Catan Histories: Settlers of America – Trails to Rails (2010)
Settlers of America: Trails to Rails
Catan Histories: Settlers of America
– Trails to Rails is a board game designed by Klaus Teuber and published by Mayfair Games in 2010. It is part of the Catan Histories line, which incorporates major themes from American history into a Catan framework. The game is set during the 19th century American westward expansion, where players take on the roles of settlers who travel west in search of fortune or fame. The game combines the rich historical backdrop of American westward expansion with the award-winning mechanics of Catan.
Why is Settlers of America: Trails to Rails Popular?
Settlers of America is popular because it combines the fun and strategy of Catan with a historical theme that is both educational and entertaining. The game has won numerous awards, including “Best Historical Board Game” at the 2010 Origins Awards. It is also significant because it incorporates major themes from American history into a Catan framework, making it a unique and engaging way to learn about American westward expansion.
Game Components of Settlers of America: Trails to Rails
– Game board
– Resource hexes
– Number tokens
– Train pieces
– City pieces
– Settlement pieces
– Gold pieces
– Development cards
– Almanac
Game Setup of Settlers of America: Trails to Rails
Players start with cities east of the Mississippi River at the beginning of the game, and settlers are required to travel west to city sites in order to expand. The game board is a map of the United States, and resource hexes are shuffled and laid out to create the game board. Every hex then gets assigned a number between two and twelve, which are evenly distributed across the board.
Gameplay Mechanics of Settlers of America: Trails to Rails
Settlers of America plays similarly to Settlers of Catan, but with a few changes in mechanics. Some of the resource markers will move westward as the game progresses, causing the East Coast cities to be less useful later in the game. In Settlers of America, players collect something every turn, including gold, which can be traded for a resource of their choice later in the game. The game also introduces the concept of trains and railroads, which players must acquire to deliver the goods of their settlements to other players’ settlements.
Game Objective of Settlers of America: Trails to Rails
To win Settlers of America, players must place all of their settlements and deliver the goods of their settlements to other players’ settlements by constructing rail lines and moving their train to be adjacent to other people’s cities.
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