includes junction track tiles for use with the Switch Tracks mini expansion. These new track tiles display the 2 lines coming together in each configuration. Switch tokens are also included so that players can use the Switch Track mini expansion right out of the box. -description from publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Eagle-Gryphon Games
Questions and answers
Railways of Australia supports 2–6 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 Australia is 60–120 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 Australia 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.
Railways of Australia has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Railways of Australia belongs to these categories: Trains, Transportation, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, 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 Railways of Australia are: Randal Lloyd. 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 Australia as an expansion for Railways of Nippon. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Railways of Nippon to use it. Check that your edition of Railways of Nippon is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.