
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,919
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Traders of the Air
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020

2002
Rules assistance for Station Manager
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.
Station Manager is a board game released in 2002 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Michael Schacht and its main mechanics are Take That, Set Collection, and Pick-up and Deliver.
Station Manager is one of three Spiele aus Timbuktu games with a common train theme, along with Crazy Race and Mogul. The boxes even fit together to make a common picture. Business is thriving in the switching yard. Players load freight from around the world onto their trains to fulfill certain orders from businessmen. If you are successful you gain profit, but beware. If someone fulfills the same order later in the game, they can steal away your profit. As more and more trains leave the switching yard, the closer you get to the end of the game.
Station Manager 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 Station Manager is 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 Station Manager for ages 8 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.
Station Manager has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Station Manager belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Trains. Its main mechanics are Take That, Set Collection, 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 Station Manager are: Michael Schacht. 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 Station Manager 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.