I love me some Martin Wallace and Steam: Rails to Riches is one of his finest contributions to game shelves everywhere. A digital version was released last year from Acram Digital and it was polished and shiny with one glaring exception: no online multiplayer. Today, that’s been remedied. It’s just been updated to include asynchronous play and I think someone needs to organize a tournament.
Steam is a classic pick-up-and-deliver game in which you build tracks, upgrade engines, and turn towns into metropolises. It’s also a Martin Wallace game, which means there are loans, loans, and more loans, and you’ll never have enough money and will probably die alone and starving. If you’re lucky. It’s the classic “train-game” without the stock market complexities of the 18xx series of games.
Online multiplayer is asynchronous and cross-platform so Android and iOS users can play nicely together. They’re also trying to get greenlit on Steam for PC/Mac (you can, and should, go vote for them here), and I’m guessing multiplayer would play nicely with that version as well.
Steam is available for iOS Universal and Android and is currently on sale, so don’t wait to pick it up if you haven’t already.
- Steam: Rails to Riches for iOS Universal, $5
- Steam: Rails to Riches for Android, $3
- Steam: Rails to Riches for Kindle, $3
No. Way.
Shut the front door.
You mean they promised to give us multiplayer post launch THEN ACTUALLY DELIVERED?
My whole world just got turned upside down.
This means I’ll actually have to learn how to play this one now…
Can anyone confirm the quality of the multiplayer before I pick this up?
Ive set up an open room. I’ll get back to you as soon as Ive got something to report
couldn’t find your game in openings. already up and running, i guess.
@Hardco, i have played the beta. still no replays or log in the late stage of beta. so i’m not sure if the devs installed something like this for final launch version 3.0.1
in all other regards the multiplayer was running fine in the end.
i have created a new 3-5 player room called “Stately Play Room”
password is “StatelyPlay”
let’s steam up some engines!
Im being told by the server that the password does not match
update:
i abandoned/deleted that game and have created a new game:
Stately Play II (password: strange)
I’m in! Looking forward to this game
color me impressed!
i got a notification that the game could be started now.
but let’s wait on a bit for a 5th player.
don’t hesitate! one last slot free.
@irishdomer08?
@HolstenKnight?
@Hardco?
@Neumannium?
@Zebracadabra?
I’ve joined
I was too late I guess!
yes. sorry, Hardco.
i have started the game, but was shocked to realize that the setup “standard” is the pro version, which maybe the “real” game but is unforgiving (esp on newbies) and will result in much longer gameplay, because of many “bidding on player sequence” rounds.
so i suggest going the hard way to start a new game on basic setup.
or what would you say?
i’m so sorry for this
i have created game “Stately Play Basic” and will send the password to all players who had joined “Stately Play II” to ensure that they have a chance to get back to their seats at the table.
only @whovian223 is missing at the Basic table. but i’m absolutely sure he will come soon.
we can as well play both games. we could learn about the differences.
i’m ready to go in both games
Ok. So i guess we wont play Stately Play II any further and you delete it or whats the plan?
cross post
once started i can’t delete.
each player who is up could abandon instead.
but see my post above. i’m ready to play both games.
we could at least play some rounds in SP II and then decide.
Im game to try either. I agree that the bidding will slow things down, but it looks like there are only 7 rounds of bidding. If we lose the bidding we also seem to lose the punishment for mismanaging your finances, as basic seems to pull money from thin air whenever you need it.
I’m in!
My iPad stays home and I can’t access the forums at work anyway (ask one of our illustrious leaders about that
). I just got home and joined.
no problem at all, Dave.
game has started. Jules is on.
player sequence randomizer pushed me to last place.
well deserved for my fail
not really from thin air. we must pay interest (different to Brass). and we can even go bankrupt in Steam.
but i totally agree with you that an important part of management and tension might get lost.
so it will be really interesting to feel the difference between both versions.
one thing is for sure: going bankrupt is a real danger in Standard.
Yahoo!!
the liner notes for the new 3.1 update go down into boardgame app history as “understatement of the year”, speaking of some "bugfixes and improvements ".
in fact it installed the mother of all improvements, also known as replays.
imho Steam has arrived in the top league of boardgame adaptations now.
deep gameplay, beautiful graphics, async, password protected private games (the best solution), notifications, options for Basic and Standard and now replays with adjustable animation speed.
watch out in the Tournaments chapter for an upcoming tournament
but before our both running games must be finished.
i can tell you, it’s so much more fun now
Dont forget persistent in game and lobby chat rooms
Email notifications as well as iOS is a nice feature too
oh…oh…
seems like we are running into problems in StatelyPlay II.
game notified and showed me that it would be my turn, but when im entering the game it’s still Dave’s turn to decide on 1$ revenue from Snotty’s transport on Dave’s track.
i hope that @whovian223 can go into the game now and allocate his 1$,
so that we could go on
i have sent a feedback to the developers.
