American West, Folio 1

Players represent a leader and crew of Mountain Men around 1825, with various skills and equipment. The crews venture into the Rocky Mountains, exploring new hexes and drawing their discoveries in crayon. A player needs to manage their crew in trapping, hunting, dangers, movement, exploration, encounters, and more. While the beaver pelt is prized, further money can be made in exploration, discoveries, and finding routes to the Great Salt Lake and mapping the Colorado River.

Rocky Mountain Man is played either solitaire or against another player. If 2 players, both will play in a kind of simultaneous solitaire fashion.

The game is played in turns, a turn comprising several phases. After a turn is conducted another begins, continuing until either the time limit is complete, the goal is achieved, or the Trading Post is built (if playing a campaign), or if all crews have been killed.

In a two-player game, each player goes as fast or as patiently as they prefer. Each player may be in a completely different part of a phase than another. One player may complete several more turns than another, depending on their speed.

The game can be played in timed sessions, by achievement of goals, or as a campaign.

Victory is based on the kind of play. In s two-player game Victory Points determine the win. In solitaire, achieving a goal will provide victory.

Rocky Mountain Man is based on the Source of the Nile (1978) game system. While there are many of the same game rules, some have been adjusted and others added. For players familiar with Source of the Nile, it is good to know the general pattern of that game, but do not assume a rule will be exactly the same.

-description from designer