Railroads is undeniably addictive, at least in the short term. This is the sort of strategy game that you can easily fall in love with – for about two weeks. After that, some of its issues start to take hold, though, leaving you wanting a bit more out of the experience. For example, the scale is a bit odd – the maps are all very small in that some of the cities are practically on top of each other. You never really get the sense that your trains are on a long journey through the wilds of America (or Europe). You also cannot lay cross tracks over other player’s track – you have to instead build around, over, or under it. After a while each game starts to feel the same, particularly when playing the AI. It’s not that the AI plays a bad game, but it’s the random human element that gives Railroads its legs, but if you aren’t into playing other people, the game starts to drag a bit after you win a few scenarios.

There’s also no real sense of history, which is very strange for a game designed by the folks at Firaxis. Yes, the trains are authentic (and look fantastic) but the big picture is missing. Why does a city demand automobiles in 1830? When playing in an early era, how can the 1860s come and go without a hint of other events such as the Civil War? You’d think the Great Depression of the 1930s would have a huge impact on a rail empire – but none of those worldly events make an appearance; this is a train building game in the United States which lives inside a bubble.

In the end, Railroads is more like a really neat toy train game with lovely graphics than the deep strategy/business offering many were hoping for, and the comparisons to past games wouldn’t even be as much of an issue if the game’s box didn’t reference the fact that Meier started the entire Tycoon genre. There’s a slight bit of false advertising there because this has nothing to do, at all, with the old games aside from the subject matter. Still, Railroads is definitely worth it if you’re into model trains, but those looking for a bit more meat may feel a bit under whelmed. - William Abner