Introduces minor companies and merger mechanics, loans, and a voracious national railroad that will gobble your minors when you least expect it--not always a bad thing as long as you know it's coming. 1861 moves fairly quickly with the RSR buying as many trains as it can at the end of each OR--so no train stagnation even with inexperienced players. We've only played the 1861 half so far, but it alone is worth the price, so getting a variant in 1867 is gravy.
My wife and I love this game! Great theme, and the components are all very well produced. Total winner!
The mats are an excellent addition to the game, replacing the small cardboard score card used for the goals of each round. If you are using the bird meeples this is a must have as there is lots of space on this mat to place the meeples (unlike the one that comes with the game)
I was very impressed at how well the game was packed, there was no damage to the box or cards, everything arrived in perfect condition!
Seems a little complex at first, but it’s easy to play and fun to try and guess the winner and loser.