- rank: 264
- rating: 8.7
- published: 2023
- designer: Alexander Pfister
Print Status
- in print
Why It's On The List
- This third iteration of the Great Western Trail engine has the right combination of elements to appeal to me - a bit more money in the game that opens up new strategies, two different ways to use sheep (selling & shearing), and an "expansion" board that makes more sense than Rails to the North (from the original game).
Tips & Tricks:
- The solo automata is brilliantly designed and offers a competitive game and a relatively low level of player upkeep/overhead for this heavy a game.
- There is not a single correct strategy - so much is dependent on what is happening in the game state and you need to constantly adjust your expectations while still planning for future turns.
- I avoided playing the original Great Western Trail for a long time – even though I really enjoyed some of Pfister’s designs. My first play was very good – but I just didn’t see who I could get to play it with me. The new versions being released piqued my interest – but not enough to pull the trigger until GWT: New Zealand… and boy howdy, I’m glad it did. There are a number of changes to the base game – though the basics are still the same. It’s as if they took GWT and the Rails to the North expansion, smushed them together, added some clever twists to “loosen” the game up a bit, and then did a better job with the graphics than the previous versions.
Extras
- I have only played this solo - but a number of times. I'd like to play it multiplayer but it does have a bit of a rules overhead that makes getting it to the table trickier.
- This is the third of three games designed by Alexander Pfister on this countdown.
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