History of StreetcarsThe first streetcar was used on the Swansea and Mumbles Railway in South Wales, United Kingdom. It was animal-powered—initially drawn by horses, and later by steam- and electric-powered engines.Animal-Powered StreetcarBrazil was the second country in the world to adopt streetcars in public transportation, even before nations such as England, Germany, and France. The first streetcars to arrive in the country were mule-powered—first in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's capital at the time, in 1859, and later in São Paulo in 1872. Animal-drawn streetcars operated in the city until 1904.The streetcar is a traditional mode of public transport in major European cities—such as Warsaw, Basel, Zurich, Helsinki, Lisbon, and Porto—and in the Americas—such as San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, and Toronto. They run on tracks generally located in the older parts of cities, as their installation typically dates back to the second half of the 19th century.Santa Teresa Streetcar, at Rio de JaneiroThe streetcar is primarily designed for passenger transport; it currently serves as a rapid mode of transport, as it generally has priority over other forms of traffic. In Portugal, it is subject to traffic regulations just like any other motorized vehicle.Nowadays, for reasons of energy efficiency and environmental preservation, the traditional streetcar is being succeeded by Light Rail Transit (LRT), the use of which is expanding in cities around the world.Linie 1 is about the expansion of streetcar networks. Let's play!Linie 1 - Game InfoLinie 1 is a game for 2 to 5 players, ages 10+, by designer Stefan Dorra. The artwork is by Chris Vande Voort and Franz Vohwinkel.Game BoxLinie 1 was released in 1995 by Goldsieber Spiele. Its main mechanics are tile placement, network and route building, racing, and point-to-point movement.Game ComponentsIn 1995, the year of its release, Linie 1 received a Spiel des Jahres nomination, and also reached second place in the Best Adult Game and Best Family Game categories at the Deutscher Spiele Preis.Playing the GameSeveral competing companies are laying the tracks that will bring progress to the city via streetcars. Your company is one of them, and naturally, only you hold the details of the route you need to build—specifically, which terminals to connect and which points to pass through. Inevitably, rival companies' tracks will cross; after all, interests often overlap within the stations. Thus, the competition goes beyond simply creating the most efficient route—it is a matter of timing, strategy, and, why not, devising routes that force opponents to take detours.But that’s not all: once the route is built, the winner is the company that completes the run first—meaning the one that gets its streetcar from one terminal to the other ahead of the competition, hitting all the required stops and sometimes even being forced to pass through unplanned locations along the way. Simply finishing track-laying before the competition doesn't guarantee you're the best company; you have to actually run the route to prove its efficiency. Take note: obeying signals is essential, and you must be careful to avoid needing repairs for your streetcar.This is the setting of Linie 1!Here's the setup:- place the game board in the center of the table;- shuffle and draw the line cards, dealing one to each player, face-down;- decide whether to play a standard route game (with 2 stops) or a longer route game (with 3 stops);- shuffle the 6 route cards for the chosen game type and deal one to each player, face-down;- return the remaining line and route cards to the game box, without peeking;- place the streetcars, the 3 movement dice, and the stop signs near the game board;- each player receives 3 "straight" track tiles and 2 "curved" track tiles - these are their starting tiles;- shuffle all remaining tiles face-down and place them near the board.The game board consists of squares where track tiles will be placed to connect the terminals, passing through specific stops—each represented by an image, a name, and a letter (which is how they are actually identified, as the letters appear on each player's route card).Game BoardThe Line cards, which aren't revealed to other players, indicate which terminals you must connect—numbered 1 through 6. There are two terminals with the same number for each route; in other words, route 1 has two "1" terminals, route 2 has two "2" terminals, and so on. This is easy to verify on the game board, as these locations serve as the starting and ending points for the streetcars.Line Cards and their corresponding StreetcarsThe Route cards, also kept in secret, basically indicate the duration of the game:- normal: with 2 trolley stops;- long: with 3 trolley stops.Route cards for normal and long gameOnce you have your line and route cards, only you know which terminals (out of six possible ones) you must connect and which trolley stops (two or three, depending on the game variant) you are required to pass through.The general idea is to use track tiles to build the most efficient routes while making all the necessary stops. Information from the line and route cards remains secret until the player is ready to begin their inaugural route—that is, once their two terminals are connected. From that point on, you will need a mix of luck and strategy to move your streetcar along your route, choosing the starting and ending