Empire Builder

by MayFair Games

Product Features

• Family Board Games
• Ages 12 & Up - 2 to 6 Players

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 2.5 x 8 inches ; 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00001ZSSX
• Item model number: 4098983
• Our recommended age: 12 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,024 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Live the American dream with Empire Builder. Build a railroad, transport much-needed commodities from place to place, use your earnings to expand your railroad empire. Players build their railroads by connecting the dots on the game board using the special wipe-off crayons included. You earn money by picking up and delivering goods. This gives you the means to expand your railroad to include new cities. The first player to connect six of the seven major cities with one continuous line of track, and have a minimum of $250 million, wins the game. --Alison Golder

Product Description

Take to the rails and build your empire! Empire Builder revolves around Americas great love of trains and the entrepreneurial spirit! Start by laying down track and making deliveries and work your way up to your very own Railroad Empire! As you begin to move more commodities youll have the collateral to acquire faster trains and more terrain. Build the most effective railway and youll win the game! Empire Builder includes1 puzzle-cut game board, 95 load chips, 1 sheet of load labels, 2 decks of cards containing 136 demand cards, 20 event cards, and12 double-sided locomotive cards, 6 wipe-off crayons, 6 pawns, 1 pack of money. For 2-6 players, ages 10 and up.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Train Game, August 23, 2000

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Empire Builder (Toy)

You will never know how much fun this game is until you play it. The first time I was invited to play, I thought "Trains? What's fun about that?" But I gave it a shot and have been hooked ever since.

The premise is quite simple, as is the game play. Quickly put, this is a game of supply and demand. Your job is to connect the cities that "want" to the cities that "have," making a tidy profit along the way. With every trip, if you plan well, you may buy more rail line or increase your engines capacity or speed. The first person to connect five major cities and have $250 million wins. Bad planning you will find you stuck in Canada with no way home.

I wish they used games like this when I was in school. It teaches geography, economics, strategy, math and history all in one shot. It is a great family game, and even now it is one of the few games that my wife and mother will happily agree to play with me.

If you enjoy it, try other versions such as Eurorails, India Rails, or Japan Rails for different geography lessons but equal fun.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, thinking game!, March 13, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Empire Builder (Toy)

If you want a game that will make the hours fly, this is it. This game is a wonderful tool for encouraging creative thinking - as well as the capitalist spirit!

One word of caution with the crayons (don't press too hard! They tend to break).

Overally, however, this game is *Wonderful!* - I highly recommend it to anyone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites, November 14, 2006

By 

Adam (Suburban Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Empire Builder (Toy)

I received the newest version of Empire Builder as a birthday gift. Initially, I was very skeptical of it, as I grew up on Rail Baron and doubted I could make the transition to such a dyanmic environment. However, my skepticism was put aside after playing the first game. It is a lot of fun!

I don't know if the makers of SimCity ever created a railroad-based sim game, but this is basically the board game version of it. With only two people playing, it generally comes down to racing the other person to get 6 cities and 250 million dollars first. However, with 3 to 5 people playing, it becomes very competitive as everyone races to certain key cities before available entry points are filled. I've played with both 2 players and 4--both were a lot of fun, even though the style and competitiveness were different.

I've played three games so far and have had nothing but good times. I would gladly play more if I had all the time in the world. This well-rounded game in my honest opinion has a lot to offer people who love a variety of games, whether strategic or non-strategic.