Lightning Train

Lightning Train is a game centered around the theme of 19th-century railway expansion across North America. Players take on the roles of competing railway companies, striving to establish profitable routes and deliver goods to various cities. The game presents a strategic challenge of resource management and route planning within a competitive market environment. The geographical setting and the economic theme provide a thematic framework for the gameplay, although the core mechanics are abstract enough to stand alone. Gameplay involves a bag-building mechanic where players enhance their collection of resource chips to improve their efficiency. These chips are then used to claim stations and railway lines across a map representing eight North American regions. Strategic choices involve balancing the acquisition of new chips with the immediate need to secure profitable delivery routes. The game incorporates elements of competition, requiring players to consider both individual optimization and the actions of their opponents, ultimately culminating in a race to achieve a predetermined victory condition.