Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
California Gold is a historic simulation of orange grove production in which you represent a co-op for helping orange ranchers receive support and the best prices for their crops.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Action Points
Spend a limited allowance of points across several possible actions each turn.
Area Majority
Compete to have the strongest presence in areas that award control or points.
Commodity Speculation
Buy or influence goods whose values change before they are sold or scored.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
California Gold is a historic simulation of orange grove production in which you represent a co-op for helping orange ranchers receive support and the best prices for their crops. Play hinges around collecting cards that represent orange ranches distinguished by city environs and grouped by counties. Buildings – such as packing houses and nurseries – create local support structures, while advertising and railroad contracts increase profits. The object of the game is to have the most ranches (cards) in your co-op by the end of the game. Players acquire cards through an action point allowance, which is limited by packing house distribution. Other buildings help with advertising, leverage, and expansion into other areas of control like Political Lobbying and Amenities.