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The planets, planetoids, and asteroid colonies at the outer rim of the universe of Rail Raiders Infinite occupy a precarious, yet gainful position for the core planets and their governing body, the Congress of Worlds (or C.O.W.). Setting up mining operations and employing robots to harvest lucrative, precious resources in territories where early settlers once held claim, the C.O.W.’s wealth and impressive force overpowered locals and soon deprived them of their livelihoods. Disenfranchised and so easily displaced by the C.O.W.’s overwhelming dominance, the outer rim settlers protested only to be met with greater opposition. Creating Lawbots to secure their investments and implementing the Interstellar Express to transport their gains, the C.O.W. further entrenched its power as settlers sank into poverty and despair.
Left with little recourse, settlers soon turned from the law. Arming themselves with their best six-shooters, they set their sights on shutting down the system to sustain themselves and the lands they call home. Targeting the trains of the Interstellar Express, these settlers now raid the railways in quick-draw shootouts where the stakes are high and the profits are even higher.
Rail Raiders Infinite is a fast paced, sci-fi western strategy game that positions players as lawless Raiders looking to takedown the Interstellar Express. Using weapons, wits, and special skills, Raiders jump from car to car in search of loot. Along the way, they encounter Lawbots bent on stopping them in their tracks. Working alone or collectively, Raiders stick ‘em up and shoot it out as they attempt to rummage the rails, profit double-dollars, and restore their lands.
Where many of our games target those that fancy a crunchier, scenario-based experience, Rail Raiders Infinite is different. It’s specifically designed to be played straight out of the box and completed in under an hour. It’s also player-friendly, allowing players to participate during an entire game instead of getting eliminated in a single skirmish. Its card shuffle and dice toss mechanics assure that the game will never be quite the same each time, and the various expansion tiles, Lawbots, and Raiders assure it’ll be a novel experience. When I recently played the game with our crew, I found it incredibly easy to learn and exciting. The setup is simple and easy to follow in the rulebook. After you select your character from the array of gunslinging, sharp-shooting chibi miniatures and obtain your character card that describes your unique ability, you shuffle the tiles and cards to build the train and decks that guide the gameplay. From there, it’s time to get to gunslinging aboard the Interstellar Express!
Once all characters are aboard the train, play moves in a quick, thematic fashion. Random events happen at the start of each Raider’s turn as the train jostles along the tracks: players or Lawbots slide around as the train hits sharp turns and other obstacles, or the game hastens as the train speeds toward its destination. With a nod to Western flair, players then raid the train by moving, attacking, and searching for items. Entering into a showdown as they bust into each car, Raiders battle the law singlehandedly with their six-shooters blazing or stack the deck in their favor by working with one another. (Of course, because each Raider is also out to bum-rush the rail to take away the biggest haul of double-dollars, there are no alliances and no guarantees of aid!) The game then concludes as the train loses steam or reaches its destination, forcing the Raiders to evacuate before reinforcements arrive. Along with quick play akin to the quick draw of a Western stick-up, Rail Raiders Infinite continues the Western motif with poker hand rankings as a core mechanic of resolving attacks and other actions. Using poker-themed six-sided dice, players roll their hands and compare hand ranks based on standard sets (e.g., two pair, three of a kind, straight, full house). As in poker, higher ranked hands beat lower ranked hands, making it easy to resolve actions and keep the train a-rollin’ and the double-dollars flown’!
We’re excited to share Rail Raiders Infinite with longtime fans and new gamers! It’s not only a fast, easy to play railway rummage, it’s also an approachable game with whimsical miniatures and Wild West flair that’s sure to be fun for all! •••
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