In Gold West, players compete as prospectors building their mining empires while vying over the valuable metals of the frontier. In a delicate balance of resource management and area control, players must carefully plan their building strategies while managing their supply tracks to refine the right resources at the most opportune times. Stay ahead of the competition and you could lead the West into the Golden Age.

The objective of Gold West is to accumulate the most victory points through clever management of your growing mining empire. There are five resources in the game: the metals Copper, Silver, and Gold are used to acquire victory points in a variety of ways, while Timber and Stone are building materials used to make camps and settlements on the board to collect more resources and influence the landscape.

Every hex contains either two or three resources. Gold generally earns players the most points, while silver and copper yield slightly less. In addition, each terrain type scores points for the player with the most influence at the end of the game. Copper terrains are the most valuable, with gold, silver, and Forest Terrains earning slightly fewer points.

When gaining new metals and materials, players place them in their "supply track", a mancala-style track players will use to manage resources. You get points the further back in the track you place them, as this creates a more refined product, but it will take longer to get these resources to the front of the supply track where they can be used. Shipping, investments, and Boomtown offices often reward players who complete them earlier, so it's a careful balance of risk and reward.