Daitou (2009)

'Daitou' (大東) is a 2- or 3-player train game set on the Daitou Islands (大東島), Japan.

The Daitou Islands (大東島) is a group of 3 small islands in the Pacific, two of which are inhabited, and which are more than 400 kilometers away from the nearest other inhabited place (Okinawa). The islands were populated in the late 19th and early 20th century. Commercial sugar cane cultivation and fishing (mainly for consumption on the islands) are the main sources of income. In the early 20th century, a small freight train network was build on South Daitou Island (南大東島) to get the sugar cane to the harbor. This railroad network served until 1983.

In the game ‘Daitou’, players build sugar cane farms and railroads. Life on the islands is expensive, however, and the margins of profit are small. Efficiency is key. Whoever made the biggest fortune after three years wins the game.

The game is currently a prototype. Rules, maps, and markers can be downloaded here: http://www.lc.dds.nl/papercut/Daitou.html