Overview

Roads & Boats is a complex logistics and engine-building game from Splotter Spellen, designed by Jeroen Doumen and Joris Wiersinga. Players build a civilization from scratch, starting with donkeys, boards, stones, and geese, and gradually developing a network of factories, roads, boats, and other infrastructure. The emphasis is on transportation logistics rather than warfare. There is no territory ownership; goods on the map are available to whoever can transport them. Victory is determined by who accumulates the most wealth in gold, coins, and stock certificates.

Components

• Hexagonal terrain tiles (various types: woods, rock, mountains, desert, pasture, sea)
• 120 means of transportation (wooden pieces: donkeys, wagons, trucks, rafts, rowboats, steamers)
• 75 wall pieces (wooden rods)
• 4 research boards
• 28 discovery stones (glass)
• 193 wonder stones (cardboard) for the Wonder of the World
• 18 mine bags (cloth bags that function as game components)
• 115 factory tiles (cardboard)
• 600+ goods tokens (cardboard: boards, stone, iron, gold, fuel, paper, coins, stock certificates, food, etc.)
• Rule and scenario book

Setup

1. Construct the map from hex tiles according to the chosen scenario (or design a custom map).
2. Each player receives their starting resources (typically 3 donkeys, some boards, stones, and 2 geese) and places them on their designated home hex.
3. Place mine bags on mountain hexes.
4. Set out factory tiles, transportation pieces, and goods tokens within reach.
5. Place the Wonder of the World track nearby.

Turn Structure

Each round consists of these phases, in order:

1. Production Phase: All factories on the map produce goods simultaneously. Each factory converts specific input goods into output goods.
2. Movement Phase: Players take turns moving their transporters. Each transporter type has a movement allowance and capacity. Goods must be loaded onto transporters to move.
3. Building Phase: Players may build new factories, roads, bridges, walls, and transporters by spending the required goods on the appropriate hex.
4. Wonder Phase: Players may contribute bricks to the Wonder of the World (provides end-game points for the biggest contributor).

Actions

Building Factories: Spend required goods on a hex to place a factory tile. Factory types include:

• Woodcutter (produces boards from forests)
• Quarry (produces stone)
• Clay Pit, Sawmill, Paper Mill, Mint, Stock Exchange
• Mine (draw from mine bag for gold or iron)
• Various refinement chains (iron > tools > trucks, etc.)

Building Infrastructure:

• Roads (allow wagons and trucks to travel between hexes)
• Bridges (allow road connections across rivers)
• Walls (protect goods from other players’ transporters)

Building Transporters:

• Donkeys (basic land transport, capacity 2)
• Wagons (require roads, capacity 3)
• Trucks (require roads, capacity 6)
• Rafts (basic water transport, one-use)
• Rowboats (reusable water transport)
• Steamers (advanced water transport, high capacity)

Research: Use the research board to unlock advanced factory types and technologies.

Mining: When a mine factory produces, draw a stone from the mine bag. The stone’s marking indicates whether it’s iron or gold.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

At game end (determined by scenario or when all players pass), score:

• Gold nuggets: 10 points each
• Gold bars: 40 points each
• Coins: 10 points each
• Stock certificates: 10 points each
• Wonder contribution bonus: The player who contributed the most bricks scores a large bonus; second most scores a smaller bonus.

The player with the most points wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• No territory ownership: Any player’s transporter can pick up unprotected goods from any hex. Build walls to protect your goods.
• Geese reproduction: Geese produce more geese each round, providing a renewable food source. Food is needed to prevent losing goods to spoilage.
• Transporter capacity: Each transporter has a maximum carrying capacity. Exceeding it is not allowed.
• One-use rafts: Rafts are destroyed after one movement. Plan water logistics carefully.
• Factory placement: Some factories can only be built on specific terrain types (e.g., woodcutters on forest hexes).
• Mine depletion: Mine bags contain a finite number of resources. Once empty, the mine produces nothing.
• The Wonder of the World: Contributing bricks is voluntary but can yield significant end-game points. Only the largest contributor benefits fully.

Player Reference

Production chain example: Forest > Woodcutter (boards) > Sawmill (beams) > further processing.

Scoring goods: Gold nugget (10), Gold bar (40), Coin (10), Stock certificate (10).

Transporter capacity: Donkey (2), Wagon (3), Truck (6), Raft (varies, one-use), Rowboat (varies), Steamer (varies).

Key principle: There is no territory ownership. Protect your goods with walls or keep them moving.