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Who have thought that a game dealing entirely with running a railroad company would be any fun? Apparently, Sid Meier did. And if we’ve learned only one thing in the last 20 years, it's that if Sid Meier thinks it would make a good game, it's going to be a good game.

Railroad Tycoon is, at its heart, a standard business simulation. You build stations and lay track, choosing the paths that will allow the quickest and most efficient deliveries. Trains can carry mail or other commodities which are chosen based on supply and demand. There is also a stock market simulator where you can trade either your own or your competitor’s stock. The game lasts for 100 years and at the end success is determined by your company's assets. If you do well enough you can even become the President!

The gameplay could be summed up in three words: speed and stocks. From beginning to end, you focused on developing the fastest trains and routes possible. As the game progressed you were able to upgrade or modify your trains in order to increase that route speed. The stock market was also a lot of fun to play with. You could use company money to conduct buyouts or even fund rate wars.

Gaming history is replete with Sid Meier gems and while the strategy genre has morphed far beyond Railroad Tycoon, in its time it was the pinnacle of what the market had to offer.

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