Empire Builder

Date: 1980

Publisher: Mayfair Games

Designers: Bill Fawcett, Darwin Bromley, Peter Bromley

Why It's Significant (in 25 words or less): Empire Builder is the original "crayon" game; players build their railroad routes by writing on erasable maps with crayons.

More About Empire Builder: Players compete to build an effective railroad network in Empire Builder, picking up commodities where they can be found and then delivering them to where the prices are good. By earning more money, you can improve your railroad -- then earn even more money. Numerous sequel games are available, including Eurorails, India Rails, British Rails, and the fantasy-themed game Iron Dragon.