Irish Gauge, Strategy Board Game, Game of Building Railroads Across Ireland, 60 Minute Play Time, 3 to 5 Players, Ages 15 and Up

This is a VERY abstracted version of an 18XX railroad game, abstracted to the point that people looking for an 18XX experience should look elsewhere. People coming from the other end of the difficulty / complexity spectrum for train games will probably find a lot to like. The rule sheet is short and easy to follow. Even younger players who were unfamiliar with auctions and stocks were able to pick up the game after a couple of turns and inflating stock prices during auctions to hurt other players.For a game where there's no direct conflict, it's an evil game with plenty of opportunities to annoy and punish the other players. The randomness will be a deal breaker for some players, but didn't bother me. Players can run away with the game, making the last third a little boring. However, as a 45-60 minute game that comes to the table this easily and plays so breezily, I'm willing to overlook small gripes.This game plays a little like Acquire, if Acquire were a lot more dramatic, less random, and gave you control of the board.A total steal at this price. Pretty too.

Brilliant game! Excellent production for only $30. I have played a few cube rails but this is currently my favorite. Creative mechanics with a smooth flow in just over 60 minutes. Its all about moving figures to your advantage but the chosen tools and motivations impact the game in clever ways. Rules are very easy to learn. As a plus, the art, components and box design are the best I've seen. Easy to store and carry. Nice to look at. If looking for a reasonably priced auction game for 3+ you really can't go wrong here.

Not truly an 18xx but this is an awesome intro into the genre, as it shares some similarities. The production value is amazing too -- beautiful art work and high quality components.I recommend Iberian Gauge as well (I haven't tried Ride the Rails yet but that's also on my list)

The dividends process is a little tricky at first, but once you get it, the game is easy to play. The semi-cooperative nature of it with the shared ownership of companies, along with the intense bidding wars, add up to massive fun.

I've always wanted to play an 18XX train game, but the price and game length scared me off. Not so with Irish Guage. It is relatively inexpensive and quick to play. It's an easy teach, plus has good strategic depth. I recommend this game for those new to board gaming and experienced gamers too.

Easy to learn and great balance. The game can be very cutthroat as the meta develops.

not that exciting

Excellent game, and superb customer service from Capstone when one of the pieces came chipped. They replaced it ASAP.