Pilgrim

Pilgrim is one of those designs that sounds as though it should not work when you describe it: 18xx route building, a little engine building, and a Trajan-style mancala engine. And yet, credit to whoever conceived it, because this outrageous construction works and ends up being genuinely interesting.

At its core, the game has me building and exploiting route networks in the tradition of 18xx games, while also developing my own production engine. Action selection runs through a mancala mechanism reminiscent of Trajan: how I operate that “engine” determines my available options and the pace at which I can advance my plan.

Player interaction comes mainly from the tightness of the map and the route-building choices. The two narrow trade routes in particular feel somewhat like one-way streets, rather than opening up more alternative directions. Since everything is constrained, every choice carries weight: I am constantly short of something and have to decide which need to leave unmet.

That is also my main reservation. Pilgrim is so tight that it makes me sweat more than I would like, and as a result I have a little less fun than I ought to. I would prefer more options—meaning more workers—and a more open route structure. Even so, it is a very interesting piece, especially for people who love train games. Just good luck finding a copy.