We were already fans of Railroad Ink when we were given the exciting opportunity to review their Deep Blue Edition.
Was this game sent for review or self-purchased?: This game was kindly sent for review by Flat River Group.
In two sentences, what do you do in the game: You play as normal Railroad Ink, over a series of rounds drawing roads and railroad tracks along the map based on four picture dice, trying to complete as many paths as possible. The deep blue edition adds two additional expansions to choose between, rivers or lakes, and you incorporate that water component through your map as much as you can to earn extra points in the game.
Have we played any other titles by this publisher?: Yes, we’ve played other games by Horrible Guild and many games by Flat River Group.
What was surprising about this title: It was surprisingly hard to make a long river! You have to be careful of existing paths and can’t cross onto them unless the dice also has that path on it. In the first round, it is easy, but by round four things start to get crowded very quickly.
How likely is this to return to the game table?: Very likely. Railroad Ink is fun on its own but the expansion rules keep it fresh, especially for maximum replayability.
Game length: 20 Minutes maybe 30 Minutes if a player is indecisive. I am one of those indecisive players.
Language Barrier Playability: Excellent. The rules do need explained but they are simple and short. This is also great in general because anyone can jump into a game without having played before very quickly. The main action of the game is also drawing based on the picture dice which requires no language.
Artwork: Beautiful, icy artwork really amplifies the theme of the expansions. The dry erase board is a simple grid but the cool blue tone makes it look almost like ice. The lake dice also look like ice cubes. The river dice are a beautiful deeper blue. If I were to pick on one thing, I would say that the expansion is called Deep Blue which reminds me of the ocean but most components are lighter blue themed.
The designs on the dice are simple and easy to replicate, which is ideal when you have to copy the design onto your board. The cartographic symbols make you feel like you really are drawing a map.
Quality: Excellent. The cardboard wipes away the dry erase easily and completely. The dry erase markers are long lasting. The dice are solid and well made. Each component is made to last.
Strategy: The game, like many, has a mixture of strategy and luck with strategy weighing in a little heavier.
The luck component is in what dice faces are revealed each round. You must draw the four base dice but can strategically choose where (as long as it connects to an existing exit or route in progress). As the rounds progress you have to think of which routes to add to and keep in mind that unfinished routes will lose you points at the end of the game.
For both expansions, there is a new set of dice. In both expansions it is optional to use only one die, or both. You can also elect not use them at all if you’d like. For the river expansion, you are trying to draw a long river and also complete river paths for additional points. However, you have to be strategic because the river can’t interrupt a route and has to be woven in strategically. Sometimes this is extra hard when the river dice that are revealed are the same shape over and over and hard to fit. You can choose not to draw them, and sometimes can’t, but that means your river may not be as long and not worth as many points. Incomplete rivers also lose points.
In the lake expansion, your goals are a little different. Lakes are all about what they’re connected to. If you have a lake connected with a bunch of peers, it means that route is counted as one big route. This can be very useful for end game points. It can be helpful to create one giant lake and a large lake so that you can gain points for each space the smallest lake occupies. However this also means squishing your routes around the lakes.
Instruction Manual: Clearly written. The instruction manual isn’t too lengthy and covers everything you’ll run into in game.
Organization: Good. There is a slot for the base dice, a slot for the expansion dice and the middle is for the board and markers. Everything fits well.
Final thoughts: The lake and river expansions are a delight. They are easy to implement on top of the base game with little new explanation. Railroad Ink is a classic and a game you could play anywhere with anyone. The age range is for 8+ but this game is fun when played in our 30s and with our family members too.
Sushiball Games 