From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in Noria?

Edition Spielwiese / Stronghold Games English rules, 2018

The player who needs to let off the most steam starts.

Rule details

That player receives the Smokestack start-player token and remains the start player throughout the game.

Source & edition

Noria: English rulebookEdition Spielwiese / Stronghold Games · Setup, start player · Checked 2026-09-24Printed page references: 2
PDF page 2

Image: © Edition Spielwiese / Michael Menzel and Klemens Franz · Edition Spielwiese

If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

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<blockquote class="whogoesfirst-rule" cite="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/noria-spielwiese-stronghold-2018-en/">
  <p><strong>Who goes first in Noria?</strong> The player who needs to let off the most steam starts.</p>
  <p>Source: <a href="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/noria-spielwiese-stronghold-2018-en/">Official starting rule on Who Goes First?</a> (Edition Spielwiese / Stronghold Games English rules, 2018)</p>
</blockquote>

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