North American Railways
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Pick a color. Buy shares. Someone else makes them profitable. Or not. At the end, you count your money and discover that your perfect plan depended on decisions you never made.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Five railroads, one magnate
North American Railways is an economic card game designed by Peer Sylvester, with illustrations by Wanjin Gill and Harald Lieske. Published in 2016, it brings the expansion of American railroads to the table through a system of secret auctions and stock control. Five companies, a deck of cities, money changing hands quickly.
At the table, you build railroad networks by connecting cities with cards. But you're also an investor: you buy shares in the five companies, try to control at least one of them, and hope someone else grows those you've invested in. Simple rules, deep decision space. In the end, the winner is the one with the most money, not the one who built the most.
What they say abroad
"In the card game North American Railways, 3-5 players build railroads in the United States."
— Spielworxx
A game where you build railroads, but the real track is figuring out what others will do with your shares.
— FroGames
North American Railways
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsYour Tools
What you have in hand
Share Cards
Six cards for each of the five railway companies. You buy them at auction, you collect them, you hope to control one at the end. Control gives you the right to build for that company.
City Cards
36 American cities to connect. Each city has a value. Connect it to the network and you increase the company's value. But you must have control, otherwise you build for others.
Money
Bills from 100 to 10,000 dollars. You use them to buy shares at auction. You count them at the end. The only thing that matters to win.
Majority Tokens
Two per color. They indicate who controls each company. They change hands during the game. Control the company, build for it, make it profitable.
Recommended Sleeves 71 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 44 × 68 mm | 71 |
| Total cards | 71 |
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
The Flow of Each Round
A round consists of auctions, construction, and change of control. Easy to do, hard to win.
New action cards enter play. Everyone secretly writes a bid for each. They are revealed simultaneously. The highest bidder takes the card and pays. Tie? Split the card or re-auction.
Check who has the most shares of each company. Take the two control tokens of that color if you're first. No ties: if tied, control remains with the previous holder or goes to the second highest.
Whoever controls a company can play city cards to connect them to that color's network. Each city increases the company's value. Build strategically to boost your shares.
Prepare for new auctions. If the city deck runs out, the game ends. Otherwise, repeat: auctions, control, construction. The pace is constant, choices get tighter.
⏱️Your First GameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
First actions, first doubts
Everyone receives money and an initial set of action cards. You choose a company, try to take control of it immediately. Someone bids too much for a color. You wonder if they saw something you missed.
The network takes shape
Whoever has control builds. You connect a city to the network, the company becomes more valuable. But if you don't have enough shares of that color, you're just enriching someone else. The table starts to understand who is investing where.
Secret auctions, revealed truths
New shares go up for auction. Everyone writes a secret bid. They are revealed. Someone bid zero. Someone emptied their cash box. Control of a company changes hands. Plans are rewritten.
The moment of investment
Mid-game. You have scattered shares, you control a company (maybe). You decide: do you continue to diversify or double down on one color? Another player builds a high-value city. Their company soars. Yours languishes.
Final count
Last city connected. Count remaining money plus the value of owned shares. You discover you were right. Or that you gambled everything on a company that someone else grew too late. The one who read the table best wins.
🐸Good to Know BeforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to Know Beforehand
Three things you need to know
Doesn't scale well with 3 players
With three players, company control becomes too static. Someone takes two colors and holds them. Interaction decreases, auctions lose their edge. The game was designed for 4-5 players, and it shows.
You depend on others
You might own 40% of a company, but if no one grows it, that money is dead. You don't build all the networks alone. You have to hope (or manipulate) that others make choices that benefit you. Those who hate depending on others' moves will suffer.
The first game is confusing
The rules are simple, but the timing of auctions and the value of cities are not intuitive. You play the first game blind. From the second game, you start to understand when it's worth investing and when it's not. Expect an initial learning curve.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win
The player with the most money at the end wins. Period.
Victory
- Money remaining in cash + total value of owned shares
- The value of each share depends on how many cities that company has connected
- The one with the highest total wins
How you lose money
- You bid too much in auctions and run out of liquidity
- You buy shares in companies that no one grows
- You lose control of a company right before someone else makes it boom
North American Railways is a game where you build railroads but win with money. The rules fit on one page, the depth takes three games to see.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about North American Railways
What mechanics does North American Railways use?
Secret auctions (simultaneous bidding), majority share control (stock holding), network building (railroad network construction) and money management. It is a pure economic game with light rules and deep decision-making space.
Does it play well with 3 players?
No. The game is designed for 4-5 players. With 3, company control becomes too static and interaction decreases. It works, but loses tension. Play it with 4 or 5.
How long does a game last?
The box says 45-90 minutes. Realistically: first game 90 minutes, subsequent games 60-75. It depends on how much thought goes into auctions. With fast players, it can be under an hour.
Is it suitable for those unfamiliar with economic games?
Yes, with a caveat. The rules are simple and the first game gets going quickly. But understanding when to invest and when not to requires experience. If you're looking for an economic game gateway, it's fine, but expect to lose the first game without understanding why.
Is it available in Italian?
No. This Crafty edition is in English. The game is almost language-independent: city cards only have American names, the rest are symbols and numbers. You only need to read the rules once.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
North American Railways is an economic card game for 3-5 players designed by Peer Sylvester. It combines secret auctions, stock control, and railroad network building in 45-90 minutes. Each player invests in five American railway companies, tries to control at least one, and builds cities to increase their value. Simple mechanics, high strategic depth. Recommended age 12+ years, weight 2.4/5. Published by Crafty, English edition available on FroGames.it.
North American Railways
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦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!
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