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Age of Steam

2002 · Transportation

Age of Steam

Players build and finance railroad networks across a growing 19th-century American landscape, laying track between towns and upgrading them into cities. Turn sequences include buying and selling shares, bidding in auctions, purchasing locomotives and track, and delivering goods along established routes to earn revenue. Players balance investment in network expansion against operating costs and loan repayment while competing for the most profitable shipments. Interaction is high: route placement and auction outcomes directly affect opponents, and each phase presents tactical choices that shape long-term strategic planning.

Players
1–6 best 4
Playing time
120 min
Age
13+
Complexity
3.9 / 5
8.1 on LudoyaEconomicTrainsSolo / Solitaire GameAuction / BiddingNetwork and Route Building
Play it with LudoyaWhere to buy it

About the game

Publisher

Expansions

See them in Ludoya
Age of Steam Expansion #2: Western United States and Germany2003Age of Steam Expansion #3: Scandinavia and Korea2004Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume II2023Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume I2023Age of Steam Expansion: Barbados / St. Lucia2007Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume III2023Age of Steam Expansion #4: France and Italy2004Age of Steam Expansion #1: England & Ireland2003Age of Steam Expansion: Jamaica / Puerto Rico2007Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume IV2024Age of Steam Deluxe Expansion: Hungary & Finland Maps2019Age of Steam Deluxe Expansion: New England/Pittsburgh & Switzerland Maps2019Age of Steam: Deluxe Expansion – France & Poland Maps2019Age of Steam Expansion: Mississippi Steamboats / Golden Spike2007Age of Steam Expansion: America / Europe2007Age of Steam Expansion: Vermont, New Hampshire & Central New England2008Age of Steam Expansion: 1830's Pennsylvania / Northern California2006Age of Steam Deluxe Expansion: Detroit Bankruptcy & Heavy Cardboard Maps2020Age of Steam Expansion: Germany & France2009Age of Steam Expansion: Mexico & China2011Age of Steam Expansion: Moon and Berlin Wall2011Age of Steam Expansion: Secret Blueprints of Steam Plans 1 & 22008Age of Steam Expansion: Alabama Railways, Antebellum Louisiana & Four Corners2009Age of Steam Expansion: 1867 Georgia Reconstruction, South Carolina & Oklahoma Land Rush2009Age of Steam Expansion: The Moon2005Age of Steam Expansion: Sun / London2006Age of Steam Expansion: Time Traveler2011Age of Steam Expansion: Montréal Métro2007Age of Steam Expansion: Disco Inferno / Soul Train2006Age of Steam Expansion: Holland / Madagascar2009Age of Steam Expansion: Chile, Egypt and CCCP2008Age of Steam Expansion: Mars – Global Surveyor2006Age of Steam Expansion: Outer Space & Reversteam2011Age of Steam Expansion: The Netherlands2007Age of Steam Expansion: Scotland2006Age of Steam Expansion: South America / South Africa2012Age of Steam Expansion: African Diamond Mines & Taiwan Cube Factories2011Age of Steam Expansion: California Gold Rush & Underground Railroad2010Age of Steam Expansion: Paris & Moscow2010Age of Steam Expansion: Atlantis & Trisland2010Age of Steam Expansion: Southern US / Western US2014Age of Steam Expansion: Amazon Rainforest & Sahara Desert2010Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America2005Age of Steam Expansion: Australia & Tasmania2011Age of Steam Expansion: Greece and Cyclades2011Age of Steam Expansion: Fukushima/Chernobyl2015Age of Steam Expansion: Cuba & Sicily2016Age of Steam Expansion: Eastern US & Canada2006Age of Steam Expansion: Human Body/Synapses2015Age of Steam Expansion: The Zombie Apocalypse2009Age of Steam Expansion: North Eastern USA / South Africa2005Age of Steam Expansion: Hawaiian Islands2017Age of Steam Expansion: Washington DC and The Berlin Wall2008Age of Steam Expansion: Panama/Corsica2018Age of Steam Expansion: Argentina / The French Riviera2014Age of Steam Expansion: Congo/Sweden2017Age of Steam Expansion: Pack Ice & Solar System2016Age of Steam Expansion: Iceland/Texas2018Age of Steam Expansion: War in Iraq & New York Subway2007Age of Steam Expansion: Tibet and Cyprus2012Age of Steam Expansion: Poland2010Age of Steam Expansion: Mexico, Spain/Portugal2007Age of Steam Expansion: Honeybee Hive Mind, Brooklyn & Escape Room2023Age of Steam Expansion: Austria & India2007Age of Steam Expansion: San Andreas Fault2017Age of Steam Expansion: Christmas Village / Mexico2019Age of Steam Expansion: Finland & Portugal2009Age of Steam Expansion: Texas, Oklahoma & New Mexico2008Age of Steam Expansion: Vietnam / Sahara2019Age of Steam Expansion: Old Europe / 51st State2014Age of Steam Expansion: Great Britain2011Age of Steam Expansion: New England2015Age of Steam Expansion: Special 2008 Spiel Limited Edition – Essen Spiel & Secret Blueprints of Steam Plan #32008Age of Steam Expansion: Hungary2012Age of Steam Expansion: Japan/Venezuela/Tasmania2020Age of Steam Expansion: Heavy Cardboard2015Age of Steam Expansion: Portugal2008Age of Steam Expansion: Sicily2017Age of Steam Expansion: 1890 Berlin2010Age of Steam Expansion: