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?
Circus Train Second Edition, by designer Tom Decker, is a 1-5 player game in which you are the owner and operator of a small circus train in prohibition-era America.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Action Retrieval
Previously used actions must be recovered before they can be selected again.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Catch the Leader
Rules give trailing players tools to slow or challenge the current leader.
End Game Bonuses
Earn additional points for meeting conditions evaluated when the game ends.
Read the full game description
Circus Train Second Edition, by designer Tom Decker, is a 1-5 player game in which you are the owner and operator of a small circus train in prohibition-era America. In this game, you and your opponents are vying to employ the best talent while putting on the most magnificent show each month. While touring the country by train, you will have the opportunity to perform while adding talent to your show through hiring the performers stranded in cities by defunct circuses. Just remember to keep an eye on your wages, because your talent definitely will. Through clever card hand management, you control the movement of your train around the American northeast, making strategic business decisions about talent, performances and payroll in this fast-paced strategy game. Each turn represents one week of real time, and after six months, the circus season closes for the year and the game ends with one player declared as having The Greatest Show on Earth. Inspired by Sara Gruen’s novel, Water for Elephants, Circus Train Second Edition includes thematic elements such as improving your show’s reputation by picking up alcohol for your talent and staff (legally, in Canada), the high costs of supplying big cats and elephants, and the ability to “red light” (firing by throwing off the train) disgruntled talent or talent that has simply become too expensive to maintain. These elements are blended into the game’s mechanics, keeping it all simple while adding layers of depth and strategy. What's New in 2nd Edition: This new edition combines the first edition with its first expansion. Along with a graphic face-lift, it adds more players (3 more), thereby changing the experience for a gamer and how they play Circus Train 2nd Edition. It also adds new, never-before-seen Event cards into the mix.