Steam

2009

Steam Board Game: Dive into the railway age, build tracks, upgrade towns, and deliver goods. Balance your investments and strive for victory in this strategic game, similar to Railways of the World.

90
minutes

3 - 5
player(s)

10+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Steam is an engaging and strategic board game set in the era of the industrial revolution. The theme of the game revolves around the rise of railways and the exciting opportunities and challenges brought about by this new mode of transportation. During the game, you’ll find yourself immersed in a world of steam-powered locomotives, vast rail networks, and bustling cities waiting to be connected.

Setting: The game is set in a dynamic landscape that changes with each play. The base game includes a map of the Eastern United States and parts of Canada, but there are many expansion packs available that offer new maps and regions to explore. Each player starts with a single locomotive and the ambition to build a successful railway company.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Game Board: The game board of ‘Steam’ is a large, thick cardboard piece that displays different terrains and cities. Players will build their railway tracks on the board, connecting cities and towns to transport goods. The game board varies depending on the number of players and chosen map.

City Growth Markers: There are a certain number of city growth markers in the game that players use to upgrade cities on the board. When a city is upgraded, it can produce and accept more goods, which can result in more victory points for the players.

Goods Cubes: These are colorful wooden cubes that represent different types of goods. Players will transport these goods from one city to another using their railway tracks to earn victory points. The color of the cube indicates the type of good it represents.

Player Tokens: Each player has a set of tokens in their chosen color. These tokens are used to mark the ownership of railway tracks on the board. Whenever a player builds a track, they place one of their tokens on it to show that they own that track.

Money: Money in ‘Steam’ is represented by paper notes. Players use money to bid for turn order, build tracks, and upgrade their locomotives. Money can be earned by transporting goods and from certain action spaces.

Locomotive Tiles: These tiles represent the players’ trains. Players can upgrade their locomotives to be able to transport more goods. The locomotive tiles are placed on the player’s locomotive track on their player board to show the current level of their locomotive.

Track Tiles: These are cardboard tiles that represent different types of railway tracks. Players will place these tiles on the board to build their railway network. The type of track on the tile (straight, curved, junction, etc.) determines how it can be placed on the board.

Player Boards: Each player has a player board that keeps track of their money, locomotive level, and victory points. It also has spaces for action selection.

Action Tiles: There are several different action tiles that players can choose from each round. These actions allow players to build tracks, upgrade cities, move goods, etc. Once a player chooses an action, they place it on their player board and then carry out the action.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Steam is a strategic board game that involves building railroads and delivering goods. This guide will take you through the process of setting up the game, distributing initial resources, and understanding player roles and the random elements involved.

Step 1: Board Placement

Place the game board in the center of the playing area. Ensure all players have a clear view of the board. The board represents a map with various cities and towns connected by potential railroad paths.

Step 2: Player Roles

All players in the game take on the role of railroad entrepreneurs. Each player will be responsible for constructing railroad tracks, upgrading their trains, and delivering goods to earn victory points.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player should receive a set of colored train markers which represent their rail company. They should also get an income marker, a score marker, and an initial amount of money. The exact starting money varies depending on the number of players:

For 3-4 players, each player starts with $30.
For 5-6 players, each player starts with $24.

Step 4: Random Elements

The random elements of the game involve goods cubes and city growth tiles.

First, place the goods cubes in a bag. Draw cubes randomly and place them on the cities as indicated by the board setup rules. Each city should have a certain number of goods cubes based on its size. The color of the cube represents the type of good. The cubes are used during the goods delivery phase of the game.

Second, shuffle the city growth tiles and place them in a stack face down. These tiles represent potential city growth and are used in the city growth phase of the game.

Step 5: Initial Bidding

Start the initial bidding round to determine the player order for the first round. Each player bids a certain amount of money, and the highest bidder chooses their position in the player order. This process is repeated until all positions are filled. Remember, the money spent on bidding is deducted from the player’s initial money.

Step 6: Initial Track Placement

Beginning with the first player and proceeding in order, each player places a set of tracks connecting two adjacent cities or towns. The cost of track placement is determined by the type of terrain and the presence of any water bodies.

