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Game Info
Year
2022
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
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Description
In 1871, with Canada only four years old, the Prime Minister calls for a massive undertaking: a transcontinental railway to link the established eastern provinces with the newly-added western province. Between them lay the vast, undeveloped interior. It would be a nation-defining project, opening up the resource-rich Canadian shield, the fertile prairies, and the breathtaking Rocky Mountain Cordillera, shaping not only the economy of the young country but its identity as well.
The Transcontinental is a medium-weight Eurogame with worker-placement and pick-up and deliver mechanisms about the development of the Canadian transcontinental railway.
Players are contractors who work to complete the railway. They send out telegrams along a linear worker-placement track — reserving those action spaces for themselves — then take turns in telegram order, loading and unloading to a shared train that travels across the country. Players can use these resources to complete developments ranging from lumber mills and farms to cities and national parks, or they can use the resources to bid to extend the railway. Powerful one-time-use ally cards, themed around a rich and inclusive cast of Canadian historical figures, allow players to make powerful combined actions.
—description from the publisher
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 8
This page: 8
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–8 of 8
Video vp_3j13l1-o
All You Can Board Top 5 List at 2:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 90651 · mention_pk 242401
Click to watch at 2:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- historical theme
- railway development narrative
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- railway construction and expansion
- development of the transcontinental railway in Canada in the late 1800s
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pick up and deliver — movement of goods along the railway route
- Pick-Up and Deliver — movement of goods along the railway route
- Worker Placement — action spaces where markers are placed in advance for later execution
- Worker replacement — action spaces where markers are placed in advance for later execution
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- these aren't necessarily the games that we think might be the best at the end of the year or whatnot they're just games that we want to explore
- we're canadian very proud of the country we live in
- it's basically going to be very similar to cl team flicks but in a futuristic sci-fi setting
- you're basically an explorer going into temples
- this is a massive campaign game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3R5N_5BagyI
All You Can Board Top 10 List at 29:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89949 · mention_pk 239730
Click to watch at 29:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Canadian history tie-in
- focus on planning and timing
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- work replacement with telegraph planning
- Transcontinental Railway construction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- repeatability in train routing — Train runs along the board; must plan around repeated cycles
- telegraph-driven planning — Telegraphs determine precursor actions and stops
- train traveling back and forth — Train moves along board; telegraphs determine future stops; actions align with stops
- Work replacement — Loading/unloading goods on a train with telegraphs predicting future stops
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I can't wait to get my hands on this
- it's one of the most exciting things I've seen
- this looks stunning on the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3R5N_5BagyI
All You Can Board Top 10 List at 42:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 89949 · mention_pk 239733
Click to watch at 42:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Canadian historical tie-in
- interesting decision space around planning and timing
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- railway construction and telegraph planning
- Transcontinental Railway
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- telegraph planning — Telegraphs used to pre-plan stops and actions
- two-way movement along the board — Train travels east to west (and possibly back) to trigger actions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I can't wait to get my hands on this
- it's one of the most exciting things I've seen
- this looks stunning on the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tRZlpwEz5X8
All You Can Board Discussion at 16:44 sentiment: negative
video_pk 86676 · mention_pk 225171
Click to watch at 16:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Stellar historical ambition; educational components; evident labor of love
Cons
- Requires a lot of rule-familiarization; downtime is long; development and streamlining needed
Thematic elements
- Railway construction and logistics
- Canadian history; transcontinental railway
- educational/historic
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Network/Route Building — Use telegraphs to plan routes; build and extend rail to maximize goods
- Railway/network building with telegraphs — Use telegraphs to plan routes; build and extend rail to maximize goods
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm going to go over right now the list of games that I've acquired in 2024
- I've decided to get rid of the bottom three
- it's sunk cost fallacy and I don't need to hold on to this
- the three I mentioned are Admirals, Rosio, Rap Gods
- this is one of those 'it's the wrong theme for today' moments
- I don't want to be gaslit into justifying my position in the comments
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4oBXo6O1Zko
Rules Teach at 0:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79709 · mention_pk 193263
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Victory points are awarded for contributing to development tiles.