Airlines / The Mediterranean2013Age of Steam Expansion: Ukraine2014Age of Steam Expansion: The Alps2013Age of Steam Expansion: Detroit Bankruptcy2019Age of Steam Expansion: Brummie Rails / Southern China2020Age of Steam Expansion: Halloween & Washington DC2021Age of Steam Expansion: Sharing2010Age of Steam Expansion: Reunion Island2005Age of Steam Expansion: Belgium2013Age of Steam Expansion: Robot & Hexpansion2010Age of Steam Expansion: Orient Express & Disoriented Express2011Age of Steam Expansion: Saturn 21012022Age of Steam Expansion: 20,000 Rails Under the Sea2006Age of Steam Expansion: Miami 2030 & New York Subway2022Age of Steam Expansion: Beer & Pretzels2009Japan (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2005Age of Steam Expansion: Brazil / Chicago2009Age of Steam Expansion: Double Base USA / Pacific Electric2021Age of Steam Expansion: Southern US & Pittsburgh2007Age of Steam Expansion: Everest / Zimbabwe2022Age of Steam Expansion: The Railroad Switches2013Age of Steam Expansion: Kansas City Interurban2018Age of Steam Expansion: Bahia 18082023Age of Steam Expansion: Las Vegas and Korea (N&S)2012Age of Steam Expansion: Las Vegas, Saint Petersburg & Taiwan2022Age of Steam Expansion: Austria, Switzerland & The Netherlands2005Umbria (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Expansion: Switzerland2009Age of Steam Expansion: Chicago Speakeasy / Rush Belt 21122023Age of Steam Expansion: Orient Express / Amusement Park2024Age of Steam Expansion: Steampunk2023Age of Steam Expansion: Balkans2022Age of Steam Expansion: France 2078 / Mongolia2024Age of Steam Expansion: 23 Wards of Tōkyō, Ōita Hot Spring Town & The Lost City of Dwarka2024Age of Steam Expansion: Belgium / South Africa2024Age of Steam Expansion: Bay Area2005Alpha Centauri: A New Hope (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Expansion: Stalinist Russia2025Age of Steam Expansion: Kansas Tornadoes2019Northern England (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2005Age of Steam Expansion: Union Pacific Express2023Age of Steam Expansion: Rust Belt Express / Union Pacific Express2024Age of Steam Expansion: Venice / Tokyo2023Age of Steam Expansion: Chesapeake & Ohio2006Iceland (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Corsica (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume V2026Age of Steam Expansion: Hong Kong2007Age of Steam Expansion: Easter Island and Zoo2025Age of Steam Expansion: Iraq / Berlin2023Age of Steam Expansion: New Zealand and Korea2025Age of Steam Deluxe: Expansion Volume VI2026Age of Steam: England2022Age of Steam Expansion: Denmark2015India (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Mongolia (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Expansion: Slovakia2007Age of Steam: Osaka2021Age of Steam Expansion: Colony2007Age of Steam: Ireland2024Puerto Rico (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Expansion: South East Australia2015Age of Steam Expansion: Pittsburgh Metro / Denmark2026Age of Steam Expansion: Siberia2007New Zealand (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam: The NYC & The Erie Canal Express2024North-East Ohio (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2015Age of Steam Expansion: Wales2015Age of Steam Expansion: 18xxBelgium – The Road to Mechelen2023Age of Steam Expansion: Dutch Tulip Bubble / Wisconsin Cheeseheads2025Spain (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Age of Steam Deluxe Expansion: Beer & Pretzels / Reversteam2026Cheshire (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2004Frontline (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Benzene (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2022Connecticut Corridor (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2008Shibuya Night Out (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2022Aiaia (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2025Fukuoka (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2022Long Island (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2015Yamaguchi (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2022Age of Steam Expansion: Powerhouses of the North / Phase IV:March of the Ants2025Missouri (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2008Hiroshima (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2023Manhattan 1929 (fan expansion for Age of Steam)202318Steam (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2007Age of Steam Expansion: Sado2022Australia (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2006Green Island (Fan Expansion for Age of Steam)2024Steamhenge (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2024Vesuvius (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2024Age of Steam Expansion: Ryukyu Journey2025Ruhrgebiet (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2026Skier's Paradise (fan expansion for Age of Steam)2024Age of Steam Expansion: 23 Wards of Tokyo2024Age of Steam Expansion: Brooklyn2023Age of Steam Expansion: Escape Room2023Age of Steam Expansion: Honeybee Hive Mind2023Age of Steam Expansion: Oita Hot Spring Town2024Age of Steam Expansion: The Lost City of Dwarka2024