Once every player has placed their initial tracks, the setup is complete, and you are ready to start the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Steam is a strategic board game where players build railroads and deliver goods. The game is divided into a series of rounds, each consisting of several distinct phases. Here’s a detailed overview:

1. Income Phase

Income Adjustment: In this phase, players adjust their income tracks according to their performance in the previous round.
Income Collection: After the adjustment, players collect their income based on their current position on the income track.

2. Order of Play Phase

Bidding: Players bid for the order of play in the next round. The player who bids the highest gets to choose their position first, followed by the second highest bidder, and so on.

3. Action Phase

Action Selection: In the order determined in the previous phase, each player selects one action from the available options. Actions include building track, upgrading their locomotives, and delivering goods.
Action Execution: After all players have selected their actions, they execute them in the order of play. This may result in changes in the state of the game board and players’ positions on the income track.

4. Goods Growth Phase

Goods Placement: At the start of this phase, goods cubes are placed on the cities on the game board. The number and color of the cubes depend on the current round and the layout of the board.
Goods Growth: After placement, the goods cubes grow, potentially leading to more cubes being added to the cities.

5. Dividend and Maintenance Phase

Dividend Payment: Players receive dividends based on their ownership of shares in the railroad companies.
Maintenance Cost: Players pay maintenance costs for their locomotives. These costs depend on the level of the locomotives.

This cycle continues until all goods have been delivered or all track tiles have been used. The player with the highest total income at the end of the game is the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Steam is a strategic board game where players build railroads and deliver goods. The game is divided into several rounds, and each round consists of two phases: the Income Phase and the Operations Phase.

During each player’s turn, they will have the opportunity to perform several different actions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what a player can do during their turn:

1. Income Phase:

Income and Expenses: Players collect income based on the goods they have delivered and the cities they own, then pay expenses for their locomotives and rail lines. If a player cannot pay their expenses, they must take out loans.
Turn Order Determination: Players bid for the turn order for the next round. The highest bidder goes first, and so on. This is a strategic decision as going first can allow a player to build or upgrade rails before others.

2. Operations Phase:

Locomotive Upgrade: Players can upgrade their locomotive to be able to deliver goods over longer distances. This requires spending money but can lead to higher income in the long run.
Building Rails: Players can build rails to connect cities or improve their existing network. Building rails costs money and uses up build points, but it allows players to deliver more goods and earn more income.
City Growth: Players can choose to grow a city on the board. This adds more goods to the city, which can then be delivered for income.
Goods Delivery: Players can deliver goods from one city to another along their rail network. The longer the distance the goods are delivered, the more income the player earns.

Each of these actions presents strategic choices for the players. Upgrading locomotives and building rails can be expensive, but they are necessary for delivering goods and earning income. Growing cities can provide more goods to deliver, but it also makes the city a more attractive target for other players. Bidding for turn order can be an important strategic decision, as going first can provide a significant advantage, but it also costs money. Therefore, players need to balance their short-term needs with their long-term strategy.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Steam’ ends after a predetermined number of rounds. The specific number of rounds depends on the number of players involved. For example, in a five-player game, there are seven rounds, whereas a three-player game only has six rounds.

Once the final round is complete, the game ends and final scoring begins. It is important to note that the game does not end immediately when a player exhausts their supply of trains. Players continue to play until the predetermined number of rounds is complete.

Before the final scoring, players must perform several actions:

Income Adjustment: Players adjust their income track based on the income they received in the final round. They move their marker on the income track, subtracting any loan repayments. Players must remember that they cannot voluntarily drop more than three spaces in a single turn.
Loan Repayments: If a player has any outstanding loans, they must repay these with their final income. Each loan costs five income spaces and players must repay as many as they can.

After these steps, the final scoring begins:

Victory Points from Routes: Players earn victory points for each route they have on the board. The amount of points depends on the length of the route. For example, a route of length five earns five points.
Victory Points from Link Value: Players earn victory points equal to their position on the Link Value track.
Victory Points from Income: Players earn victory points equal to their position on the income track. However, they must subtract one point for each unserviced city.

The player with the highest total victory points is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the highest income wins. If there is still a tie, the player who is earlier in the turn order wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

The ‘Steam’ board game implements a unique scoring system that rewards players for their strategic planning and the efficient management of their railways. The scoring system is based on delivering goods, improving your train, and building tracks.

