This historical simulation does a bang-up job of entertaining and educating kids at the same time. Kids will work with a budget, learn facts about history, geography, social studies, and science, and make important educated decisions as they capture outlaws, lay track to complete the Transcontinental Railroad, and retrieve the Golden Spike. It features realistic 3D models of classic Lionel Trains and aims to extensively cover national and state curriculum standards in geography, history, social studies, and science for grades 3-6. It is 1863 in the USA, and players must lead a team of 10,000 men on a dangerous mission. Players choose either CP and start in Sacramento, California, and race to Utah, or UP and work from Omaha to Utah.
Victory means recovering the famous Golden Spike that has been stolen by a mastermind.
Players construct the railroad step by step which involves surveying the terrain, facing mountains, and crossing rivers, valleys, and deserts on their way to the Golden Spike. For example, if they start in Sacramento, the first portion of the adventure involves connecting Sacramento and Colfax by laying tracks. Facts about the Sacramento River are given. Players store the objects they collect in their Inventory, refer to their journal for important information, and get written instructions to aid them. Outwitting a gang of real-life outlaws involves collecting clues, and capturing then interrogating them.