In Next Station: The Singapore MRT Game, players race to be the first to navigate Singapore’s iconic rail lines. You start with seven cards—including Station, Interchange, and Special Pass cards—and must match the current metro line or draw from the deck. Be careful, though; drawing ten cards without playing one forces you to skip your turn! Use clever card combinations to shed your hand quickly, as the game ends when a player clears all their cards or the deck runs dry, leaving the person with the fewest cards in hand to claim victory.
- Age rating : 7+
- Number of Players: 2-6
- Game Time: 15 mins
- Publisher: Tembusu Games Pte Ltd
- Objective: To be the first person to play all cards or have the least amount of cards in your hand when the deck runs out.
How to Play Next Station - Set Up
- Dealing: Deal 7 cards to each player.
- The Field: Place the remaining deck in the middle. Leave empty spaces next to it for a Play Pile and a Discard Pile.
Starting the Game
- The dealer reveals the top card of the Deck and places it in the Play Pile.
- If it is a Special Pass card, keep revealing cards until a Station card appears.
- The player to the dealer’s left goes first (this player is called the active player). Play proceeds clockwise.
When it is your turn you are classed as the active player, and you have the following options to play:
1. Play one of the following playable cards?
Play one of the following options from your hand (see photo above for 1-3 options):
Single Station card (eg Dakota or Beauty World)
Interchange Station card (eg Botanic Gardens)
Wild Interchange Station card (eg Ticket Inspection Coming Through)
Four-Of-A-Line combo
Did you play a combo?
Yes: You must immediately play an additional card of your choice from your hand.
No: Announce “Next Station: [station name]“ and end your turn.
You don’t have a playable card
Draw cards from the Deck one by one (up to a maximum of 10 cards) until you draw a playable card you wish to play.
Still no playable card after drawing? You must skip your turn. Pass the play to the player on your left.
💡 What is a playable card in Next Station? > A playable card is a Station card that matches the line color to the topmost card of the Play Pile, or a valid Special Pass card.
Playing Combos & Special Rules
- Adjacent Station Rule (Playable at Any Time- same colour and consecutive station number)
Any player (even if it’s not their turn) can interrupt play if they have an Adjacent Station card that has the same color and a consecutive station number to the topmost card in the Play pile.
- What to say: Say “Adjacent”
- Interchanges: If you play an Interchange Station card, the active metro line color immediately switches to match it.
- Turn Order: After the card resolves, play reverts back to whoever was the active player.
- Adjacent Station Combo (Playable at Any Time)
You can play 2 cards together from your hand if they are adjacent to each other, and one of them is adjacent to the top card of the Play pile.
- What to say: Say “Adjacent Combo!”
- Bonus Action: You temporarily become the active player and must immediately play a 3rd card of your choice from your hand. If you can’t, you must draw from the deck until you have a playable card (up to 10 cards).
- Turn Order: Play then reverts back to the original active player.
- Four-Of-A-Line Combo (Active Player Only)
If you are the active player, you can play 4 Station cards at once if they all belong to the same metro line as the top card of the Play pile.
- What to say: Announce “Combo!”
- Bonus Action: You must immediately play an additional card of your choice from your hand. If you can’t, draw up to 10 cards from the deck.
- Interchange Restriction: You can use a maximum of 1 Interchange Station card in this combo, and it must be placed at the very start or the very end of the 4-card sequence (never in the middle).
Note: Special Pass cards can never be used as part of an Adjacent Station rule, Adjacent Combo, or Four-Of-A-Line combo.
Resolving Simultaneous Plays (Priority)
If multiple players try to play a card at the exact same time, resolve the action using this Priority Sequence:
Priority | Card / Action Type |
1 (Highest) | “No Durians Allowed” Special Pass card (played as an Action card) |
2 | Single / Interchange Station cards (played as an Adjacent Station card or combo) |
3 | All other Special Pass cards (played as an Action card) |
4 (Lowest) | All other cards |
If players have cards of the exact same priority, the player closest to the left of the active player gets to play first.
Winning the Game
The “Last Station!” Warning
- When you are down to your final card, you must immediately announce “Last Station!”
- Getting Caught: If you forget to say it and another player catches you, you must draw 2 penalty cards from the Deck.
How to Win Next Station
- Winning with a Station: Play your final card (it must be a Station card) and announce “Game!”
- Combo Wins: You can also win the game by emptying your hand using an Adjacent Station rule, Adjacent Station combo, or Four-Of-A-Line combo.
- Empty Deck: If the Deck runs out of cards before anyone clears their hand, the game ends immediately. The player with the fewest cards in their hand wins.
I personally think this is a great card game as a memento of Singapore to add to your board game collection. It is a nice light card game with some fun twists and different ways to win. So I like that unpredictability of the game, while holding strategy.
I will say it does need to be played through a couple of times before you really get the hang of it. Remembering you a consecutive station number at any time (not just on your turn). And the action cards do require some reading.
