End of the Trail

About this board game

End of the Trail is a competitive card game for 1–4 players, with games lasting about 40 minutes. Set during the California Gold Rush, it challenges prospectors to discover valuable land, build a poker hand, and compete for the most gold.

Every card has three possible uses, each connected to a different phase of play. Use cards to prospect land tiles and discover how much gold a claim may produce, collect cards for the stud poker hand in front of you, or purchase additional cards in an auction to support prospecting, poker, or both.

• Prospecting: Peek at land tiles and decide whether to stake a claim or press your luck.
• Poker: Select two cards played for prospecting to add to your hand at the end of each round.
• Auction: Purchase additional cards that can help with future opportunities.

Prospecting is a risky business. Each time you inspect a land tile, you must choose whether to place your prospector’s tent on the current claim or search for something better. If the next tile produces less gold than the most recent tile you inspected, your luck runs out and you are forced to accept the less bountiful claim.

At the end of each round, two prospecting cards become part of your stud poker hand. When the game ends, players reveal their hands. The player with the best poker hand wins another claim and places a fourth and final prospector’s tent on a land tile.

Finally, all hidden values are revealed and the gold from each player’s claims is added together. In End of the Trail, careful card management, risky choices, and poker fortunes all contribute to the race for the greatest fortune.