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Review: Rails Across America

© Dan Finkelstein

This is what I learned while playing Flying Labs Software's new title, "Rails Across America" (published by Strategy First): Building a successful railroad company in the early 1800's was friggin' hard. Yes, I can now certainly say, after driving company after company into the black, that the game is an accurate recreation of the dozens of false starts, bankruptcies, and deserted railroad companies that attempted to snake across North America in the 19th century.

"Rails Across America", as you may have guessed already, is a difficult game, certainly aimed towards advanced computer strategy/simulation enthusiasts -- this ain't no Command & Conquer or SimCity. Instead, Flying Lab has created a complex, real-time simulation of all aspects of railroad management. Players are required to manage both construction of new railroads and everything that goes with that (choosing destinations, managing finances and taking out loans, buying other companies, etc.), as well as making sure those trains are constantly running (which includes, among many other responsibilities, picking the engines, number of engines, number of tracks, etc.). You'll also be required to deal with the other RR companies which will compete with you: making alliances and "influencing" the decisions of others. Later in the game, when your railroad spans regions and countries, you'll have to deal with (as if you weren't busy already) routing trains.

Being successful in your railroad endeavors requires finding that delicate balance between profit and expense -- get too greedy about expanding your destination list (as I usually did), and you'll find yourself bankrupt very quickly. Changing economic conditions in the country -- like recessions, and inevitably, the Great Depression, will likewise tax your company to its limits. Finance is probably the most difficult aspect of the game: you can take out loans to front your rapid expansion, but you'll be required to pay them back or face steep fees.

Rails Across America is a complex game. It's obvious the designers spent the most time working on the gameplay, and it shows. Graphics, while nothing to write home about, are sufficient, though I personally could have used some more detail on the individual trains -- while you may have many trains working on a track at the same time, for instance, the game only displays one snaking back and forth between cities. The interface, while a bit clunky, is functional. Sound effects, which include predicable train noises and whistles, border on the annoying, but can thankfully be turned off.

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