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In American Rails, each player assumes the role of a wealthy capitalist managing a portfolio of stocks and bonds in six fictional railroad companies. Through ruthless negotiation and rigorous planning, players struggle to increase the value of their holdings and reap the profits. The player with the most money at the end of the game will become the nation's first railroad baron and win the game.
This luckless game was inspired by John Bohrer's development of Chicago Express and the Historic Railroads System from Winsome Games. Set in the United States east of the Mississippi, American Rails features player-controlled variable turn order, "city dilution", and variable set-ups, giving this cutthroat train game an unprecedented level of replayability.
- stocks/auctions/trains
- Iberian rail network
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Rail network building — Players build a rail network with stock value implications
- stocks and auctions — Trains and stock market style mechanics with auctions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the roman republic is coming to an end but not before a power struggle between caesar and pompeii
- this expansion has several modules and scenarios
- this is a cooperative deck construction dice rolling game
- this is going to be their big essence spiel release later on in the game
- Sleeping Gods is the latest game from Red Raven Games
- Terra Futura is an engine building card game in which you build your land of tomorrow
- the big thing ... if you connect a port early you increase the stock value
References (from this video)
- Classic cube-rail flavor with a Midwest/US theme
- Can lean into heavy rules and fatigue quickly
- transportation and economic expansion
- railroad era with American theme
- engine-building with route/stock dynamics
- Continental Divide
- Age of Steam
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- route building and auction-style actions — players manage routes and resources with variable tariffs
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "I think this is my favorite Alexander Fisher game"
- "it's just it just works for me like it just clicks with my brain"
- "I adore teach you it's one of my favorite games"
- "terraforming mars is one of my favorite games"
- "you can gain hopefully some insight from that"