Overview

Rivers, Roads & Rails is a tile-matching game published by Ravensburger for children and families. Players build an interconnected transportation network of rivers, roads, and railroad tracks by matching illustrated scenery cards edge to edge. Each card depicts various combinations of waterways, roads, and rail lines that must connect logically to adjacent cards. The first player to empty their hand wins.

Components

• 140 illustrated scenery cards (tiles) depicting combinations of rivers, roads, and railroad tracks
• 1 set of instructions

Setup

1. Turn all tiles face-down and mix them.
2. Each player draws 10 tiles and places them face-up in front of themselves.
3. Draw one tile from the face-down pile and place it face-up in the center of the playing area as the starting tile.
4. The youngest player goes first.

Turn Structure

On your turn:

1. Draw: Take one card from the face-down pile, adding it to your collection (giving you 11 cards).
2. Play (if possible): Place one card from your collection onto the growing network, matching its edges to existing adjacent cards. Rivers must connect to rivers, roads to roads, and rails to rails.
3. If you cannot play any card, your turn ends after drawing.

Actions

Place a Tile: Position a card adjacent to any existing card in the network such that all touching edges match their transportation type. A river edge must connect to a river edge, a road to a road, and a rail to a rail. Paths must be logical and continuous.

Card Restrictions: Only one card may be placed per turn. Cards cannot be placed where they would create impossible connections (e.g., a road meeting a river with no bridge).

Network Growth: The network grows outward in all directions. Some cards feature crossings, bridges, or junctions where multiple transportation types intersect, providing more connection options.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when a player places their last card and has no cards remaining in their collection. That player wins.

If the face-down draw pile is exhausted and no player can play, the player with the fewest remaining cards wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Blank edges (edges with no transportation line) can be placed next to any other blank edge.
• Cards with bridges allow rivers to pass under roads or rails at the same intersection.
• If a player cannot play on their turn, they simply draw a card and pass.
• The game can be played solo as a puzzle, trying to place all tiles into a valid network.
• Cards may not overlap or be placed on top of existing cards.

Player Reference

Turn: Draw 1 card > Play 1 card matching edges (if possible).

Matching rule: Rivers to rivers, roads to roads, rails to rails.

Win: First player with no cards left. (Tie-break: fewest remaining cards if draw pile is empty.)