1870: Railroading Across the Trans Mississippi from 1870

With a trainee railway magnate at the table, there was no need to reach for something flashy. We opened a classic 1870 instead and let the companies do the talking. It had exactly the straightforward charm the evening needed, with enough little trains to remind everyone that train games are never as innocent as they look.

The game lives between two arenas: the stock market and the board. In one, you watch money, positions, and who is about to be left exposed; in the other, you watch routes and try to claim space before someone makes it awkward. Its flow will not let you settle into either concern on its own. A decision on one front always has consequences on the other.

And you are not merely building something pretty beside your friends. You hem them in, spoil their plans, and make every move on the stock market worth a suspicious glance. There was plenty of spite on both sides of the table; one player may still be protesting, which is usually a sign that the game has done its job.

The finish came down to just $21, with the outsider taking the win. 1870 does not need fanfare: it puts money, a map, and people at one table, then lets them become dangerously inventive at one another’s expense. Little trains, then. Not innocent ones.