Great Western Trail: New Zealand

2023 · Animals

Great Western Trail: New Zealand

Manage a sheep station on New Zealand’s South Island around the turn of the 20th century. Players move a runholder along a branching trail, take actions at locations to improve flocks, hire or deploy labourers, and invest in infrastructure and breeds to increase wool value. Reaching Wellington triggers deliveries to domestic or foreign trading posts for income and victory points, then movement continues. Gameplay balances route planning, herd composition, and market opportunities to optimize scoring across multiple deliveries and evolving options.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
75–150 min
Age
12+
Complexity
4 / 5
8.3 on Ludoyafrom $59.99FarmingSolo / Solitaire GameRondelOwnership

About the game

Publisher

Photos from Ludoya tables

All photos in Ludoya
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Gent Canaj
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Dídac
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Gent Canaj
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Gent Canaj
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by alex badced
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra
  • Great Western Trail: New Zealand on the table, photo by Kabra

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
274
Plays logged
347
Players
2h 32m
Average play
129
In collections
25
On wishlists

8.3/10

from 54 Ludoya reviews

  • Fun10.0
  • Interaction6.0
  • Replayability10.0
  • Uniqueness8.0
  • Looks8.0
  • Accessibility6.0
  • Martin Peral8.1

    Gran variabilidad de una partida a otra por la construcción de espacios en el tablero, la construcción de mano con las ovejas, el desarrollo del tablero personal, la subida en el track de exploración... Dan ganas de jugar más partidas especialmente una vez que se han asimilado las reglas (que a mi gusto son un poco farragositas de explicar, junto al setup de la partida lo peor). Luego también he de decir, que aún ser un euro más, la temática aún estar bien implementada, es una de las pocas que no me genera agrado

  • Mestremuten9.0

    Rating: 5/5 Production value: 3/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1

Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

If I pass over tiles with a hand (fee) and don't have enough money, do I still have to pay or does it stop my movement?

You may still move even if you cannot fully pay hands; pay as much as you can and continue, and you never pay fees retroactively (you only pay what you can at the moment). (See page 7.)

If I land on a neutral tile or my own private building, can I do the local actions and also an auxiliary action?

You may perform each local action on that tile once (in any order) and only if you perform none of the tile’s local actions are you allowed to perform one single auxiliary action instead. (See page 8.)

At Wellington when I reveal sheep for income, do duplicate sheep types count and can I use certificates to boost the total?

You reveal as many different sheep types as you like but each type counts only once (duplicates in hand don’t add to breeding), and you may add temporary and permanent certificates to your total breeding value before taking pounds. (See page 9.)

When delivering at Wellington, can I use any disc from my board and are there restrictions or extra costs?

You must choose a trading post whose value is ≤ your breeding total and you cannot deliver to a post you already have a disc on (except local 0 and terminal 21); discs must come from disc spaces that meet the white/dark corner restriction and some placements incur transport or disc‑clearing costs that must be paid immediately. (See pages 9–10.)

Can I play deck‑building or bonus cards immediately during Phase C when I draw up to my hand limit?

No — during Phase C you draw up to your hand limit but you may not play any deck‑building or bonus cards until a later appropriate time (e.g., on your next turn). (See page 11.)

If a hired worker or a harbourmaster tile shows an immediate action, am I required to take that action?

No — when you hire a worker or acquire a harbourmaster tile that shows an immediate action, you may either perform that action immediately or forfeit it. (See pages 13 and 15.)

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Score sheets and play helpers

  • ES ✶ GWT: Nueva Zelanda
  • Full Game Kit
Use them at your next game

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