Rail Baron

Roll your way across a map of US railroads, buy lines and collect deliveries like a tycoon from the heyday of the locomotive.

Designers: Thomas F. Erickson, Jr., R. S. Erickson
Published by: The Avalon Hill Game Co

You are living in the heyday of the locomotive, and you have just added another railroad to your empire. Rail Baron, a 1977 Avalon Hill classic, is one of the early train games, and it is about playing the tycoon. You move trains along historical US railroad lines and collect payoffs for deliveries, while buying railroads to build a network that reaches the important destinations on the map. At the same time you try to stop your opponents from doing the same. Movement rides on the dice, so a bit of luck travels along. A long evening for three to six players, around four hours, for anyone who fancies being Jay Gould.

Historical US railroad linesBuy railroads and build a networkRoll dice to move and earn delivery payoffs

Who it's for

You like old-school economic games with a classic railroad theme, and you have three to six people and a long evening.

Not for you if…

You want fast turns or modern streamlined design. This is a roll-and-move game from 1977 that takes about four hours.

Vibe's take

Nostalgic and a bit ruthless. You roll, travel, and quietly scheme to buy the line your rival needs.