- Players can gain victory points through resupply actions.
- Investment cards and ally cards provide scoring opportunities.
Cons
- Unused port supplies go up one to a max of three.
- If the train is empty when trading resources, it may need to be flipped to load.
- When completing development tiles, resources are removed.
- Ties for contributing to development tiles result in placing additional buildings.
Thematic elements
- Completing the construction of the transcontinental railway
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction — Players bid resource cubes in the railhead phase to claim wilderness tiles.
- contract fulfillment — Players complete construction of the railway by loading resources and placing buildings.
- Engine Building — The 'tinder tile' and train tiles are part of an engine that moves across the board, and players can add cars to the line.
- Resource Management — Players collect and spend resources (coal, navy, iron, wood) for various actions and to contribute to development tiles.
- Set Collection — Players collect different types of resources and potentially ally cards and investment cards.
- Tile Placement — Development tiles are placed and completed, and wilderness tiles are claimed by players.
- Worker Placement — Players take actions by placing telegrams on specific spots on the track board or by using building icons on development tiles.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- win the game by having the most points at the end of the final round
- the player with the most points is the best contractor and wins transcontinental
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dXKGMLfZERo
BoardGameGeek Top 10 List at 15:06 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66099 · mention_pk 160646
Click to watch at 15:06 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Nation defining project shaping the economy and identity.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Development of the Canadian trans-continental railway
- Canada
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Pick-Up and Deliver — Loading and unloading a shared train.
- Worker Placement — Players are contractors who work to complete the railway; they send out telegrams along a linear worker placement track reserving those action spaces for themselves.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it seems there's always another game on the shelf waiting to be discovered
- this episode is made possible in part by oceans from north star games
- You know what's even better than the idea of a lifetime spent exploring space doing so from the comfort of your own home where the potato chips are kept and that's why I joyfully wept gently for several minutes in secret where nobody else could see my shame once I discovered that this month's countdown would be starting with the economic space strategy game Master of Orion the board game
- The winner being granted the coveted title of emperor of the galactic council which is essentially just an honorary title for a glorified administrative desk job
- Now that we've conquered space which took way less time than I was anticipating let's now turn our attention towards conquering the sea because it's just sitting there being all damp and such
- Aquatica with a recent second edition from arcane wonders is a strategic but easy to learn family engine building game about underwater kingdoms
- You know I always enjoy a good bluffing game or do I perhaps I was bluffing just now you can't no I'm unknowable I barely know myself
- Vindication is a wonderful feeling like when you warn someone not to sit on wet paint but they ignore you and then immediately get eaten by a crocodile
- Every year sorcerer city gets built and rebuilt in magically new ways with blocks moving and rotating in crazy directions
- It sounds like a workers compensation insurance nightmare but that's what you get for hiring Howard Howard and Fine as your city planners
- Keith Forge's world was always in a constant state of change but now a vault containing mysterious dark amber is open causing strange and unusual transformations unlike anything seen before
- If you're anything like me then you also have a hilarious crocodile-based anecdote locked and ready to go at a moment's notice but you'd also probably fare pretty well if you ever came time to live underground
- Fallout shelter the board game a post nuclear worker placement board game for two to four players from fantasy flight games based on the hit mobile game from Bethesda softworks
- Three orders nobles civilians and religion unlike today where it's organized around media influence and high fructose corn syrup
- Typically a roll and write game is only a proper roll and right game if it's from the Roland Right region of France
- Otherwise it's a sparkling dice based activity
- And now for some lip smacking cracking action in the upcoming hidden role deduction game from Fun Tales Feed the Kraken featuring three asymmetric factions for feuding friends
- In 1871 with Canada only four years old the prime minister calls for a massive undertaking a transcontinental railway to link eastern and western provinces
- It would be a nation defining project shaping not only the economy of this young fledgling country but also his identity as the well-mannered cousin of the United States who lost a bunch of weight and finished community college
- Brazil Imperial coming from Meepo BR in 2021
- The best monarch receives a title a Brazilian emperor which is essentially just an honorary title for a glorified administrative desk job
- Losers are banished to a ship lost at sea where they inevitably go madam pledge allegiance to a kraken
- That's our list of games we wanted to make sure did not go overlooked this month
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 7t7nl8X1O3M
Meeple Mountain Top List at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 42308 · mention_pk 128392
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent blend of worker placement, bidding, and engine-building that interlock cleanly
- Telegram placement creates multi-directional decisions and smart tension across periods
- Railhead progression introduces clear pacing and end-game tension
- Development tiles and ally/investment cards add depth and engine-building variety
- The thematic integration between the board, actions, and scoring feels cohesive
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Transcontinental railroad construction, national infrastructure, and regional development
- 1871 Canada, a newly formed nation building a transcontinental railroad from the east to the west including British Columbia
- historical, engine-building, strategic development
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Ally and investment cards / scoring synergies — Special cards provide one-time bonuses and score matching symbols with investments; allies can contribute to investments and influence end-game scoring.
