The game depicts the era when pioneering railroad companies built the tracks that transformed the American economy.
Its various expansion maps adapt the base game rules, usually with some modifications, for gameplay set in various other locales, or abstracted concepts.
The base game "Rust Belt" map can be played by three to six players (or as low as two if using fan-made two-player rules), usually takes between 2 and 3 hours to complete, and is intended for ages 13 and above.
"Age of Steam" is a registered trademark of Winsome Games.
[2] It supports over two hundred expansion maps, with more continually being created by its extensive fan base, as well as by the original designer.