Steam Power is a board game that takes inspiration from Martin Wallace’s famous title Age of Steam. However, this version has been simplified to make it more accessible for family play. While many rules are easier to understand, the game still keeps some interesting strategic elements. It even shares a few ideas with the game Brass. In Steam Power, your main goal is to construct your own railway system and build factories. Each city in the game allows for one specific type of factory, adding a layer of planning to your moves.
When you decide to build a factory, you must place five goods tokens next to it on the board. These goods are available for anyone to use when they need to complete contracts. Your factory will only earn you points at the end of the game if all five goods have been used up. It is important to note that your railroad network does not give you points directly. Instead, it provides you with access to the factories you have built or to goods produced by others.
Completing a contract is a key part of the game. When you fulfill a contract, you can use any goods that are accessible through your own railroad network for free. If you need goods that are not connected to your network, you can still use them, but there is a cost. You will have to pay to use your opponents’ railroads to transport those goods to your own network. This creates interesting decisions about when to expand and when to cooperate.
The game finishes when one player successfully completes their 11th contract. To calculate the final score, players earn points for several things. You get points for every contract you completed, for every factory that was fully utilized, and for connecting to major cities. During the initial setup of the game, two unused city tiles are placed on the board. These tiles increase the value of specific factory types, which means the game plays out differently every time you set it up.
Building your network is a competitive process. You want to claim territory and secure access to cities. While connecting to major cities does give you some points, accessing factories is usually more important. Access allows you to use the goods at those factories for free. You are not restricted to building factories only within your own network. You can build in other players’ networks if you think there is demand for your goods. Even if your opponents know that using your goods helps you score, they might still need them to complete their own contracts.
The design of Steam Power is very clean and straightforward. Building factories does not cost anything, and laying tracks is also free as long as you avoid difficult terrain like hills and mountains. You do not use cash very often, which cuts down on a lot of tedious bookkeeping. There is a lot of board interaction. You must analyze where goods are being produced to decide the best way to start and grow your network. There is a race to expand your rail lines and a race to fulfill contracts. You need to watch your opponents closely to ensure the game does not end before you are ready.
Steam Power is quite a different beast compared to Age of Steam. It is a lighter game with a brisk pace. It is not as unforgiving as its predecessor, but it remains highly competitive. This makes it work very well as a family strategy game. The deluxe edition of the game is visually appealing and welcoming to new players.
