Metro is a board game designed by Dirk Henn. The game starts with an empty square board. Each player has metro stations in their own color at the edges of the board. They try to make the metro lines that start at their stations as long as possible. Each square that the line visits is one point, and the points of a line double if the line ends in the center of the board. Each turn each player can place one card. The player can use this card to extend its own lines, or to shorten the opponents lines. However, lines of only one tile are not allowed, unless there are no other places to place your card. The game ends when the board is filled.

In order to make things easier, the program shows unfinished lines in the player's color. Often you just want to extend your own lines, but sometimes it can be better to cut your opponents short! It is all allowed. The computer players are strictly programmed to maximize the number of points you have, except when there are only two players. You can start a new game with different settings by pressing new game.

The Applet

This computer version is made by Sieuwert van Otterloo.
http://www.bluering.nl/sieuwert/games/metro/index.html
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Screenshot

This is how the applet should look like. The arrow indicates which player can place its card. The coloured pawns around the board keep track of the score. When a metro line is finished, the station is drawn in gray.

Advanced feature: If you would like to know how the computer evaluates the current position, open the java console. You see a printout of the expected length of lines for each open tile.