In On the Underground: Paris/New York, players build the Paris Métro lines or the New York City Subway lines. Each player controls 2-4 different lines, depending on the number of players.
On each turn, four destination cards are available, corresponding to stations on the map. You can take up to four actions; an action is either building track by placing one of your track tokens on the board or taking a branch token. A player may use two branch tokens to branch out of an existing line (whereas normally lines can be extended only at the endpoints). After each player's turn, a passenger token is moved along players' lines, avoiding walking as much as possible, to reach one or two destinations determined at the beginning of the turn. Destination cards corresponding to the visited stations are then replaced by new ones, then the next player takes their turn.
Players score points in two ways:
- By building track and connecting their lines to various types of stations, by collecting landmark tiles (in Paris), by connecting stations across water (in New York) or at the end of the game if they have achieved their secret objectives (in Paris).
- By having the passenger use their lines when moving.
After all destination cards have been drawn and all players have taken the same number of turns, the game ends.
Paris is a thoughtful map offering many options. To win, you need to strike the right balance between collecting sets of tokens, connecting secret destinations, blocking other players while not being blocked yourself, and of course carrying the passenger. Paris is the refined elder sister of the original On the Underground: London map and is recommended for experienced players.
New York is a fast-paced map reflecting the hectic pace of life in the Big Apple. It encourages players to mirror real life by creating lines through Manhattan, but you have to build quickly to keep up with the always-moving passenger.