
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,276
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Silverton
- 1–6 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1991

Rules assistance for Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America is an expansion for Age of Steam released in 2005 for 3–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Pierre Paquet and Martin Sasseville and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Commodity Speculation, and Pick-up and Deliver.
This Age of Steam Expansion expands the game to China and South America. Steam Brothers started to design expansions mainly for fun and adding re-playability to this great game. Now, with the help of John Bohrer from Winsome Games, we can share our pleasure with all the Age of Steam fans. With this expansion, you’ll experience new great action such as Diplomatic Pressure in China and El Presidente for the South America. Halfway reimplemented by: Age of Steam Expansion: South America / South Africa
Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America belongs to these categories: Trains, Transportation, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Commodity Speculation, and Pick-up and Deliver. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America are: Pierre Paquet and Martin Sasseville. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Age of Steam Expansion: China / South America as an expansion for Age of Steam. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Age of Steam to use it. Check that your edition of Age of Steam is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.