1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight

I brought it out as an introductory train-game session with newcomers and, honestly, I probably picked the wrong title. 1860 ran a little longer than I wanted, and it has a few harsh, strange points that are not exactly welcoming for a first encounter. Nobody swore at me, though, which I am counting as a small victory.

In the game, you build and operate railways across the Isle of Wight map, with your choices having consequences not only for your own side but for everyone else as well. The session did not always feel smooth for new players: it has rough edges and asks you to keep track of what is taking shape on the table, rather than simply doing the obvious thing.

The interaction is where it grows teeth. One player managed to bury me all over the map and laughed like a hyena when he realised the mutual assured destruction we had created between us. The funny part was that, while we watched each other burn, the third player won calmly and without any stress.

I had never played such a low player count for train games before, so I had not properly appreciated it. After this session, I find it a little awkward and somewhat dated; its main argument, for me, is that it seems to play well with three. I just would not readily choose it again as a first stop for newcomers.