# Steam ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2009 - **BGG Rating**: 7.5 - **BGG Rank**: #342 - **Players**: 3-6 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 90 min - **Weight**: 3.45 / 5 - **Designers**: Martin Wallace - **Artists**: Christopher Moeller, Craig Hamilton, Jared Blando, John Austin - **Publishers**: Mayfair Games, Devir, Edge Entertainment, Hobby World, Phalanx Games B.V., Phalanx Games Deutschland - **Categories**: Economic, Trains, Transportation - **Mechanics**: Auction / Bidding, Loans, Network and Route Building, Ownership, Pick-up and Deliver, Tile Placement ## Verdict If you're a fan of economic and route-building games, with a touch of bidding and lots of strategy, Steam is a must-play! Get ready to think hard and dominate the rails.Deep and rewarding strategyEngaging network buildingCrucial economic managementHigh replayability with mapsIntense competitive interactionCan be punishing for mistakesInitial learning curveTheme might not appeal to allHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready to embark on an epic railway journey with Steam, a game that puts you in charge of a train company in the heart of the steam engine era! Your mission is to build an efficient track network, connect cities, and deliver valuable goods to expand your railway empire. Each turn is a race against time and your competitors, where you'll lay tracks, upgrade towns, improve your trains, and vie for the most profitable delivery contracts. The secret to success? Making the longest and most lucrative deliveries, balancing the need to invest for growth with the relentless pursuit of victory. Score your deliveries to increase your income or victory points, always keeping an eye on your cash flow to avoid going into the red. The game comes with a beautiful double-sided game board, featuring maps depicting the northeastern USA and Canada (perfect for 3 or 4 players) and Europe's lower Rhine and Ruhr region (ideal for 4 or 5 players). And the best part: Steam is super flexible, accommodating a variety of expansion and variant maps, which is why it includes pieces for up to 6 players! If you already enjoy the vibe of Age of Steam, you'll feel right at home, but with some modifications to its mechanics and refreshed artwork. Income and train level tracks are printed directly on the board, ensuring you can use alternate maps without losing functionality. It's a robust and strategic experience for those who love economic and transportation games. ## How to Play Game Objective Steam is a game about building railroads and delivering Goods cubes along a network of tracks. Your goal is to build tracks, upgrade your locomotive, and deliver goods to make the most profitable deliveries possible. By moving goods, you earn points that can be used to increase your income or your Victory Point (VP) score. The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins. Preparation (Setup) Goods Cubes: Place all Goods cubes in the Goods Bag. Randomly draw cubes and place them on each city hex according to the number printed on the hex. (If using the Europe map with 3 players, place one cube fewer on each city). Goods Supply: Place three randomly drawn cubes on each Goods Supply space (one fewer if playing with 3 players). Board Components: Place City Growth markers and New City tiles next to the map. Player Setup: Each player chooses a color of tokens and places one on the "zero" space of the Income track and another on the "zero" space of the Victory Point Track. Locomotive: Place one token on the "1" Locomotive box to mark your starting Locomotive Level. Banker & Turn Marker: Appoint a banker to manage the Money tokens. Place the turn marker on the "one" space of the Game Turn Track. Turn Order: Random Method: Shuffle Action tiles and deal one to each player; the lowest number goes first. The 2nd player receives $1, 3rd receives $2, and so on. Auction Method: Auction each position starting from 1st place. The winner pays by moving their token down the Income Track (1 space per $5). The last player takes the final spot for free. Game Flow The game is played over a series of turns. The number of turns depends on the player count: 10 turns for 3 players, 8 turns for 4 players, and 7 turns for 5 or 6 players. Each turn consists of 6 distinct phases: Select Action Tiles: Players choose one Action tile in turn order. Build Track: Players place track tiles to create links. Move Goods (or Improve Locomotive): This phase consists of 2 rounds. In each round, players choose to improve their locomotive, move a cube, or pass. Income & Expenses: Players collect money or pay debts based on their position on the Income Track. Determine Turn Order: The turn order for the next turn is determined by the value of the Action tiles selected (lowest value goes first). New Turn: Action tiles are returned, and the turn marker moves forward on the Game Turn Track. Actions and How to Play Action Tiles During Phase 1, you select one of the following: TURNORDER: You will be first in the turn order next turn. FIRSTMOVE: