The United States of America, 1863-69. Two railroad lines, one starting in California and the other in Iowa, set out to create a seriously divided nation’s first transcontinental railroad. In The Golden Spike, two players take on the role of a railroad magnate, building half of this famous accomplishment in transportation. It’s a race, to be sure, and the first player to reach Promontory Summit, Utah gains prestige and bonus money. However, the winner of the game is the player who makes the most profit along the way, which requires a delicate balance of planning and cunning.
Players alternately select three-card stacks from a row of them, with only one of the three cards visible. These allow the players to perform various actions, such as hiring workers and buying materials, both needed in the construction of the railroad sections they'll need to complete to get to Promontory Summit... and sometimes men and materials may be hoarded and in short supply. If an Inspector appears when turning over a face-down card, a turn ends immediately and no actions are executed. Three terrain types present a quandary for both players: faster construction or greater profits.