I did that last night, so it’s showing on my game as your turn now
holy moly! then we are hopelessly stuck.
from the outside game shows it’s my turn, but inside it’s still this:
i have tried for about eight times now.
exit the game, shut down the app, load and open SP II, view Snotty’s transport and then LOCKDOWN.
i will contact the devs once more.
The lobby says its Jammas turn, but in game I see the same as Jammas screenshot
I just tried to upload a screenshot, but it was too big.
Anyway, mine says that it’s @JammaTal’s turn.
So the game is screwed up.
a decent free app for downscaling screenshots is “Image Size” by vsmedia.de
so you can’t try again to allocate your $1?
when you enter the game it looks not like my screenshot?
all kind of information is important because i’m sending emails to the devs.
maybe they can even give our game a push?
it had happened before that different players had to allocate their shares of revenue, even with replays. never caused any problem.
but even only one time is one time too much
i think we must keep forwarding this to the devs. they really care about their game and will have a strong interest to fix all bugs.
Doesn’t give me the option.
Here’s the screen shot
wow! very insightful. game has changed to next phase.
just not for me.
this will help the devs to catch and fix the bug.
i hope so.
thx for posting the screenshot.
Amazing great news from the Steam devs!
they are really very dedicated and care about the game.
just got this email:
“Thank you very much for your help! All of the information that you have provided was really helpful. The bug is fixed now
After the nearest update you will be able to continue the game.”
that really made my day.
it’s nice that we will be able to go on with game “Stately Play II”, but much more important is that one more bug will be squeezed
Looks like Ive taken the win in the basic game with a mix of deliveries and final income. Good game!
Did you all get notifications that the game was over, and got to see the end screen?
congrats to Snotty on a well deserved win in game Stately Play Basic!
GG indeed.
lots of fun.
for the most part of the game players’ turns were concealed in “fog” because we had no replays then.
but the end phase was absolutely enjoyable.
nice little gold, silver and bronze trophies
of course this was a kind of learning game. can’t wait to play more Steam games, with replays right from the start.
i would love to play/organize a tourney too.
i could announce it in ingame global chat.
we might get new registered users for Stately Play and more players for the tourney.
it functioned quite well for Hill Climb 2.
some new registered users, 2.5k views for the thread and more than 340 clicks for one of the links
I did get the notification for the final results, which was nice.
And I’m not 100% sure if this game is for me, but I may give it one more try.
game has a steep learning curve.
we are still learning by playing.
so more and more things will fall into places.
Im up for another. Maybe on the other free map? I think ive also got carcassone map and northern england
I’m also interested
Northern England must be a fine pick for Brass players
so i’m ready to buy the map.
sooner or later i want them all anyway.
This looks like a reasonable turn out for the next round
So theres:
@Snotty128
@JammaTal
@whovian223
@JMH.75
@irishdomer08
@hardco ?
@Jules ?
Rustling up one more for two tables of four would be nice
I pass, many other games I’m playing at the moment and not enough time to learn the ins and outs of a new one.
@JaneHatke want to play Steam?
Sure, I’ll play!
I’ll play if you need someone.
i have created game “StatelyPlay NE” (password: Brass).
3-6 players on Northern England map.
come along and join!
in the moment we are 7 interested players.
so one 4P and one 3P?
JMH.75 and Snotty128 have taken seats in StatelyPlay NE.
shall we wait for a 4th player or start as 3P?
when we wait on to start NE as 4P,
the other game could wait for one more interested player to start as 4P too.
i have recruited a player from my friendslist, Pete, and started the first 4P game for a perfect fit.
@JaneHatke, @Hardco, @irishdomer08 and @whovian223 can set the stage and start the second 4P game now.
the Northern England map is a delight for Brass players indeed,
all the well know cities and locations are there and waiting for connections.
canal phase is skipped
i chose Standard game for our game because a) deeper and b) totally fair.
because all players can make their bets fighting for the start player advantage (esp First Build in the first round).
but it’s up to you to make your choice of mode and map for the second game.
the whole thing starts to feel like a tourney.
a test run of course
I have gone ahead and created a room called ‘Stately Play Table 2’ with password ‘Tourney’.
@JaneHatke, @Hardco, and @whovian223 come join!
I chose the USA map and a Basic game.
If the group wants to play something else, we can certainly do that too.
Invite accepted