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Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862
2025
Rules assistance for Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 90–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 is a board game released in 2025 for 1–2 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Wes Crawford and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Re-rolling and Locking.
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About the game
On April 12, 1862, the charismatic Union agent James Andrews and his band of raiders stole the train powered by the locomotive, “The General,” from under the noses of about 3000 Confederate troops training at Big Shanty (Kennesaw), GA. Their risky mission was to cut telegraph wires, burn railroad bridges, and damage track between Atlanta and Chattanooga, thus severing communications, reinforcements, and supplies between the two cities. This was as Union General Mitchel advanced his forces upon Chattanooga with the aim of capturing it and splitting the Confederacy in two. The raiders needed to bluff their way through the Confederate railroad stations and even pass through Chattanooga to meet the advancing Union force in Bridgeport! Engine Thieves covers this courageous Civil War raid. Play as the Union raiders in a solo game as you race against time, and the Confederate soldiers on your tail, to get to Bridgeport. With two players, one of you will play as the Confederates and try to stop your opponent from reaching Bridgeport or at least minimize their destructive sabotage. Follow the adventure and real path these raiders took on their daring ride north! As the solo player in charge of Andrews and the Union raiders, you must accumulate at least 25 Victory Points by some combination of burning bridges, cutting telegraph wires, damaging track, bringing the stolen train to Bridgeport, and defeating Confederate units that get in your way, all while minimizing raider casualties. Reaching Bridgeport is a high priority since without that accomplishment, General Mitchel would likely call off his attack on Chattanooga. Mitchel might be otherwise unaware of the Raiders’ successes! The game ends when the Raiders player either passes through Chattanooga and reaches Union General Mitchel in Bridgeport, must abandon the stolen train, all Raiders are killed or captured, or the time track reaches 4:00pm. In the Two-Player version of the game (which was not included in the Print-on-Demand edition), as the Confederate player your goal is to keep the Raiders from accumulating Victory Points by relentlessly pursuing them, inflicting casualties, minimizing their ability to carry out sabotage, and keeping them from reaching Bridgeport before the game’s end.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- Compass Games
Questions and answers
Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 supports 1–2 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 Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 is 90–120 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 Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 for ages 14 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.
Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Trains, and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Re-rolling and Locking. 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 Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 are: Wes Crawford. 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 Engine Thieves: The Andrews Railroad Raid of 1862 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.