Photos from Ludoya tables

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  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Sapinto
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Sapinto
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Alba Lo
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Alba Lo
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Sapinto
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Sapinto
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Alba Lo
  • Age of Steam on the table, photo by Alba Lo

Where to buy it

Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
256
Plays logged
448
Players
2h 7m
Average play
77
In collections
29
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

8.1/10

from 49 Ludoya reviews

  • Fun6.0
  • Interaction10.0
  • Replayability10.0
  • Uniqueness10.0
  • Looks8.0
  • Accessibility6.0

  • BWizard9.4

    [c] (15x) GAMING EXPERIENCE: ★★★★★★★☆★★ (5x) DEPTH / WEIGHT: ★★★★★★★★★★ (5x) LUCK: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (10x) REPLAYABILITY: ★★★★★★★★★★ (6x) MECHANICS: ★★★★★★★★★★ (6x) PLAYER INTERACTION: ★★★★★★★★★★ (3x) SCALABILITY (PLAYER COUNT): ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (2x) LENGTH: ★★★★★★★★☆★ (2x) CLARITY OF RULES: ★★★★★★★★★★ (6x) COMPONENT QUALITY: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ [/c] I translated the Hungarian version of this game. --------------- A játék magyar kiadásának fordítását én készítettem el. KS version (but probably replace it with the Hungarian edition later) :thumbsup: I loved it! I absolutely loved it! ...and then it turned out I was really bad at it! But I don't care, I want to play again! :) :thumbsup: Simple rules, great depth. :thumbsup: Language independent. :thumbsdown: I like this minimalist design, but the track tiles could have been nicer, some people thought it was very ugly, and that's why we almost didn't play with it.

  • Balleflass7.0

    I prefer Brass over this. For some reason I have much less of a problem with the randomness of cards in Brass than the randomness in the growth phase in AoS. If I want to play a networking game, then I'll play Brass and if I want to play a train game with shares, I'll much rather play 18xx.

  • FinnTroll10.0

    damn i'm surrounded by a bunch of dimwitted number-fearing thinkaphobes! i have no-one to play this with! i want new friends! (and a girl... with a house... with cable)

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.