Why I Play Train Games, Part One: The Perfect Game
Train games have fast become my favorite type of game to play. I have been thinking about what make these games my favorite for some time now. This is mostly because it seems that any time I place an order for new games, a train game or expansion is in that order. The first half of this exploration will revolve around my journey to find my perfect train game. The second post will then explore my thoughts on why I enjoy this genre of game so much.
My first foray into train themed games was with Ticket to Ride. Now, Ticket to Ride is a great game, but it does not have that "it" factor that I look for in my train games. Ticket to Ride is a light route building game with a healthy dose of luck, but quite a bit of strategy as well. An experienced player can trounce a newbie. That is always a good thing! I have the USA and Nordic Countries games and get quite a bit of play out of both. Yet, in my quest for the ultimate train game, it just didn't have enough meat to it.
Continuing with the route building theme, the next game I purchased was Railroad Tycoon. This was an exciting purchase for me as I saw it as my first "real" train game. Railroad Tycoon has the players taking the role of a famous railroad baron and building railroad networks that connect cities across the eastern USA. I was really into this game for a while until some real issues emerged for me. First, I hate the random cards that are a BIG part of this game. If only one player goes for the cards, they will win. Everyone that is playing must understand the value of the cards. Otherwise this game can end with a huge lead for the victor. This leads to the third problem with the game: the northeast. The northeast is the section of the map with the most goods and the most cities. The rest of the map, save for the area around Chicago, is nearly barren. This unbalance forces play in a specific area of the map. The map in this game is massive and takes up the entire table when set up. For a game that large, The unbalance is a problem. Don't get me wrong, Railroad Tycoon is good, but it isn't great.
And my quest continued. I quit purchasing train games for a while and then the group was on a Railroad Tycoon kick. In an effort to make the game more enjoyable, I purchased the then new Rails of Europe expansion. This fixed some cosmetic issues with color and map size. Additionally, it was balanced! Rails of Europe was the map to play with Railroad Tycoon, but I only played it twice before we had grown tired of Railroad Tycoon. I would like to come back to this map some time, but for the length to meat value, I would rather play other games. If I am going to sit down and play a two hour game, give me some meat, something to think about!
After Rails of Europe, my train gaming took a hiatus for a while. I explored other games that I really love (heavy, thematic games like Arkham Horror and Twilight Imperium 3rd edition ) and sort of forgot about train games.
Eventually, while browsing BoardGameGeek one day, I ran across a game titled Chicago Express. Chicago Express, as I mentioned last week, is a wonderfully deceptive medium weight game. On the surface, it seems like an easy, quick playing (usually plays in ~ 45 minutes) game, but in reality it can be a brutal game of manipulation and portfolio management. I love this about the game. Chicago express quickly climbed my personal rankings to hit my top three games. It is also the game that cemented my love for train games. This one holds a special place in my collection and on my table.
Fast forward a number of months and I have my eye on more train games. This time the game is actually a set of games: The Early Railways Collection by Winsome Games. The set consists of Lancashire Railways, New England Railways, and Australian Railways. The caveat with these are that they feel a little archaic. The art is Spartan, but functional. The games themselves are interesting, but show their age. In this series, the players bid for routes and build their networks piecemeal. Goods are then delivered across these routes for money. The brutal part of these games is the way that shares work. When one takes out a share, he pays back ten percent of that share each turn until the share is payed back with interest. This creates a really tight money situation that must be delicately managed. The Early Railways Series are the progenitors to Railroad Tycoon and the next game I will talk about, Age of Steam.
As of right now, Age of Steam is the train game I play most. Unfortunately, the group I play with most is not as into the genre as I am. Age of Steam is a barbaric mix of route building, pick up and delivery, and tight money management. The first play of this one can prove to be quite trying and stressful for new players, but with time and patience rich strategies and rewarding gameplay emerge. I explained this game in my last post, so I won't rehash here. The shares in this game are not quite as difficult to manage as those in the Early Railways Series, and that is a good thing. It creates a tighter, better game in my opinion. The abundance of maps available for this one means that there will be plenty of game to explore for years to come. I cannot wait to explore this one further. The next map I want to tackle is Korea, or maybe Scandinavia, or Germany, well, you get the idea.
With all of the games I have been talking about, one might think I have plenty of train games. Not a chance. The next train game on the way is the Mayfair Games reprint of 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons. This game has the potential to become my favorite game, or series of games (there are a ton of games in the 18xx series). Time and plays will tell.