Delivering Goods:

Standard Delivery: During the game, players can move goods from one city to another along their railway lines. Each delivery earns the player ‘Delivery Points’. The number of points is equal to the distance in links between the city of origin and the city of destination.
Special Delivery: Some cities contain goods of a specific color. If these goods are delivered to a city of the same color, the player earns an additional point.

Improving Your Train:

Players can choose to upgrade their train for better performance. Upgrading your train to Level 1 costs 1 point, Level 2 costs 2 points, and so on up to Level 6. The points spent on upgrading are removed from the player’s score, but the upgraded train allows for more efficient deliveries, potentially earning more points in the long run.

Building Tracks:

Building railway tracks costs points, but is necessary for making deliveries. The cost in points depends on the type of terrain, ranging from 1 point for a plain to 4 points for a mountain. Players also gain 1 point for each city they connect to their railway network.

The game ends when all goods have been delivered, or when the game’s point bank runs out. At this point, the player with the highest total of Delivery Points, minus the points spent on train upgrades and track building, is declared the winner.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining money wins.
If there’s still a tie, the player who delivered goods to the most cities wins.
If a tie persists, the player with the highest train level wins.
Finally, if there’s still a tie, the player who last delivered a good wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Steam is a complex and strategy-based board game that requires a deep understanding of its rules, exceptions, and special cases. These include:

Initial Game Setup: While the game’s general rules state that players should start with a certain amount of money, in some versions of the game, players might start with different amounts based on the number of players. It’s crucial to follow the rules specific to your version of the game.
Track Placement Rules: In general, players can place tracks on any unoccupied space. However, there are exceptions. For instance, mountains and rivers can only be crossed using bridges and tunnels, which cost extra. Similarly, tracks cannot be placed on cities unless the city is being connected to the track network.
Upgrading Trains: The general rules state that players can upgrade their trains at any time during their turn. However, some versions of the game may restrict this action to certain phases of the turn.
End Game Scoring: The game ends when the bank runs out of money or all track tiles have been placed. However, in some versions of the game, the game can also end when a player reaches a certain score. This rule varies from version to version, so it’s essential to clarify this before starting the game.
Income Reduction: In the standard rules, if a player’s income marker reaches the income reduction space on the income track, their income is reduced by $5 for the rest of the game. However, some players may choose to play without this rule for a more relaxed game.

Understanding these rules and exceptions is key to mastering Steam and developing a winning strategy. Always make sure to clarify these rules before starting a new game.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In the board game ‘Steam’, players build railroads and deliver goods along an ever-changing network of tracks and stations. It’s a game of strategy and planning, requiring players to balance their resources, plan their routes, and outmaneuver their opponents. Here are some tips, strategies, and common mistakes to avoid to optimize your gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: Always think several moves ahead. Consider the potential actions of your opponents and how they might affect your plans.
Flexible Route Building: Don’t just stick to one route. Be flexible and build additional routes if necessary to achieve your goals.
Resource Management: Be mindful of your resources. Avoid overspending on unnecessary tracks or trains.
Adapt to Opponents: Keep an eye on your opponents’ strategies and adapt yours accordingly. If they are focusing on certain cities or goods, consider focusing elsewhere to avoid competition.

Beginner Tips:

Start Small: Start by delivering goods over short distances. This will give you a steady income and allow you to gradually expand your network.
Focus on Income: Prioritize actions that increase your income, such as delivering goods and upgrading your trains.
Practice: The more you play, the more you’ll understand the game’s mechanics and strategies. Don’t be discouraged by early losses.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring Your Opponents: Always be aware of what your opponents are doing. If you ignore them, they may block your routes or snatch up goods you were planning to deliver.
Overspending: It can be tempting to spend all your resources on building tracks and upgrading your trains, but this can leave you in a difficult position later on. Always keep some resources in reserve.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Efficient Delivery: Try to deliver goods in the most efficient way possible. This often means using the shortest route, but sometimes taking a longer route can be more profitable.
Strategic Building: When building tracks, think about how they can be used in the future. It may be worth building a longer track now if it will enable more profitable deliveries later on.