As the box exclaims in large letters, this game was "invented on the seat of a tractor." Start with 20 acres, a line of credit at the bank and hopes of independence. Each player's goal is to make enough money through the course of several harvests to quit your city job and farm full time. The board is a calendar around which the players move on their turns. The center of the board depicts the farmland available. As in real life, certain areas of land lend themselves to certain crops. Should you diversify or keep all your eggs in one basket (so to speak!)? Even the best laid plans can been wrecked by good ol' mother nature, though. To my knowledge there's not another game like it. Fun and unique, how can you go wrong!

This game is truly educational. Some folks find it discouraging how many forms bad luck can take for a farmer.

Are you down to seeds and stems again? This little card game comes packed in a burlap bag. It's about the business of dealing grass. You try to make money while obstructing the other players' efforts. Some say a good lesson in the risks of the business. How does it feel to be hit with the Busted card?

Based on the award-winning Empire Builder System, Russia Rails lets players experience the unique challenges of rail-building in the former Soviet Union and the republics which have replaced it.

Using erasable crayons, players design their own rail-networks across a geographically accurate map. Since YOU decide where to build your rails, every game will be a different experience.

"I can make $42 million by taking tourists from Munich to Seville. Plus, by stopping by Brussels for chocolate on the way, I can pick up another $12 million when I get there! Now, I'll just extend my tracks to Seville... Wait. Oh no! I'm short a million..."

Railbuilding in the EC. This is the first in Mayfair's World Rails series, and a very absorbing game. There is little interaction among players, but lots of logistics and planning with the eternal hope of making that really big deal.

Players take turns drawing sections of track with eraseable crayons on a glossy map (one of six sections shown in the thumbnail at left), Players connect major European cities with their rail lines. The cost of trackbuilding depends on the the type of terrain you cross--mountains, plains, rivers, etc. Once you have enough track built you may move your train from city to city, moving cargo and selling it to make more money for trackbuilding. Rules (along with a fair amount of geography) are quickly learned. A full evening's entertainment. (quck playing variants are provided) Nice international components.

Prospector, captain, mayor, trader, settler, craftsman, or builder? Which roles will you play in the new world? Will you own the most prosperous plantations? Will you build the most valuable buildings? You have but one goal: achieve the greatest prosperity and highest respect! This is shown by the player who earns the most victory points. He will win the game!

by Andreas Seyfarth

Railbuilding in the US. Revised to include Mexico.

Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway. So climb aboard for some railroading fun and adventure.

Contents: Map board, 240 train cars, 110 train car cards, 30 destination cards, summary card, 5 wooden scoring markers, instructions.

Designed by Alan R. Moon, Ticket to Ride is the winner of the prestigious German Game of the Year award for 2004.