Southern Pacific

In Harry Wu's Southern Pacific, an auction-based train game, six railroads vie for dominance in Texas as they approach from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in the 1800s. Share ownership finances these railroads, with the president of each railroad auctioning stock, building new track or acquiring existing track from other companies, or paying dividends. "Bull Market" auctions at the end of each round can unexpectedly disrupt a president's control of a company. The game ends when one railroad has built all of its track or all stocks have been acquired. A stock earns dividends during the game but itself has no value in the final scoring — highest cash on hand wins.