Steam Power — Deluxe Edition
🐸 Dettagli da BoardGameGeek
Consiglio BGG sul numero di giocatori
Categorie
Meccaniche
Design & Art
Lingua
Pre-order - leggi i dettagli
🐸 Una rana saggia sa quando dividere l’ordine… e quando aspettare il salto giusto.
Pairs well with
FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Someone calculates the shortest path. Someone else builds a factory in the wrong place. And in the end, everyone looks at the map and wonders how on earth that one person won.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Tracks, factories, and contracts in the age of steam
Martin Wallace returns to trains with a system that blends network building, economic management, and resource competition. Leith Walton illustrates a Deluxe Edition that includes four maps (Australia, England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, USA) and improved components. It's not a game about trains: it's a game about the opportunities others leave you. Or that you create for them.
Each turn you have two actions. You can lay tracks, build factories, complete contracts, collect new contracts, earn money. Factories bring resources to the board, but everyone can use them. For a price. The game ends when a certain number of contracts have been fulfilled. The player with the most points (and converted money) wins.
What they say abroad
"Wallace's tightest economic puzzle in years."
Wallace's tightest economic puzzle in years.
— Space Biff
A system that makes you feel productive even when you're just giving opportunities to others. Brilliant and sadistic.
— FroGames
Steam Power — Deluxe Edition
The game includes an official solo system that uses contracts and factories managed by automa cards. The experience is complete and maintains the economic tension of multiplayer, although it loses the direct competition for key positions on the board.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and game sessionsThe elements in play
What you have in front of you when you play
Tracks
Each route costs money and connects you to new resources. But if you build too far from your contracts, you've just wasted money for nothing.
Factories
Building them brings resources to the board. Anyone can use them, but you earn when they do. It's an investment that pays off if others need what you produce.
Contracts
Each contract requires specific resources and a network that connects them. Completing them earns points and money. But if you take too many, you get stuck.
Money
Needed for everything. Building, taking contracts, using other people's factories. At the end of the game, it converts to points. Don't waste it.
In an hour you'll look at the board and understand exactly where you went wrong. And you'll want to play again immediately to get it right.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The rush for initial contracts
Everyone draws contracts and looks at the map. Someone sees a perfect opportunity, someone else takes what seems easy. No one has yet understood how much they will truly cost to complete. The first tracks are laid, cautiously.
The first factories change everything
Someone builds a factory in a key location. Now that resource is available to everyone, but they earn every time you use it. Suddenly, contracts that seemed impossible become feasible. But at a price.
The network gets congested
The board is full of tracks. The best positions are occupied. Someone has built an efficient network, someone else has a cobweb that leads nowhere. Contracts begin to complete, the pace quickens.
The moment of reckoning
Someone realizes they won't be able to complete the last contract they took. Someone else realizes they can use an opponent's factory and make them pay dearly for it. The last actions count double. Every move is a compromise.
The final tally
Contracts add up. Remaining money converts to points. Someone won thanks to factories, someone else thanks to a perfect network. Everyone wants to play again with a different strategy. And with a different map.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Two actions per turn. Simple. The consequences are not.
You can lay tracks, build a factory, complete a contract, take new contracts, or earn money. Two actions, in any order you want. Even the same one twice.
Each action costs money or resources. If you use someone else's factory, you pay the owner. If you build tracks, you pay based on length. Money runs out quickly.
Contracts completed, factories built, tracks laid. The map changes. Opportunities open or close. What you do now affects the choices of others.
The turn ends. The next player must adapt to the new situation. When a certain number of contracts have been completed, the game ends. Points and money are counted.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Two actions, infinite consequences
The limit of two actions per turn is brutal. You want to do everything, but you have to choose. Every choice opens one path and closes others. It's not a game where you accumulate resources: it's a game where you give up.
Factories are public
You build a factory and everyone can use it. But you earn every time they do. It's a long-term investment that only pays off if others need what you produce. Or if you are forced to use it yourself.
Contracts that block each other
Every completed contract brings the game closer to its end. If you take too many, you risk not finishing them. If you take too few, you lose points. And some contracts require resources that others have already booked.
Four different maps
The Deluxe Edition includes Australia, England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, USA. Each has different geography, different costs, different strategies. You never play the same game twice.
Money is points
At the end of the game, money converts into points. Every purchase is a compromise: spend now to earn later, or save and convert? There is no right answer.
Variable setup
Randomly drawn contracts, factories positioned by players, turn order that matters. Each game starts from a different situation. There is no fixed strategy.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when a certain number of contracts have been completed. The player with the most points (contracts + converted money) wins.
Victory
- Complete high-value contracts with efficient networks
- Build factories that others use often, earning extra money
- Save enough money to convert into points at the end
How to lose
- Take too many contracts and fail to complete them
- Build an inefficient network that costs more than it yields
- Spend all your money without earning enough from contracts
Steam Power is a game that rewards planning but punishes rigidity. You have to adapt, calculate, and accept that someone else will use your factory better than you.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Steam Power — Deluxe Edition
How different is it from Wallace's other train games?
Steam Power shares economic DNA with Age of Steam and Steam, but the two-action system and public factories make it more direct and less punitive. There is no auction for turn order, no loans with interest. It's more accessible, but no less deep.
Do the four maps really change the game?
Yes. Each map has different geography, distances, and key locations. Australia rewards long networks, England is more compact, Germany has variable costs. After a game on one map, the strategy on the next is completely different.
Does it play well at all player counts?
The game scales from 1 to 5, with an official solo mode. At 2-3 players, it's more calculated and less chaotic. At 4-5, competition for key positions is tight. The solo mode maintains the economic tension, but loses direct interaction.
What does the Deluxe Edition include compared to the base?
The Deluxe includes four expansion maps (Australia, England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, USA) already in the base box, plus improved components (tokens, player boards, cards). It's not a separate version: it's the definitive version of the game.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The text is limited to contracts and factory cards. Language dependency is medium: a good understanding of written English is needed to manage contracts and rules.
Steam Power Deluxe Edition is a railroad strategy game for 1-5 players, ages 14+, duration 45-90 minutes. Designed by Martin Wallace and published by Wallace Designs, the game combines network building, economic management, and contracts in a two-action per turn system. It includes four maps (Australia, England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, USA) and premium components. It plays well both solo and with five. Available on FroGames.it.
Steam Power — Deluxe Edition
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
⏳How do pre-orders work?
Pre-order the game before release, payment is immediate, and the game is reserved for you. As soon as it arrives, we'll ship it right away! If there are any delays, we'll update you promptly.
🔒Can I trust buying here?
Absolutely! Secure payments, tracked shipments, and a team that loves board games as much as you do. If something goes wrong, we'll do our best to fix it.
🛠There's a problem with my order, what should I do?
Write to us now! Whether it's a missing part, damage, or an error, we'll help you resolve it as soon as possible. Your experience truly matters to us.