points on your line.On your turn, you must choose one of two actions:- place 2 track tiles on the board (if your route is incomplete) and then draw 2 new tiles;- move your streetcar (if your route is complete).Placing 2 track tiles on the board is the action you will perform most often; after all, completing this step is what allows you to move your streetcar. There are two types of track tiles:- standard: track tiles with basic paths (straight sections, simple curves, and straight sections with curves);- upgrade: track tiles with more complex branching paths (straight sections with curves, turnouts, etc.).Standard and Upgraded track tiles differ in that only upgrade tiles feature one or more "tree" icons, whereas standard tiles do not.Different Track TilesThere are some restrictions regarding the placement of track tiles. A track tile cannot be placed if:- A) it extends off the board;- B) it enters a building;- C) it covers a building;- D) it blocks a previously placed track tile;- E) one or more ends of the track tile cannot be continued.Examples where not to place Track Tiles. Letters correspond to the previous rulesNow it is time to understand how track pieces can be placed:- in empty spaces on the board;- they can replace existing pieces.Examples of how to place track tiles on empty spacesWhen upgrade track tiles come into play, they replace an existing standard tile. At that point, the standard track tile is removed—making way for the upgrade tile to enter play—and returns to your hand; after all, it is a replacement.Examples of replacing track tiles with upgrade track tilesAlso, an important detail: upgrade track tiles cannot be replaced. Once placed, they remain fixed for the rest of the game. In summary:- a standard track tile already on the board can only be replaced by an upgrade track tile if the new tile features the same pattern as the previous one and expands upon it;- track tiles with trees (upgraded ones) cannot be replaced.Finally, regarding the placement of track tiles on the board: as previously mentioned, our route card requires us to pass through 2 or 3 points—meaning we must pass through 2 or 3 buildings exactly where the stop point tile is located.Stop SignsTo place a stop sign, simply place a track tile adjacent—vertically or horizontally, but not diagonally—to one of these buildings, and place a stop exactly on that tile.A Stop Sign to the left of the buildingNote from the previous image that a building can have only one stop point, even if other tiles are subsequently attached adjacent to it.As a side note, the “H” on the stop point tiles comes from the German word Haltestellen, which translates roughly to “stop point.”And, just to be perfectly clear: all players who have this location on their route card—and must therefore pass through it—are required to pass through this tile exactly where the stop point tile was placed.Locations with stop signs, in-gameOnce your route is complete, it is time to make your inaugural trip —that is, to move your streetcar. To do this, simply place your streetcar at either of the two terminals indicated on your line card and begin the line's inauguration.At this point, you must show the other players your line card and route card, then point out the route you intend to follow so they can verify that it passes exactly through the stops specified on the route card.Line and Route cards revealedIf there is a mistake, the player may only place or swap tiles once the mistake is corrected.If the player's route is valid, from this point on, that player's track tiles may also be used by other players once all track tiles in the draw pile have been used up.So, to reiterate: to inaugurate a route, the player places the streetcar at one of its two terminals. A player who is already moving a streetcar does not place track tiles on their turn; instead, they roll the three movement dice and choose one to use. The die results can be:- 1 green dot: the streetcar advances 1 space;- 2 green dots: the streetcar advances 2 spaces;- H: move the streetcar to the next stop sign on the route;- Red signal: the streetcar stays where it is;- Tool: the streetcar has broken down and must go to the depot.Movement DiceThe depot is located at the last stop your streetcar passed; in other words, you must move it back a few spaces. If you happen to be at a stop already, stay there. Now for the bad news: you must end your turn if the streetcar returns to the depot.If it didn't go to the depot, after using the first die, you can either end your turn or roll the two remaining movement dice. In this case, you must choose one die, just as before. After this second roll, you can end your turn or roll the final movement die and perform the corresponding action.Pay close attention while moving your streetcar; if you turn onto the wrong path—deviating from your original route—and cannot complete the journey via the alternative route, you will have to restart the trip from your terminal. Be careful!That is how a turn works in Linie 1. Now it is the turn of the player to your left.Ending the GameAs soon as a player has reached their other terminal, the game is over. That player has won! You do not have to arrive by an exact count.Strategy TipsLinie 1 is undoubtedly for those who enjoy planning. It involves a lot of strategy, along with that dash of luck and risk since there are dice rolls; this only adds to the experience, providing the essential excitement to a great