I know I have a certain bent, a genetic disposition let us say towards railroad games. It is all about efficiency, effectiveness and optimisation, and arguably we all need that whether we like it or not. Still when the trains come to the table I am almost always going to leave a happy man. And so it was with Rails of Europe.

Euro rails is the expansion to Railroad tycoon and plays very much the same. For a review of the base game see http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/217554 In this review I would like to make a few comparative comments that occupied our discussion before and after the game and then comment on the differences a little further.
a) USD30 for an expansion board and some cards is pretty harsh, but we are slaves to gaming and a good game is worth whatever dollars are charged. Yes it is expensive but it is an excellent board. I just wish they would have double sided it.
b) Some rules are better, some rules are worse. The result is that they will need a third game which combines the best of both. This would be good news because I will get the game I want, but also bad news because it takes three expensive games to get it.
c) The board is smaller, and manageable. Still the big board was something special, a piece of gaming history that only 16 people in a mega game of battlelore can replicate.
d) The board suits a smaller number of players. The US plays better with 5 or 6 while Europe plays better with 3 or 4.

Rule Changes

A good one - There were a number of rule changes that added to the enjoyment of the game. The first was the key routes which were available for all players to take. Connecting two distant cities in the original did not automatically earn you points, rather you needed a particular card to come up and you needed to take it. In the new version the first player to join the cities gets it and they don’t need to take a card to make it so. This is a great improvement that makes for a more open game.

A not so good one - The reduction in income is difficult. In Euro rails, the income stream comes to a shuddering halt at 22 and takes double steps as early as 15. The result is that it is extremely difficult to make a profit for reinvestment. For example if you want to buy a 5 link train for $15,000 without taking a share you are almost certain to need two turns of savings. Making a $15k profit while remaining competitive in the game is a real challenge. My feeling is that railroad tycoon has a better cash mechanism. In my opinion you should be able to fund expansion from your cash reserves. Not too much but enough for a basic engine upgrade at least. I would like to see a more generous scoring track, making your early decisions more important. In one sense this game balances a little more.

A good one - There range of bonus cards is not terribly different to tycoon but I enjoy all the different ways to gain bonus income.

A bad one - The range of cards generally is pretty dull. There is a ton of mountain building, and a ton of capital connections. Mountain building is a pure cost saver and the value is clear, though there are too many filling the decks to my mind. In a similar vein the capital connections are so timing dependant that unless they come in early they are pretty much worthless and can pile up on the open card deck. Overall I think the card deck is weaker and fails to add much to the game.

A final good one – The sizing of the board is better. Tycoon seemed to have all these unused spaces on it, but this certainly has been spacing and proportions. It just fits better.

A final bad one - England, as my friend pointed out was on the map but not used. Things such as ferries were used in TTR Europe, so why not here. Don’ t get me wrong, I mean I’m no fan of the English and their dead boring style of rugby with all their forty year old has-beens. But use it or don’t I say, put it on the board and include routes and cities or simply don’t put it on the board. I expect the designers were stuck between a rock and hard place in this, but heck this is where it is easy to be the critic.

I enjoyed the expansion equally as much as the original. I think that I would tweak the game for the third expansion, and include a fourth on the reverse side of the board. Heck for 30 US they can provide us with two scenarios, maybe Australia and China would work. Still you have to take your hat off to the design team for the base game and a successful implementation in Europe if not the pricing.