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?
Robber Barons was the only full game from the 2005 Winsome Games set (it also included some Age of Steam maps). It is the 4th game designed by Dieter Danziger and published by Winsome, after Transsib, Union vs Central and Lokomotive Werks.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
Robber Barons was the only full game from the 2005 Winsome Games set (it also included some Age of Steam maps). It is the 4th game designed by Dieter Danziger and published by Winsome, after Transsib, Union vs Central and Lokomotive Werks. The game is played in segments with 3 rounds per segment. At the beginning of each segment, 1 route card per player is turned face up. During each round players may either take one route card or place two cubes. Turn order is reset for each round, with the player with fewest VPs going first. Players accumulate VPs according to the size of their railroad network(s) and by playing their route cards. The game ends at the end of a segment where one of the players has accumulated at least 100 VPs. Robber Barons has some luck, with timing of route card plays being the most important factor, followed closely by strategic railroad building. The game includes two maps and route card decks, allowing the game to be played on US or a German setting.