App Review: Wabash Cannonball rolls in with a near-perfect score

Simple graphics, deep gameplay. That’s what the 2007 board game Wabash Cannonball promised and delivered. The Winsome train game, with a small print run of around 300 copies (we think), quickly sold out. The game was then licensed to Queen Games and re-released as Chicago Express. This version sold well enough that an expansion pack was released. Now, the game comes to the iOS market as an app called Wabash Cannonball [US$4.99]. It’s got everything (almost) that the earlier, nearly identical games have, but it’s all packed into a tiny screen – maybe a little too packed – along with a few digital friends to play against. Very different from your normal iPhone time-waster app, Wabash is a gamer’s game, and it deserves attention. The name might refer to a fictional train, but there’s a lot of real gameplay here. Read on for the full ride and to see if you’d like to hop aboard the Wabash Cannonball.

Gallery: Wabash Cannonball iPhone App