- Bidding / resource bidding — Each round the train movement prompts a secret bid of resources to shift the trailhead west; the total bids determine tile priority and player order for selecting tiles.
- End-of-round progression / trailhead mechanic — The rail head movement dictates progression and end-game timing; if no movement occurs, the last spike moves; the game continues until the last spike tile is reached or appropriate progression is made.
- Resource management / rail yard — Resources are stored and tracked in a central yard, with mechanics describing how added resources influence the track-building engine and future actions.
- Tile building / development tiles — Players contribute resources to build track tiles and flip them to reveal ongoing benefits; developments grant bonuses such as loading, trading, or ally cards and change how future telegrams interact.
- Worker Placement — Telegram actions are placed on board spaces that trigger actions when the train moves; spaces connected to tiles enable multi-action triggers. Up to three telegrams may be active per round, depending on placement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the transcontinental is a worker placement pickup and delivery bidding train game
- it's a medium weight euro game for one to four players
- the game ends when the railhead reaches the last spike tile
- the top two players who contribute the most to building the building gets to use it
- this is the five things that you should know about this game before you back it before you play it or before you even think about it
- put so either way the game will either progress or end earlier if no progression on the railway is done
- the rail yard or the place where you're gonna store your resources
- the track also gets longer and longer and opens up where you want to use resources to gain the flipped bonus action
- the board connects the theme as you build across the lowlands into the resource-rich canadian shield
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video KOk_hnUU3do
Meeple Mountain Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 41325 · mention_pk 125379
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Unique double-sided worker placement system with two-space action choices
- Historical theme with real figures adds flavor and context
- Randomized tiles boost replayability and strategic variation
- Promotes meaningful planning and tough decision-making
- Ally cards provide distinct, varied bonuses each game
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- nation-building, railway expansion, regional development, resource management
- Canada, circa 1871-1871 era, construction of a transcontinental railway across a developing nation
- historical simulation featuring real historical figures who contributed to the project
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Ally cards — one-time-use ally cards representing historical figures granting bonuses.
- dual-action space selection — each action space is formed by a pair of tiles; players choose a two-space combination, increasing flexibility and introducing interesting tradeoffs.
- Multi-Use Cards — one-time-use ally cards representing historical figures granting bonuses.
- Resource Management — spend resources to develop lumber mills, farms, cities, or national parks and to extend the railway.
- resource management and development — spend resources to develop lumber mills, farms, cities, or national parks and to extend the railway.
- tile randomized replay — tiles are randomized each game, altering how you can combo actions and plan ahead.
- Worker Placement — players place telegrams (workers) on action spaces to reserve future actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a train game but not one that i could compare with something else
- the game has an awesome double-sided worker placement system that is very unique to the game
- the placement of your telegrams or your workers are placed between two tiles so you're selecting a combination of two action spaces when you play this
- tiles are randomized each game which will change how you can combo things together
- i am very excited to get the finished copy to the table
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–8 of 8