Age of Steam Expansion: Halloween & Washington DC (2021)

Overview

Introductions from the rules: (The Halloween Map) Creepy pumpkins have appeared at all of the neighborhood houses! The only way to purge them is to hire certified witches. Can they remove the pumpkins before Halloween ends?

(Washington, D.C.) The Capital Beltway is a fast way to transport goods around the U.S. capital... until the highway traffic gets out of control!

Halloween and Washington DC are another pair of Age of Steam maps created by the highly regarded Age of Steam expansion designer Alban Viard. Together with a new edition of The Giant Maps, this pair of maps was released as part of his annual Age of Steam map set in 2021, available for purchase directly from the website of his publication firm: AVStudioGames.com.

The Washington DC map (3-4 players), a revision of the expansion previously released on the reverse side of the Berlin Wall map in 2008, focuses on the Capital Beltway, I-495. While the interstate can allow for quick goods transportation, it also becomes increasingly clogged as the game progresses and eventually becomes nearly impassable. The rules are modified slightly from the original design, increasing the likelihood of "Gridlocked" interstate hexes earlier in the game.

The Halloween map (1 player), a new entry for the Age of Steam system, is a solitaire-only puzzle wherein the player wins if they can remove all pumpkins from the map. Pumpkins are delivered only with the help of witches. The rules provide for three difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, and Difficult. In addition to the map, the player must supply 12 orange cubes (pumpkins) to play.