Wabash Cannonball

Description

Wabash Cannonball

2-6 Players | Ages 12+ | 30-60 Minutes

Step into the world of savvy Robber Barons in 1830s America as they build the railroads of the Eastern US, amassing wealth daily. Who will emerge as the financial wizard in this intense economic battle? With no luck or randomness influencing the outcome, only the shrewdest players will triumph. Will you expand a railroad, develop cities to increase railroad income, or invest in competing railroads? The potential for vast wealth awaits the sharpest minds—choose wisely and seize opportunities that others overlook.

Players vie for dominance in creating America’s historic railroads, including the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio, and New York Central. They also boost their wealth and stock value by developing cities along the right-of-way.

Wabash Cannonball, originally released as Chicago Express, is the first title in Winsome Games’ Historic Railroads System. The game showcases how the B&O, C&O, Pennsylvania, and New York Central railroads traverse the Eastern US, reaching Chicago, while smaller, aggressive railroads like the Wabash expand the nation’s rail network. Players—acting as sharp railroad executives—compete for maximum returns on their investments in this luck-free business game lasting about an hour.

Game Play: The game unfolds over a maximum of eight rounds, where players take turns choosing one of three available actions:

• Auctioning a share of one of the railroad companies.
• Expanding the rail system for one of the railroad companies.
• Developing one of the board’s hexes.

Each action is limited and can only be chosen a specific number of times. Once two actions can no longer be taken, a dividend phase occurs where all players gain income from the railroad companies in which they hold shares. After this phase, the number of available actions resets, and a new round begins.

The game concludes after eight rounds or when any of the following conditions are met:

• Three or more companies have no locomotives remaining.
• Three or more companies have no shares left.
• The general supply has at most three houses.

At the end of the game, the player with the most money is declared the winner. Prepare for strategic thinking and keen decision-making in this engaging railroad-themed experience!