Game time: 30-50 minutes.
Number of players: 2-4
The aim of Trains is to win.
This game is so similar to Dominion, you might as well go and read what I wrote about it here
In order to make it a bit different to Dominion, trains also has a board to play on.
The two-sided board is made up of hexagonal spaces over a representation of a bit of Japan. Each space will contain either, grass, mountains, rivers or cities. Each city will contain either a number or 1-3 stations.
Players play cards as they would in Dominion with the extra benefit of laying rail as represented in highly detailed wooden cubes which look nothing at all like track and building stations in cities containing the station symbol and are represented as white plastic thingummies.
Unlike Dominion, there is no limit as to how many cards a player may buy or how many actions a player may perform with the 5 cards in their hand. Most building actions and Victory Point purchases result in the addition of useless Waste cards and turns can be forfitted in aid of emptying the current hand of all Waste cards.
Track can be laid anywhere that’s not sea as long as it’s adjacent to the player’s existing track but if it’s not on grass than added costs and penalties apply.
The game ends when 4 piles of cards are exhausted (not counting the Waste pile) or all the station pieces and used or all of a players cubic ‘track’ pieces are used.
Scoring can come from the Victory cards, certain cards during play, and ownership of cities with either the number in them or with the built stations.