- BGG rank
- BGG #4,736
- BGG rating
- 7.8
1824: Austrian-Hungarian Railway
- 2–6 players
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,836
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Last Spike
2015
Rules assistance for The Last Spike
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Last Spike
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Last Spike is a board game released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Tom Dalgliesh and its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Stock Holding.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #320
- BGG rating
- 7.9
1830: Railways & Robber Barons
- 2–7 players
- 180–360 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1986
- BGG rank
- BGG #672
- BGG rating
- 7.9
1846: The Race for the Midwest
- 3–5 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #718
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Shikoku 1889
- 2–6 players
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,393
- BGG rating
- 8.2
1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties
- 1–8 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,543
- BGG rating
- 7.6
18Chesapeake
- 2–6 players
- 150–210 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,805
- BGG rating
- 8.6
1817
- 3–7 players
- 360–540 min
- Complexity 4.8/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,885
- BGG rating
- 8.1
1849: The Game of Sicilian Railways
- 3–5 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1998
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,187
- BGG rating
- 7.8
1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight
- 2–4 players
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 4.1/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,201
- BGG rating
- 7.5
1856: Railroading in Upper Canada from 1856
- 3–6 players
- 300 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,595
- BGG rating
- 7.9
1882: Assiniboia
- 2–6 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,648
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Railways of the Lost Atlas
- 1–5 players
- 60–300 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2024
About the game
In The Last Spike, players must cooperate to build a continuous railway from St. Louis to Sacramento. Different routes are possible and some towns never get a railway link. Each player competes to accumulate the most money from land speculation before the "last spike" is laid. Each player has a hand of four track tiles, with each tile showing a particular location on the game board and a cost. The game board depicts nine cities in a diamond shape, with St. Louis at one tip and Sacramento at the other, and locations where track can be built are marked on the game board. On a turn, a player places one of their track tiles in the appropriate space, paying the cost while doing so. (If a player can't afford to place track, they must sell one or more of their train deeds to raise cash.) If the player is the first to place adjacent to a city, they gain a deed to that city for free. After placing a tile, a player can purchase one deed for a city. Whenever two cities are connected, all holders of the deeds for those two cities receive funds from the bank based on the number of deeds they hold. A city will pay out 0-4 times depending on where it is and how track is built during the game. When a player places a tile that creates a contiguous track from St. Louis to Sacramento, this player receives a $20,000 bonus, everyone receives a deed payout for the cities just connected, then the game ends. Whoever has the most cash wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Nasza Księgarnia
- Columbia Games
Questions and answers
The Last Spike supports 2–6 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 The Last Spike is 45 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 The Last Spike for ages 10 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.
The Last Spike has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light 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.
The Last Spike belongs to these categories: Economic and Trains. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Stock Holding. 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 The Last Spike are: Tom Dalgliesh. 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 The Last Spike 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.