What is a Train Game? Discussing board games with train themes, and what makes a game a Train Game?
Channel: Tabletop Bellhop
Date: 08/05/2021

You often hear gamers talk about Train Games, but what exactly does the term Train Game mean, and what makes a board game qualify to be called a train game or not? Is Ticket to Ride a Train Game? How about Power Grid? That's the question we are trying to answer in this podcast segment. 

This show is one segment of The Tabletop Bellhop Gaming Podcast Episode 131: Trainspotting. Find the full episode after May 11th here: https://youtu.be/cgwtgWl6jrs

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00:00:00 INTRO AND QUESTION

Based on a conversation that started in our private Tabletop Bellhop Patreon Patron Discord server, we thought it would be worth discussing what people mean when they say a board game is a “Train Game”.

00:01:21 TRAIN GAME DEFINITIONS 
BGG Definition of Train Games: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamecategory/1034/trains
BGG Glossary listing for Train Games: https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Glossary#toc218
Wikipedia Definition of Train Games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_game

00:05:29 COMMON MECHANICS FOUND IN TRAIN GAMES

00:11:10 TYPES OF TRAIN GAMES
18XX games, https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/19/series-18xx
Crayon Rail games, https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamemechanic/2010/crayon-rail-system

00:16:44 POSSIBLE DEFINITION OF TRAIN GAMES

00:22:08 FINAL THOUGHTS - WHAT IS A TRAIN GAME?

Some of the train games mentioned:
Ticket to Ride, https://amzn.to/3etANeO
Iron Dragon, https://amzn.to/3hmNV7B
The Last Spike, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147357963/Last-Spike-The?awid=1091
1830, https://amzn.to/2Sug1Db
Empire Builder, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147369986/Empire-Builder-2nd-Edition-1988-Edition?awid=1091
Rail Baron, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147533194/Rail-Baron-1982-Edition?awid=1091
Eurorails, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147403362/Eurorails-4th-Edition?awid=1091
Age of Steam, https://amzn.to/3f5ez1V
First Train to Nuremberg, https://amzn.to/3tqGH4v
Russian Railroads, https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147538090/Russian-Railroads?awid=1091
Railways of the World, https://amzn.to/3b6fuxO
Trains, https://amzn.to/3xOoDVD

Want us to answer your gaming or game night question? Fire off an email to: questions@tabletopbellhop.com

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