How To Play: Steam

Overview

If you love trains, money, and seeing your friends cry a little, Steam is the game for you. After way too many hours and several broken friendships, I’ve put together this guide. I’ll give you a quick outline of the game rules, plus my favorite tricks (sorry, strategies) for winning. If you’re new, or just tired of losing, you’re in the right place!

What’s in the box

• 1 Game Board
• 144 Track Tiles
• 56 Wooden Locomotives (8 per player)
• 80 Goods Cubes
• 7 City Markers
• 60 Player Discs (10 per player)
• 100 Money Bills
• 1 Auction Marker
• 1 Turn Order Marker
• 1 Score Board
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Steam: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Unfold the large game board. Try not to spill your drink on it like I did.
2. Give each player their trains, income marker, and a player board.
3. Shuffle the city tiles and draw starting tiles onto the board.
4. Put the goods cubes on the matching cities. Color-coding is your friend here.
5. Everyone starts with the same amount of money, but trust me, it disappears fast.

Gameplay

1. Each round, players bid for turn order. Yes, you can outbid your annoying friend, but it will cost you.
2. On your turn, pick an action: build track, improve your engine, or grab some cash.
3. Lay track tiles to make city connections. Watch out, everyone always aims for the best routes.
4. Move goods along your network. The longer the trip, the better your reward, unless you fall asleep counting cubes.
5. Advance your income or victory points, but you can’t have both every time. Life is about choices.

Winning

1. The game ends after a set number of rounds. Keep an eye on the round track, unlike last time when we played three extra turns by mistake.
2. Add up your victory points and cash. Income counts too, so don’t ignore that little marker.
3. The player with the highest total wins. If you tie, well, gloat anyway.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Bankruptcy can happen if you spend all your money. Ask me how I know.
2. Some maps have extra rules. Read them before your first game, unless you enjoy chaos.
3. Upgrades and special tiles can change the game a lot, so use them smartly or watch your friends zoom ahead.

That’s the basics! Now, next time your group is lost on how to play Steam, you can save the day—and maybe win for once.

Best Steam Strategies

Track to Victory: Mastering Route Planning in Steam

Start With Smart Connections

Always connect cities that offer the most valuable goods. My friend Dave once connected two towns with potatoes and nothing happened all game—don’t be like Dave.

1. Check which goods bring in the most points.
2. Plan short routes early for quick cash.
3. Build toward cities with many delivery options.

Block Your Rivals

Next, make sure Steve can’t sneak through your tracks! Cut off big city access when you can. It feels petty, but it’s effective.

1. Watch rival routes each round.
2. Claim key links before they do.

Leave Room to Grow

Lastly, keep future plans in mind. Routes that look silly now might let you deliver massive goods later. Stay flexible and crush it!

1. Choose branching paths.
2. Consider expansion options.

Cargo Delivery Timing: The Secret Sauce to Steam Victory

Maximize Early Deliveries

First, ship goods quickly to snag easy points. Fast deliveries mean you can jump ahead before others catch on.

1. Scan the board for short, direct routes.
2. Deliver to nearby cities before rivals block you.
3. Reap the rewards and reinvest your gains.

Plan for Big Payouts Later

Next, bide your time with some goods for a bigger payoff. Sometimes, waiting lets you chain long deliveries for buckets of points.

1. Move goods closer to high-value destinations.
2. Time your deliveries when you can use upgraded routes.
3. Watch your friends groan as you rack up extra income.

Watch the Competition

Finally, keep an eye on your sneaky rivals. Never let them sneak a delivery right under your nose!

1. Track what goods your friends eye up.
2. Block key deliveries when you can.
3. Adjust your timing to stay ahead of the pack.

Upgrade vs. Expansion: Building Your Steam Engine to Victory

When to Put Your Money in Upgrades

1. Upgrade early if you see tough hills and long routes on your map. Those trains won’t move themselves.

2. Get upgrades before rivals block the good stuff. Trust me, Steve blocks for fun.

3. Focus on upgrades when cash is tight but action is key. Upgrades give you more bang for your buck.

When Expansion Pays Off

1. Expand when cities fill up with goods. If you don’t, someone else will grab the loot.

2. Go wide when the map is open. More routes means more cash and more options.

3. If you see a path to someone’s home city, rush it! The look of panic is priceless.

How To Play Steam: Mix It Up!

1. Try a bit of both. If upgrades get you ahead, do it. But if you can snatch a city, don’t wait.

2. Switch between upgrades and expansion as rivals scramble. They’ll never see it coming—and that’s how you win.

Full Steam Ahead to Victory!

After many epic train wrecks and a few triumphant wins, I can say Steam is not just about tracks and cubes. It’s about tricking your friends, blocking their dreams, and then pretending you didn’t mean it. Study the map, plan your routes, and time those cargo deliveries like you’re a railway wizard. Oh, and if you ever forget the rules, just shout ‘How To Play steam!’ and hope someone googles it for you. Now go lay some track—and don’t let Pete hoard all the upgrades again!

Want to know what we think of Steam? Read our detailed review of Steam here