Sails to Steam (2012)

Sails to steam is a game for 2-5 players. Each player takes charge of a different empire to lead to economic prosperity.

Starting with a small fleet comprised of a few meager sailboats and a canoe, players will build boats, settle colonies, and even found new countries, in an effort to spread the influence of their mighty empire.

As their influence and power expands, players must carefully gauge and react to the global economy created by their fellow players, and attempt to leverage their advantages to push out other empires if they plan to become the mightiest empire.

Of all the games I've designed, Sails to Steam is my favorite. It a heavy economic euro with a very broad decision tree. These are the games I like.

A couple of years ago we were playing prototypes at a Game Artisans of Canada meeting and I said, "These games are good, but they are nothing like the games we like to play."

The more I though about this, the more it bothered me. Why was no one making the kind of game we like to play? I think fear of failure, mostly. We were afraid to throw down against top designers like Martin Wallace or Uwe Rosenburg.

The next time I had an idea for a game mechanic I decided then and there that this game was going to be like the games I enjoy so much. I want to design games more than anything, but what's the point if they aren't the games I like?

Sails to Steam is what became of that idea. Every design decision has revolved around adding strategy and widening the decision tree. I like freedom and depth. Sails to Steam has freedom and depth. I also like replay value, so Sails to Steam has that too. I love playing Sails to Steam myself. Truly.

The game is nearly finished, and is in a very low state of flux right now. A game of this magnitude will need a lot of blind playtesting, and that's where it is right now. The BGG community has astounded me with the amount of support offered in that regard, and I currently have as many playtesters as I dare commit to. If you want to get on the list of playtesters, send me a geekmail, though I can no longer promise you will get a game right away. Unfortunately the components for sails to steam are difficult to create for most people, so printing the files yourself is probably not an option.

I want to do something a little different with Sails to Steam. I plan on finishing development on Sails to Steam in full view of the BGG community. It is my plan to use the forums here on the Sails to Steam page to discuss the game with the playtesters, and they will be told to hold nothing back.

I will be kickstarting the game once I'm confident it is complete. It will be released by Good Game and Roxley Games, hopefully in time for Essen.

Thanks for coming to the Sails to Steam page, and I hope you enjoy the game, whenever you get a chance to play it.

-Matt Tolman