New board game re-creates the mess and fun of riding the ‘L’
In real life, if your CTA “L” station is closed due to construction, there’s not much you can do but grumble and take a shuttle bus.
But in a new board game, you can use station construction to thwart your opponents. You also can swoop down on their tiny “L” car and take them to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, even if they were planning to see the Sox.
Transit Tees, the official maker of Chicago Transit Authority products like system map hoodies and “L” token necklaces, has created a board game called EL: The Chicago Transit Adventure, in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas family visits.
Last year, Transit Tees had good luck selling a Loop card game, designed by Transit Tees artist Tom LaPlante, and decided to try something more elaborate. While the card game only involves Loop CTA stations, LaPlante created the $40 board game to include the entire “L” system.
“We’re all Chicagoans, and I like products that appeal to Chicagoans and those who use mass transit when we travel,” said Tim Gillengerten, owner and founder of Transit Tees. “It reflects our experiences riding on the train.”
Each player receives a wooden game piece, shaped like a train car, wooden replicas of CTA tokens from the days before electronic passes, and five destination cards showing “L” stops, like Central on the Green Line, and 18th on the Pink Line. Each card also includes an attraction that can be found near the stop.
The goal is to visit all five stops, and then get back to the Loop’s State/Lake station before anyone else. One player is chosen as a conductor, and at the start of each round reveals a “condition” card to determine what is going to help, or hurt players on their journeys.
It might be raining, so all the trains are packed, cutting the value of your dice roll. Or you might fall asleep on the train and have to move all the way to the end of whatever line you’re on. Players can use tokens to transfer to bus lines. Winning is a mix of luck and strategy, like getting around in real life.
There has been a revival in recent years for board games, with elaborate, strategy games like Catan and Pandemic. They offer a way to socialize with a big group in real life instead of on screens.
“It’s a good way to spend time with friends that’s a little more structured than just hanging around and talking,” LaPlante said. “You can drink and eat and just have fun with the people you care about.”