That is all I have for this week. Stay tuned for next week when I will explain just what it is I like about these darn railroad games.
Until next time, keep playing and keep winning!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
My first foray into train themed games was with Ticket to Ride. Now, Ticket to Ride is a great game, but it does not have that "it" factor that I look for in my train games. Ticket to Ride is a light route building game with a healthy dose of luck, but quite a bit of strategy as well. An experienced player can trounce a newbie. That is always a good thing! I have the USA and Nordic Countries games and get quite a bit of play out of both. Yet, in my quest for the ultimate train game, it just didn't have enough meat to it.
Continuing with the route building theme, the next game I purchased was Railroad Tycoon. This was an exciting purchase for me as I saw it as my first "real" train game. Railroad Tycoon has the players taking the role of a famous railroad baron and building railroad networks that connect cities across the eastern USA. I was really into this game for a while until some real issues emerged for me. First, I hate the random cards that are a BIG part of this game. If only one player goes for the cards, they will win. Everyone that is playing must understand the value of the cards. Otherwise this game can end with a huge lead for the victor. This leads to the third problem with the game: the northeast. The northeast is the section of the map with the most goods and the most cities. The rest of the map, save for the area around Chicago, is nearly barren. This unbalance forces play in a specific area of the map. The map in this game is massive and takes up the entire table when set up. For a game that large, The unbalance is a problem. Don't get me wrong, Railroad Tycoon is good, but it isn't great.
And my quest continued. I quit purchasing train games for a while and then the group was on a Railroad Tycoon kick. In an effort to make the game more enjoyable, I purchased the then new Rails of Europe expansion. This fixed some cosmetic issues with color and map size. Additionally, it was balanced! Rails of Europe was the map to play with Railroad Tycoon, but I only played it twice before we had grown tired of Railroad Tycoon. I would like to come back to this map some time, but for the length to meat value, I would rather play other games. If I am going to sit down and play a two hour game, give me some meat, something to think about!
After Rails of Europe, my train gaming took a hiatus for a while. I explored other games that I really love (heavy, thematic games like Arkham Horror and Twilight Imperium 3rd edition ) and sort of forgot about train games.
Eventually, while browsing BoardGameGeek one day, I ran across a game titled Chicago Express. Chicago Express, as I mentioned last week, is a wonderfully deceptive medium weight game. On the surface, it seems like an easy, quick playing (usually plays in ~ 45 minutes) game, but in reality it can be a brutal game of manipulation and portfolio management. I love this about the game. Chicago express quickly climbed my personal rankings to hit my top three games. It is also the game that cemented my love for train games. This one holds a special place in my collection and on my table.
Fast forward a number of months and I have my eye on more train games. This time the game is actually a set of games: The Early Railways Collection by Winsome Games. The set consists of Lancashire Railways, New England Railways, and Australian Railways. The caveat with these are that they feel a little archaic. The art is Spartan, but functional. The games themselves are interesting, but show their age. In this series, the players bid for routes and build their networks piecemeal. Goods are then delivered across these routes for money. The brutal part of these games is the way that shares work. When one takes out a share, he pays back ten percent of that share each turn until the share is payed back with interest. This creates a really tight money situation that must be delicately managed. The Early Railways Series are the progenitors to Railroad Tycoon and the next game I will talk about, Age of Steam.
As of right now, Age of Steam is the train game I play most. Unfortunately, the group I play with most is not as into the genre as I am. Age of Steam is a barbaric mix of route building, pick up and delivery, and tight money management. The first play of this one can prove to be quite trying and stressful for new players, but with time and patience rich strategies and rewarding gameplay emerge. I explained this game in my last post, so I won't rehash here. The shares in this game are not quite as difficult to manage as those in the Early Railways Series, and that is a good thing. It creates a tighter, better game in my opinion. The abundance of maps available for this one means that there will be plenty of game to explore for years to come. I cannot wait to explore this one further. The next map I want to tackle is Korea, or maybe Scandinavia, or Germany, well, you get the idea.
With all of the games I have been talking about, one might think I have plenty of train games. Not a chance. The next train game on the way is the Mayfair Games reprint of 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons. This game has the potential to become my favorite game, or series of games (there are a ton of games in the 18xx series). Time and plays will tell.
That is all I have for this week. Stay tuned for next week when I will explain just what it is I like about these darn railroad games.
Until next time, keep playing and keep winning!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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