Components
8-piece-gameb
oard
4 Pawns
Introduction
32 Cubes 12 meeples
The construction of a subway has ended up being a mess. The stations are connected by a maze of rails and the train navigation system is not yet ready. All switches are controlled manually.
4 trains 12 cards 1 Sandtimer
You sit in a control room, and you are responsible for one train. If your train is faster than the others, you win the game.
Rules
Metro Mess is about finding the best routes, and setting the switches to your own advantage. It sounds easy, but when things get complicated, you need to improvise‌ And fast.
Basic rules
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Number of players: 2-4 2 3
Game time: 20 minutes
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Setup 1. Connect the L-shaped gameboard pieces with the green edged side facing up. The four square gameboard pieces are then placed randomly in the middle. Make sure they have their 2x2 grid side facing up.
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2. Each switch is marked with a small square. Place a cube for each square in the same colour as the square. The colour of the cube indicates which rails a train follows. 3. Place three meeples and a train on each station in the same color as the station. 4. Each participant chooses a metro train they are responsible for. Also, put a pawn on the speed scale next to 2 in the same colour as the player’s train. The participant who last ended up at a wrong place with a public transport, starts the game.
Winning the game The first train that picks up one meeple from each of the other stations and returns to its own station is the winner of the game.
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Players take alternate turns in counterclockwise order. When it is your turn you do the following:
The safety systems secure that two trains can never be in the same space, unless the two trains are not directly connected by rail segments.
1. Change switches. You may swap two cubes on the gameboard. 2. You must either move your train forward according to the speed of your train (2-4) and optionally adjust the speed one step up or down afterwards. OR Change the direction of your train and set the speed to 2.
Stations Your train always stops when it arrives at a station, unless it is pushed past it by another train. Pick up a meeple if you don’t already have one in that color and place it on an empty meeple slot near your station. Then your turn ends. In the following round, the speed is 2, and it is up to you which way the train moves. If your train ends on a station because it was pushed there by another train, you may pick up a meeple.
• If two trains meet head-on, The active player’s train pushes the other in front of it, thus changing its direction. • If a train meets another train from behind, it will be pushed forward by the active player’s train. • If a train makes contact from the side, it is the active player’s train that changes direction and stops. Speed is always two after a train switches direction.
How can a train switch direction on the track?
Train speed
It is not actually what happens. The trains can go in both directions, so it is only to show the direction that the train pieces have a front and back.
The speed of a train always starts at 2 and can go up to a maximum of 4.
What happens if your train pushes another train into the side of a third train?
NOMINEE
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The third train stays where it is, while the other two change direction.
PROVED
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When two trains meet:
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The game turn
WINNER
2014
Expert rules Number of players: 2-4 Game time: 45 minutes The expert rules are the same as the basic rules but with added options and possibilities.
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Setup 1. Connect the L-shaped gameboard pieces with the orange edged side facing up. The four square gameboard pieces are then placed randomly in the middle. Make sure they have their 3x3 grid side facing up. 2. Each switch is marked with one or two small squares. Place a cube for each square in the same colour as the square. 3. Place three meeples and a train on each station in the same color as the station.
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4. Each participant chooses a metro train they are responsible for. Also, put a pawn on the speed scale next to 2 in the same colour as the player’s train. 5. All help cards are shuffled and each player draws one card. The participant who last ended up at a wrong place with a public transport, starts the game.
The game turn Players take alternate turns. When it is your turn you do the following:
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Raise the sandtimer. It’s up to you which way you raise it. This gives you somewhere between 45 and 90 seconds.
Use as many of your help cards as you want to. Cards take effect immediately. Discard after use.
Change switches. You may swap two single cubes on the gameboard OR move one cube from a double to a single cube in the same colour.
Lie down the sand timer. If it ran out - your card actions and switch manuever are cancelled. The cards are not discarded.
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You must either move your train forward according to the speed of your train (2-4) and may adjust the speed one step up or down afterwards. OR Change the direction of the train and set the speed to 2.
Pick up the sandtimer horizontally and pass it on to the next player counterclockwise.
Help cards During the game, you can get some extra help from your boss by using help cards. Using the help cards is optional. You start with one card, and get more along the way, when passing certain spaces on the game board. You cannot posses more than two cards at any one time. When using a help card, the action takes place immediately. Extra speed. Move instantly your train two steps forward.
If there are no more cards left in the deck, mix the discard pile, and use them.
Make an extra switch maneuver.
Special spaces Some spaces have a black ’+’ mark. Here trains go extra fast, and they pass straight across the space without it counting as a move. If your train is pushed into a +space by another train, yours will not be moved extra. You cannot turn, on a +space.
When entering a space with a help card symbol, you may draw a help card from the deck. This also applies if you are just passing the space, or if you are pushed across. If you already have two cards, you must discard one after drawing a new card.
The train stops and changes direction when entering and end track. Speed is set to 2.
Locked switches Some switches have two cubes of the same colour on them. It takes two switch maneuvers to change such a switch. First one cube must be moved to another space with a single cube in the same color. 2 Secondly the cube left must be swapped with another in the other colour.
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4 More about this game:
norskergames.com
facebook.com/norskergames
Thank you... Game testers: Asger Sams Granerud, Mads L. Brynnum, Ole Steiness, Daniel SP, Simon, Johannes Sjolte, Sune Kliborg Lynge, Simon Uhl Nielsen, Steffen Nielsen, Christian Hviid Mortensen, Morten Weilbach, Troels Vastrup, Steven Gjelstrup Poulsen, Steffen Kornelius Jørgensen, Christian Toft Hansen, Carsten Tune Petersen, Jonatan Dyre, Niels Langager Ellegaard, Amilia Noiyano Zedeler, Michael Zedeler, Jost L. Hansen. Ryan Rohde Hougaard for feedback on rules. Michala Brechling for proof reading. Peter Brichs for proof reading english intro. Anne KK for proof reading english rules.