Railheads: The Midwest

Railheads: The Midwest is a cube rails game about the railroad expansion through the American Midwest and how it enabled efficient transportation of goods from the hinterland to major cities eastward, connecting agricultural regions and emerging industries to urban markets, facilitating trade and economic growth. The federal and state governments played a pivotal role by offering considerable subsidies and land grants to railroad companies, incentivizing them to build tracks through less populated areas and into states that would benefit from improved access. This investment not only accelerated the construction of rail lines but also stimulated regional economies, ultimately weaving the fabric of a national market and contributing to the United States' rapid industrialization. Through the use of a highly interactive and cascading action selection mechanism the players compete by laying tracks, crossing state lines, developing industries, and making investments with one ultimate goal in mind, to be the wealthiest magnate when the game ends. Railheads: The Midwest is the second installment in a series of cube rails games that all share a prime action selection mechanism as well as a central theme of both railroad network and industry refinement getting developed in tandem. —description from the designer