You move a Goods cube first in each round of the Move Goods phase. ENGINEER: You may build up to four track tiles during the Build Track phase instead of three. FIRSTBUILD: You build track first during the Build Track phase. CITY GROWTH: Add a set of cubes from a Goods Supply space and a City Growth marker to a city (cannot be used if the city already has a marker). Cost: $2. Includes a Pass Option. LOCOMOTIVE: Immediately increase Locomotive Level by one (max level 6). Cost: $4 plus an amount equal to the new level. URBANIZATION: Convert a town into a city by placing a New City tile. Cost: $6. Includes a Pass Option. Building Track You build links (connections between cities/towns) using track tiles. You may build up to 3 tiles per turn (4 with ENGINEER). All track must connect back to a city you own. Costs: $1 per track edge leaving the tile, +$1 for a town, +$1 for a river, and +$2 for a hills hex. Towns: You must use town track tiles on hexes containing a town. Incomplete Links: If a track doesn't reach a town/city by the end of your turn, it is an incomplete link. You lose ownership if you don't extend it on your next turn. Redirecting/Improving: You may rotate or replace the last tile of an incomplete link (Cost: $2, ignore terrain costs). You may also replace a tile with a complex crossing/passing tile (pay for all track on the new tile, ignore terrain costs). Moving Goods You may move one Goods cube from one city to another of the same color. The route length cannot exceed your Locomotive Level. Requirements: You must use at least one of your own links, and you must use your own links at least as much as any other single player's links. Scoring: You earn one track point for each of your links used. Opponents earn one point for each of their links you used. Point Allocation: You must assign all points from a delivery to either income or Victory Points; you cannot split them. Money and Raising Capital If you lack cash for costs, you raise $5 by moving your token down the Income Track. If you are already at -$10 income, you must reduce your VP total by 2 for every $5 raised. If you have -$10 income and 0 VPs, you cannot raise more money. End of Game and Scoring The game ends after Phase 4 of the final turn. Final scoring is calculated as follows: Income Conversion: Gain 1 VP for every 2 points of positive income (round down). If income is negative, subtract twice that amount from your VPs (e.g., -$2 income = -4 VPs). Completed Links: Gain 1 VP for every completed link you own. Incomplete links score nothing. Victory: The player with the most Victory Points wins. Tie-breaker 1: Highest income level. Tie-breaker 2: Player who took the lowest numbered Action tile in the final turn. Tips for Winning Balance Investment: Balance the need to invest in Locomotive Level (to make longer, more profitable deliveries) against the quest for Victory Points. Strategic Links: Building a series of links that form a loop may be profitable. Network Control: Use Urbanization to create new cities, which provides new delivery options and supplies extra Goods cubes. ## FAQ ### How many players can play Steam? Steam is designed for 3 to 6 players, offering a dynamic experience that adapts well to different group sizes, especially with the two included maps that optimize gameplay for 3-4 or 4-5 players. ### What is the average playtime for Steam? A game of Steam typically lasts between 90 and 120 minutes, depending on the number of players and the group's familiarity with the game's rules and strategies. ### Is Steam a complex game for beginners? With a BGG weight of 3.45/5, Steam is considered a medium to high complexity game. It requires strategic planning and resource management, which can be challenging for beginners but is very rewarding for those seeking depth. ### What are the main components of the game? The game includes a double-sided board with distinct maps, track tiles, goods markers, player markers, money, and other components necessary to build and manage your railway company. ### Is Steam similar to Age of Steam? Yes, Steam is considered a spiritual successor to Age of Steam, sharing many of its core mechanics but with some modifications and improvements in art and usability, making it a familiar yet refreshed experience. ### Is there any language dependency in the game? The language dependency in Steam is minimal. Most components are symbolic or numerical, and the main rules are easy to grasp. Once the rules are understood, the game can be played without issues by speakers of different languages. ### Who is Steam recommended for? Steam is highly recommended for experienced players who enjoy economic, route-building, and logistics games, especially those who like the train theme and are looking for a challenging strategic experience with high replayability. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 83.98 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2088126&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/1932/steam?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com