In American Rails, each player assumes the role of a wealthy capitalist managing a portfolio of stocks and bonds in 6 railroad companies. Through ruthless negotiation and rigorous planning, players struggle to increase the value of their holdings and reap the profits. The player with the most money at the end of the game will become the nation's first rail baron and win the game.

This luckless game was inspired by John Bohrer's development of the Chicago Express and the Historic Railroads System from Winsome Games. Set in the United States east of the Mississippi, American Rails features player-controlled variable turn order, "city dilution," and variable set-ups, giving this cutthroat game an unprecedented level of replayability.