20 Express Board Game: Rules for How to Play

20 Express is a game that has gone by a number of names since it was first released. The game also goes by the name of Streams, Digit’y Do, and a number of other names in languages other than English. While there is some difference in the components, the gameplay is the same for all of these versions of the game.

Objective

The objective of 20 Express is to score the most points by creating long series of numbers placed in ascending order.

Setup

Each player takes a game sheet and something to write with.
Put all of the tiles into the bag and mix them up.
Choose one player who will be in charge of drawing tiles throughout the game.

How to Play 20 Express

Each turn begins with the designated player drawing one of the tiles from the bag. The tile will have a number on it unless it is the wild tile. Place the tile on the table where all of the players can see it.

Drawing a two tile — The player begins the game by drawing a two tile.

Each player then has to decide where they want to write the number on their game sheet. You need to write each number on one of the spots on your sheet. The goal of the game is to try and create long series of numbers in ascending order (smallest to largest) from left to right. You will create a series of tiles whenever you place two or more numbers in ascending order.

Writing down two on your sheet — As the two tile is the second smallest tile in the game, this player has decided to write two on the first space on their sheet.

The tiles do not have to be placed consecutively and will still count if there is a gap between the numbers. For example you place 2, then 4, and then 7. These numbers are a series of three as each number is larger than the number before it.

Writing down second number — On a later turn the four tile was drawn. This player decided to write it down next to the two as they don’t think the three tile will be drawn. This player currently has a series to two numbers in a row.

Identical numbers placed next to one another count as well in extending a series. For example 10, 14, 14, 16 is a series of four.

Writing down two identical numbers — Both fifteens have been drawn. This player was able to write them both down next to each other to continue the same series of numbers.

Finally the wild counts as any number. It can only be used in one series though.

Wild tile — The wild tile has been drawn. This player has decided to write it down between the 15 and the 20. The wild will count as any number between 15 and 20 which will continue the series of numbers.

When choosing where to place a number you need to figure out where it would work the best. Generally a small number is better near the beginning, or after a large number that you don’t think you can play after. Meanwhile large numbers should be placed towards the end. You don’t know what numbers will be drawn next, so you just have to use your best judgement when writing down each number.

Once everyone has written down the number, the player draws a new tile and the players have to figure out where they want to write it down.

Winning the Game

The players will play until 20 tiles have been drawn and they have wrote them down on their game sheet. Each player will then tally the points they scored during the game.

Determining Series of Numbers

Look through the numbers you wrote down. Find each series of numbers where at least two numbers are in ascending order. When the series is broken, draw a line to separate it from the next series.

Separate your series of numbers — The game has ended. This player separated their different series of numbers by drawing lines between them. They draw a line between 28 and 1, as 1 is smaller than 28. They also drew a line between 26 and 24. This player has created three series of numbers.

Scoring in 20 Express

After you have determined all of your series, you will score points for each of them. Count up how many numbers are in each series. Then consult the chart printed on the sheet or shown below. The number on the left is the count of numbers in ascending order in the series. The number on the right is how many points that series is worth. Write the score for each series underneath the name section on the game sheet. You will do this for each series you created.

1 – 0
2 – 1
3 – 3
4 – 5
5 – 7
6 – 9
7 – 11
8 – 15
9 – 20
10 – 25
11 – 30
12 – 35
13 – 40
14 – 50
15 – 60
16 – 70
17 – 85
18 – 100
19 – 150
20 – 300

Total up the points scored for each of your series. All of the players will then compare their scores. Whichever player scores the most points wins 20 Express.

Scoring in 20 Express — This player’s first series of numbers has eleven numbers in a row. It scores 30 points. Their second series has six numbers and is worth nine points. Finally their last series has three numbers and is worth three points.

20 Express FAQ

If you have any questions about how to play the game, leave a comment below on this post. I will try to answer any questions asked as best and as quickly as possible.

Components

40 Tiles
- 1 each of 1-10, 20-30
- 2 each of 11-19
Score Pad
8 Pencils
Cotton Bag
Instructions

Year: 2011 | Publisher: Blue Orange Games, Moonster Games | Designer: Yoshihisa Itsubaki | Artist: Ian Parovel

Genres: Abstract, Family, Puzzle

Ages: 8+ | Number of Players: 1+ | Length of Game: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: Light-Moderate

For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.

Written By:

Eric Mortensen

Eric Mortensen is an owner and head writer on Geeky Hobbies since 2014. He is an avid board game player and collector with over 3,000 board and card games in his collection. Since 2014 he has written more than 1,100 board game how to play guides.