Take the Train
From: USPC Games
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Take the Train is a new Card Game from USPC Games.
Take the Trainis a sequencing card game where players lay numbered cards emanating from a Station to form Train Lines. It is a fairly simple game with interesting facets and familiar flow.
From the cover : “Fast Moving Fun!”
There are 58 cards – 48 Numbered Track Cards (12 of each color – green, blue, magenta, orange – numbered 1 to 12), 4 Stations Cards (one of each color), and 6 Specialty Cards (2 Free Ride cards, 2 End of the Line cards, 2 Transfer cards). Along with the cards are 100 Train Fare chips.
There are two ways to play – Basic and Advanced. The difference between Basic and Advanced is in Advanced, players use the Transfer cards. Otherwise the game flows the same.
Game set up starts with dealing cards. For 2 to 3 players, 13 cards are distributed to each player. For 4 to 6 players, each player gets 8 cards. The remaining cards are placed face down (in the storage tray if you want to use it) and are called the Conductor’s Hand. The Train Fares are then divided up equally.
The object of the game is to be the first one to run out of cards and have the most Train Fares. Players lose train fares if they do not have cards to play and they have to draw. They also lose fares when they are not the first to run out of cards – they pay one fare for every numbered card and 2 for every specialty. In the end, the player with the most fares wins. If someone runs out of fares in the middle of the game, the game ends and players score their hands right then.
In a sequence of play, a player has 4 options:
- Play a Station Card and any sequence up and down from that station
- Play a numbered Line Card along an existing Station/Line
- Play one Specialty Card
- Draw a card and pay a Train Fare
You start a line with a Station Card. If the first player does not have one, they pay a Fare and draw a card. When a Station is placed, a player can start a line up (7 to 12) or down (6 to 1) from the Station, matching the color with the Station color. You can place as many along the sequence as you have in your hand, but it has to be along one line and it has to be either along the sequence of 7 to 12 or 6 to 1.
Specialty Cards can be played instead of playing a numbered card. Free Ride cards acts as a Wild card for any of the numbers along a Line but if a player has the proper number for that sequence, they can take that card and replace the Free Ride card with it, and take the Free Ride card for himself. The trick is to get rid of the Free Ride card fast and not have it in your hand when someone runs out. The End of the Line card ends a sequence where it is placed and forces the remainder of the sequence to wrap around and start from the other end. This is a strategic card as it changes when things will be placed in a sequence.
The final specialty card is the Transfer card and is only used in the Advanced Game. This allows you to start a different colored Line off an existing one without a Station. For example, if you have a green 5 and a Transfer card and a blue 5 is already down in an existing line, you can place the Transfer card down next to the blue 5 and place the green 5. A new sequence line can start there.
In conclusion, this is a fairly simple family card game like Uno or SkipBo that can be played by anyone. It is fast paced and easy to play, and it does not take long to play. It is a fun game for something quick and easy to play. The rules are concise and clear and the product itself is well made. It also won the Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence.
For more details on USPC Games and their new Card Game “Take the Train” check them out at their website http://www.usplayingcard.com, and at all of your local game stores.
Take the Train
From: USPC Games
Type of Game: Card Game
Developed by: USPC Games
Number of Pages: 1 page foldout rulebook
Game Components Included: 58 Cards, 100 Train Fares
Retail Price: $ Type Dollar Value (US)
Number of Players: 2-6
Player Ages: 7+
Item Number: Type Manufacture’s Item Number
ISBN: 1889752347
Website: www.usplayingcard.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung