Events or Encounters are random wager activities that occur throughout the game. They are indicated by a triangle icon which is initially yellow and cycles through to red before it disappears. They can occur with both trains and steamships.
Some encounters won't appear until you have achieved a certain level. Others seem to disappear once you reach a certain level. "The Tehine Tramps" is the only known encounter that changes in cost as you go up in levels.
You trigger an encounter by clicking on the triangle. There is always a cost involved with an encounter. A list of the encounters, their wager cost and the reward/penalty is below.
Subjective rankings are provided - these are merely an opinion which you might find useful. Some are marked "Never" however occasionally these can also be "Additional Tasks" in which case you should obviously do them. The rankings are as follows:
No
Ranking
What it means
4
Always
If this comes up and you have the required resources, do it. The benefit far outweighs the risk of loss.
3
Yes
This is pretty good and you'd usually take it. Only ignore if you are saving a resource for some reason
2
Maybe
OK-ish. Your decision should be based on what resources you have or need.
1
Meh
Not really worth it. If you are desperate for the potential reward then maybe, else no.
0
Never
This is awful. Avoid at all costs.
The list is incomplete.
- Items marked as "...?" need to be completed.
- Items marked as (B) are Boat Encounters. The remainder are Train encounters (obviously)
- Items marked as *Never fails?" are encounters that appear (after at least a few weeks of testing) to never fail. This could be wrong of course.
- Items marked as "TASK" are special encounters that only appear once or twice in the entire game, and only in combination with a specific Quest or Additional Task. If you don't have the funds at the time don't worry, as the encounter will reappear until you complete it.
Name
Cost
Win
Lose
Worth it?
A helping hand (B)
30
7
30
2 Maybe
A man of principle
30
1
TASK
A spot of hunting in the forest
5
5
30
3 Yes
Ambush the bandits
60
3
1
1 Meh
An ax does not a dinner make
4,000
7
600
0 Never
Artisanal Enterprise
800
??
7
3 Yes
At the southern quarries
25,000
1
TASK
-
Bloodthirsty polecats
2
5
30
2 Maybe
Bonfire at the quarry
70
12
25
1 Meh
Bottle overboard (B)
300
1
150
4 Always
Budding Craftsman
30
3
10
2 Maybe
Bundle of books
10 / 50
15 / 50
10 / 110
3 Yes/ 4 Always
Caravan
400
5
100
0 Never
Children taking the rails apart
50
50
???
4 Always
Circles on water (B)
50
70
5
4 Always
Clear away the reeds (B)
2
5
15
3 Yes
Coal thieves
30
7
30
2 Maybe
Concern for the ducklings (B)
50
70
5
4 Always
Craft by Blueprint
20
1
10
0 Never
Dejected passenger
20
2,200
100
3 Yes
Delivery of goods
2
600
1
4 Always
Dig up buried treasure
300
1
150
4 Always
Drowning man (B)
500
3
200
1 Meh
Emergency brake
600
4
150
0 Never
Experiments with a stove (B)
5
5
3
3 Yes
Exposed by fire
30
1
TASK
Fair by the shore (B)
2
3
30
3 Yes
Firing and Hiring (B)
30
1
TASK
Fishing (B)
2
5
30
3 Yes
Floating dock (B)
20
1
???
0 Never
Floating dock (B)
50
???
100
???
Flying fish (B)
400
250
???
4 Always
Gang of brigands
2,000
2
750
4 Always
Geese and the signalman
50
50
10
4 Always
Ghost geologist
75
15
15
1 Meh
Going Cheap
600
??
100
???
Gopher reduction
600
6
???
0 Never
Greedy Vale (B)
30
1
TASK
Handicraft production
15
9
12
1 Meh
Heat on deck (B)
10
5
30
1 Meh
Hermit on the Island (B)
2
400
1
4 Always
Incredible fish (B)
2
5
17
3 Yes
Itinerant trader
3
750
TASK
3 Yes
Jolly tinker
5
5
TASK
-
Let's gather pebbles
2
5
17
3 Yes
Loading matters (B)
2
5
17
3 Yes
Man with an axe
1,300
60
500
0 Never
Machine shop
100 / 3000
1
5
??? / 0 Never
Metal experiments
30
15
500
1 Meh
Money is a dirty thing
2,500
7
???
0 Never
Museum Exhibits
2,200
1
450
Mysterious cliffs (B)
2
5
20
3 Yes
Obstruction
30
3
1
1 Meh
Old Warehouses
2,500
1
800
2 Maybe
Opportunistic librarian
1,800
75
1,260
Poachers
2
5
15
3 Yes
Raft overboard (B)
2
5
20
3 Yes
Raftsman (B)
90
20
???
1 Meh
Railroad repairs
34
3
1
1 Meh
Reed islands (B)
4,500
9
750
0 Never
River bandits (B)
1,200
3
800
4 Always
River dock (B)
5 / 50
1
50 / 100
3 Yes / 2 Maybe
Rockfall
40
3
1
3 Yes
Running Man
2,500
40
100
???
Running Man
90
4
10
???
Safety Fireworks
1500
2
500
2 Maybe
Scruffy dog
1
150
1
3 Yes
Seeing Red (B)
30
1
TASK
Self-propelled cart
100
300
1
4 Always
Shelter on the hill
2
5
15
3 Yes
Sinker (B)
4
5
2
3 Yes
Sinkers for a net (B)
10
5
10
2 Maybe
Stonemason
40
30
10
2 Maybe
Stupid lamb on the tracks
50
50
10
4 Always
Sturdy Stonecutters
7
2
???
3 Yes
Sunken cargo ship (B)
70
12
???
2 Maybe
The fugitive manager
20,000
1
TASK
-
Tasty Apples
2
5
30
3 Yes
The Foreman
25,000
1
TASK
-
The Madman in a whites
12
7
15
TASK & Encounter
The Tehine Tramps (lower levels)
10
1
TASK
4 Always
The Tehine Tramps (higher levels)
90
1
???
2 Maybe
The Woodchopping
25,000
1
TASK
-
The Young Scientists
20
100
7
3 Yes
Theory and Practice
120
120
750
??
Traveling Artists
700
700
250
4 Always
Unbreakable Tool
5
5
???
3 Yes
Unfortunate miners
3,500
7
500
0 Never
Wake the driver with the horn
50
50
10
4 Always
Wealthy guest (B)
50
3,000
500
3 Yes
We're going the same way
50
200
50
3 Yes
Will the cat come back
2
5
20
3 Yes
Wow, dolphins (B)
100
1
???
4 Always
Advertisement Encounters
These encounters cost no game resources, costing only your time. Rather than button choices of "Help" or "No Thanks" you have a choice of "Watch" or "No Thanks." Clicking on the "Watch" button will subject you to a 15-45 second video commercial- usually advertising another game. Finishing the commercial will provide you a resource reward. Some encounters will provide a larger reward at higher levels. Stopping the video early or if internet problems develop will deny the reward. Either way no game resources are spent. (These encounters are in the IOS version of the game, other versions of the game are unknown).