game.The first tip is not to start placing track tiles at your terminals, as that information is secret. Don't give that away early on, even though many players worry that others might place "bad" tiles at their terminals.By "bad tiles," I mean unnecessary curves right at the terminal's exit or entrance. Try to keep your terminal's location a secret for as long as possible. So, where should you start? Strategically, you have three options:- placing tiles adjacent to locations you are required to pass through;- placing strategic tiles along the route to make things easier "down the line";- placing tiles adjacent to locations that lie on your path, even if they aren't yours.I’ll explain each option one by one. Placing tiles adjacent to locations you are required to pass through guarantees an easily accessible stop, but it gives away your position right at the start, so I don't recommend it.Do this only if you notice another player placing tiles along the path you need to take; to ensure a better placement for your waypoint tile, go ahead and place a tile there yourself, to avoid having to make a detour—remember, you must pass exactly where the waypoint tile is located.Placing strategic tiles along the route to make things easier "down the line" is highly recommended, as it ensures you have access to "good tiles" during your journey. By "good tiles," we mean tiles oriented in the direction you need—tiles that can sometimes be scarce during the game. "Heavy gamers" love knowing the quantities of the various track tile types during play to maintain this kind of control, so here they are!Different Track Tile countChoosing to place pieces adjacent to locations—even ones that aren't yours but lie along your path—can greatly simplify your route. Furthermore, it can confuse your opponents; they might assume you intend to pass through that specific point and lose interest in other locations that are actually your true targets.Not to mention, this can hinder your opponents. They might need to pass through that particular spot, but if you’ve placed a stop marker on a side of the location that is disadvantageous to them, you make their life harder—sometimes forcing them to take a detour just to pass through. That’s just how it goes!Now, here are some tips regarding the movement dice. Since three movement dice are rolled simultaneously, always prioritize your choices in this order:- H: After all, you’ll move the tram to the route's next stop marker, which can cover a lot of ground;- 2 green dots: That solid 2-space advance;- 1 green dot: The standard 1-space advance;- Red signal: The streetcar stays put—there’s really nothing else to do;- Tool: You must return to the last stop marker you passed or remain stationary if you are currently at a stop marker, ending your turn.I strongly recommend against taking too many risks with rerolls if you are close to reaching a stop marker. If a "Tool" result comes up on the second or third roll, you’ll lose all the progress made toward that stop marker and have to return to the previous one. This is actually the only real caveat regarding rerolls. In that situation, it’s better to end your turn and secure the progress you’ve already made. As for the upgrade track tiles, use them wisely and at strategic moments; after all, they cannot be replaced. Use them to secure a route exactly "the way you want it" or to retrieve a scarce tile you need—remember, upgrade tiles replace the standard track tiles currently in play, returning those standard tiles to your hand and giving you more options.With this in mind, keep an eye out for opportunities in the game, devise your best strategy, plan the most efficient route, hit the mandatory stops, don't make things easy for your opponents, and win at Linie 1.Rules and Gameplay VideosRules:Gameplay:Pedagogical TipsIf you are looking for a game to introduce kids and new players to the world of board games—one that is easy to teach, quick to learn, has simple rules, and guarantees lots of fun—then Linie 1 is definitely the game for you!Linie 1 is a language-independent game featuring constant interaction; every tile placed affects all players—whether they like it or not. For kids, this creates that delightful "good tension" and sparks giggles every time a track tile is laid, as everyone is impacted—their path made easier or harder.The real fun of the game lies in how players constantly "get in each other's way" while trying to build their own routes. There is always someone who isn't content with just reaching their own goal; they also place obstacles—or rather, tracks with useless curves—in others' paths. And that is exactly where Linie 1 shines with kids!One thing is certain: kids will only reach their goal by making detours. The main thing is having fun!Linie 1 delivers all of this, but beyond the fun, kids have the opportunity to exercise important skills, namely:- resource management: managing their track tiles;- strategy: planning which tiles to place and the best route;- spatial awareness: understanding where to route the path;- decision-making: choosing the right track tile; and- logical-mathematical reasoning: calculating the tram's movements.From an educational standpoint, Linie 1 addresses resource management and fosters strategy, spatial awareness, decision-making, and logical-mathematical reasoning—all while being fun!I highly recommend adding Linie 1 to your collection!
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