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Heavy Euro2023
Great Western Trail: New Zealand box art
Heavy Euro

Great Western Trail: New Zealand

It's the cowboy classic with the cattle swapped for sheep, and that's the smart move.

3.8 out of 53.8/5

Designed by Alexander Pfister · 2023

Players1-4
Play time75-150 min
WeightHeavy
Ages12+
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The verdict

If you already love Great Western Trail, this is arguably the cleanest, most flexible version of the engine. If you've never played one, it's a fine place to start, just clear your whole table first.

Best for: Heavy-Euro fans who want a flexible engine and don't mind a big table

The full review

What it is

You walk a flock of sheep across New Zealand, shearing wool, filling contracts, hiring help, and sailing boats to open trade routes. Mechanically it's the same Great Western Trail skeleton: a long track you traverse, a deck you slowly sculpt, buildings you drop to reshape the path. Pfister swapped the cattle for sheep and bolted on a second way to score. That one change does a lot of quiet, heavy lifting.

The catch

Here's the honest part. Reviewers split hard on this one. Some call it the best version they own and say they'll never touch the original again, mostly because every turn feels productive and the deck-building opens up earlier. Others find it a clever pile of parts that never quite catches fire, where everyone finishes within a few points and it's tough to feel why you won. It's also not a teaching game. If you've never met this engine, expect a long, dense first session, and a table the size of a small country.

Who it's for

So who's it for. If heavy Euros are your comfort zone and you like an engine that lets you commit to wool, meat, buildings, or boats without one obvious best line, this delivers. The components alone make setup feel like an event. Newcomers can start here, but go in knowing it's a big rulebook and a bigger footprint. Casual players and tiny tables, this isn't your sheep paddock. Everyone else, pour a coffee and settle in.

What other players say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

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