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- BGG #1,254
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Irish Gauge
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2014
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- BGG #8,599
- BGG rating
- 6.8
The Soo Line
2018
Rules assistance for The Soo Line
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for The Soo Line
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Soo Line is a board game released in 2018 for 3–5 players and 45 minutes per game. It was designed by Amabel Holland and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Ownership, and Network and Route Building.
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About the game
THE SOO LINE is a train game set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As in many such games, the players invest in railroad companies, building track to increase the company’s income and paying dividends to the shareholders. And as in several of Amabel Holland’s railroad games, track-leasing and cooperation is required to get past high build costs, strict hex limits, and tight cube supplies. Here’s the thing, though: this is a weird game. For one thing, there are only three railroads to invest in, and the majority shareholder makes all decisions when a company operates. This means that when playing with four or five, some players will not be running companies themselves, and will need to rely on savvy investments to stay competitive. Included in these investments are five Private Companies. Privates are seeded with goods at the start of the game and pay a fixed income each round, and each time a railroad delivers goods. Once their goods are gone, the Private closes and the owner derives no further benefit. If a railroad withholds money instead of paying dividends, its share value drops, sometimes drastically. Given enough time, the stock values for all three railroads will tank - the trick is to end the game before that happens, and when you have the most valuable portfolio. As is usually the case in these kinds of things, the winner is the player with the most money - cash on hand plus the value of your stocks. (Note, however, that no play money is provided. If you don’t have poker chips, greenbacks will do in a pinch and make the game very interesting.) Also, there is a cat on the priority deal card.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hollandspiele
Questions and answers
The Soo Line supports 3–5 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 The Soo Line 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 Soo Line has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
The Soo Line belongs to these categories: Economic and Trains. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Ownership, 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 The Soo Line are: Amabel Holland. 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 Soo Line 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.