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Ruhrschifffahrt 1769-1890
- 2–4 players
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The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade
2017
Rules assistance for The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Thomas Spitzer and its main mechanics are Track Movement, Pick-up and Deliver, and Action Drafting.
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About the game
In The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade, the second game of Thomas Spitzer's historic coal trilogy, you are transported to the Ruhr region in the 18th century, at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Coal, after being discovered in Haspelknecht, is in high demand as cities and factories throughout the region are in need of this coveted resource. The Ruhr river presented a convenient route of transportation from the coal mines. However, the Ruhr was filled with obstacles and large dams, making it incredibly difficult to navigate. Trade coal for valuable upgrades and plan your route to victory along the Ruhr! In more detail, the players transport and sell coal to cities and factories along the Ruhr river in the 18th and 19th centuries. By selling coal to cities and factories, players acquire unique progress markers. In the beginning, players have access only to low value coal. By selling coal to certain locations, players gain access to high value coal. In addition to selling coal, the players build warehouses, build locks, and export coal to neighboring countries in the pursuit of the most victory points. This game, an updated version of Ruhrschifffahrt 1769-1890, includes the standalone expansion The Ohio: 1811-1861. In this game, players transport and trade goods along the Ohio River during a time when Ohio was granted statehood and became heavily populated as its industries flourished. The Ohio is played in a manner similar to The Ruhr, but with new and additional elements.
Designers
Publishers
- Capstone Games
Questions and answers
The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade 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 The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade is 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 The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade 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.
The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade has a complexity rating of 3.7 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.
The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade belongs to these categories: Economic, Nautical, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Track Movement, Pick-up and Deliver, and Action Drafting. 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 The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade are: Thomas Spitzer. 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 The Ruhr: A Story of Coal Trade 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.