Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon is a simulation game where you start with $100000 in the bank after taking out loans and selling stocks. You must design your own railroad that moves people and goods across the country, using revenue to continue expanding while keeping control of your company and appeasing your stock holders.
The gameplay involves building different sizes of stations to take care of local needs, creating trains that switch consists at different stations, and maximizing throughput. Upgrading or retiring trains as times change will also help you earn more money. With multiple options available in each game, you'll need to keep yourself busy as the scenarios are randomly generated.
The game is played over a 2-year fiscal period, which corresponds to one day of track time. You must use the latest technology to your advantage and drive your competitors out of business with buyouts and rate wars. The goal is to retire with a huge bonus based on your company's assets and become either the President or Prime Minister, depending on the continent.