Only a couple of days left to choo-choo-choose Steam Power from Martin Wallace

I see a light at the end of the tunnel… Wait a second! It’s just Martin Wallace’s new train game, Steam Power (now on Gamefound). Famed for his work on Brass: Lancashire and Steam, two games on the more complex side of board gaming, Steam Power looks to be a lot more approachable.

This is great news for board gamers because, despite the simple train theme, train games can get complex quickly. They can also get magical, as shown in Empyreal: Spells & Steam. Steam Power, however, is more akin to the delightfully simple games from the Iron Rail series, such as Irish Gauge and Ride the Rails, bringing a real-world feel to its gameplay.

Steam Power’s basic premise is that you’re building competing railroad tracks across the country. By connecting cities, and building factories in these cities, you can produce goods. Completing contracts requires you to link multiple goods together, and rewards you with money and victory points.

Sounds easy but as always, the devil is in the details.

For instance, once a player builds a track – no one else can build a track in the same space. So unless you’re first to build out the important routes on the map. You may be putting yourself in a terrible position. Thankfully, you can pay to use your opponent’s tracks, whether or not you want to though, that’s up to you.

Given this gameplay, the map layouts are going to be important in making Steam Power a stand-out game. Thankfully, the ones shown so far look filled with interesting terrain and tight corners – perfect for blocking players out of important routes. It’s easy to see where players are going to have to begrudgingly work together to complete all of the contracts.

One of the more interesting things about this campaign, at least for me, is that it’s from Wallace Designs. An Australian-based publishing company owned and operated by Martin Wallace. This is their 3rd game with previous releases including Bloodstones and Fighting Fantasy Adventures.

Of those, Bloodstones has hit retail and is sitting at a comfortable 7.8 on Board Game Geek. While Fighting Fantasy Adventures is open for late pledges and, from their updates, tracking on time for delivery.

In these previous games, they’ve opted for a timeless and classic look to their board games. Think Chess or Shogi rather than your modern board game. Steam Power is no exception, the maps look like they’re produced on old parchment and pulled out of your favourite fantasy novel. While the pieces have a minimalist aesthetic that is pleasant to look at.

For those who want to splash out, Steam Power is offering a deluxe version. Introducing new maps, and upgrading all of the track tiles and resources to thick, yet soft looking, plastic. You just know they’re going to feel great in the hand. In saying that, this deluxe version is one and a half times the price of the base game. So maybe think twice before pressing that pledge button.

For me, I’m a sucker for anything Australian made and it’s been a while since I’ve embraced the train game life. The simplicity of Steam Power speaks to me in a way that this genre hasn’t since Whistle Stop. However, even with my unbridled enthusiasm, I stopped short of backing the deluxe version, though that might change when it comes to the pledge manager.

If you’re interested in this new creation from Martin Wallace and co, you can head on over to Gamefound to pledge. Are you excited about a new train game? Or is this a genre you’ve never been interested in?