I recently posted on /r/boardgames about how to get started with 18xx games. The original post gathered a lot of attention but people still had some questions, and I wanted to expand the guide a bit to answer them. So naturally I thought this would be a great place to start my tabletop gaming blog. This is the first part of a series in which I intend to teach you everything I know about 18xx in a beginner friendly way. In today's post we're going to explore 18xx as a concept and talk about two great beginner games which you can print out and play for FREE. Make sure to check back every couple of weeks where I will introduce some new concepts, and a few new games you can play to learn those concepts.
So what is 18xx anyway?
If you already know about 18xx games and wish to just learn how to get started you can skip this section.
18xx is a series of heavy economic games that simulate the building of railroad companies from the early 19th century up to modern day. The series started when Francis Tresham first released 1829 in mid 1970s. In 1986 Avalon Hill released the most famous of 18xx games, 1830, which then went on to influence the genre for years to come. In 18xx players play the role of robber barons; the founders and financiers of the railroad industry. The goal is simple: Get rich at all costs. The player with the most wealth, between their shares in companies that they have invested in, and the cash they have in hand at the end of the game, wins.
18xx games differ from most economic games because of their strong simulation of stock market mechanics. One of the most critical concepts of 18xx is that there are essentially two types of "players": The players themselves who buy and sell stock during the various stock rounds, and the companies which operate during the operating rounds. In 18xx the money controlled by the players is independent of the money controlled by the various companies.
To inject money into a company, players buy shares in that company in a sufficient enough quantity to fund that company's operations. This takes place on a stock round where players typically have only two actions they can perform: buy shares or sell shares. Once everyone passes their turn on the stock round, the game progresses onto a series of operating rounds. During the operating rounds each company has a chance to operate. The player that owns the most shares in the company (the president of that company) operates it. Typically the first company to operate each round is the one that has the most value on the stock track, continuing onto the second most, the third most, and so on until the round is complete.
When a company operates it will have an opportunity to lay track, build a station, run its trains between cities, and purchase bigger and better trains in search of more revenue. When a company runs its trains between cities, it will produce some amount of revenue which then may be paid out to the players or withheld by the company. When a company pays out its revenue, it will give its investors (the players) more cash that they can use in the stock round to buy more shares or start another company. Additionally, the value of that company will also increase making each share in that company more valuable. The game continues like this until the bank runs out of money (often called breaking the bank), then all shares owned by each player are converted back into cash. The player with the most cash at the end of the game, wins.
I assume if you're still here, that I've gotten your mouth watering over this genre of games. That's awesome, but before we dive in it's important to cover a couple other small bits of advice.
18xx is a series of heavy economic games that simulate the building of railroad companies from the early 19th century up to modern day. The series started when Francis Tresham first released 1829 in mid 1970s. In 1986 Avalon Hill released the most famous of 18xx games, 1830, which then went on to influence the genre for years to come. In 18xx players play the role of robber barons; the founders and financiers of the railroad industry. The goal is simple: Get rich at all costs. The player with the most wealth, between their shares in companies that they have invested in, and the cash they have in hand at the end of the game, wins.
18xx games differ from most economic games because of their strong simulation of stock market mechanics. One of the most critical concepts of 18xx is that there are essentially two types of "players": The players themselves who buy and sell stock during the various stock rounds, and the companies which operate during the operating rounds. In 18xx the money controlled by the players is independent of the money controlled by the various companies.
To inject money into a company, players buy shares in that company in a sufficient enough quantity to fund that company's operations. This takes place on a stock round where players typically have only two actions they can perform: buy shares or sell shares. Once everyone passes their turn on the stock round, the game progresses onto a series of operating rounds. During the operating rounds each company has a chance to operate. The player that owns the most shares in the company (the president of that company) operates it. Typically the first company to operate each round is the one that has the most value on the stock track, continuing onto the second most, the third most, and so on until the round is complete.
When a company operates it will have an opportunity to lay track, build a station, run its trains between cities, and purchase bigger and better trains in search of more revenue. When a company runs its trains between cities, it will produce some amount of revenue which then may be paid out to the players or withheld by the company. When a company pays out its revenue, it will give its investors (the players) more cash that they can use in the stock round to buy more shares or start another company. Additionally, the value of that company will also increase making each share in that company more valuable. The game continues like this until the bank runs out of money (often called breaking the bank), then all shares owned by each player are converted back into cash. The player with the most cash at the end of the game, wins.
I assume if you're still here, that I've gotten your mouth watering over this genre of games. That's awesome, but before we dive in it's important to cover a couple other small bits of advice.
The best advice money can't buy.
First, the best advice anyone can give you about learning 18xx is to play the game with experienced players. They are heavy games and are different from a lot of other games on the market. But, if you can't find someone experienced enough to run you through a game or two, following this guide will hopefully provide a decent pathway to this niche within a niche. In a lot of ways this guide mirrors my own introduction to the series. I've also taken great care to provide a pathway that introduces new mechanics slowly while you learn. Although there are a lot of games in this series, and they all have similar mechanics, most of them have something unique or interesting to offer. Unfortunately because of the high variance in mechanics between games, and the already intimidating nature of the series, this can be confusing for new players. So we will start off with the basics, and from there we will learn new and novel concepts with each new game.
 | The second best advice anyone can give you about learning 18xx games is to throw away the paper money! (Or in the case of the Print and Play games, just not to print it in the first place). USE POKER CHIPS. Using poker chips will save you about an hour each game, seriously. Dealing with a bank of paper money is a hassle and it can be difficult to determine just how much your company, or you have at a glance. Poker chips are both easy to handle, and easy to count once you become familiar with using them. You'll want to buy a set with a wide range of denominations, from $1 up to $1000, and a set sufficiently large enough to make a bank of $14,000. If you're not familiar with using poker chips in your games, it would be wise to get a set with the denominations printed on the chips. I also recommend getting a set where the chip weight is at least 11.5 grams. You can make do with a set you buy at Walmart for $35 bucks, but there really is no replacement for a set of great poker chips, and they're less expensive than you might think. This is my favorite set of chips I could find online for a reasonable price that would work well with pretty much any 18xx game. |
The third best advice anyone can give you about learning 18xx games is to start with "short" Full Capitalization games. Full capitalization refers to the process by which a company is capitalized; how it gets its money. It is the simplest form of capitalization mechanics for 18xx games. This is often referred to as floating a company. In full capitalization games, in order to float the company at least 50% of the shares of that company need to be owned by players (there are 9 of them: a 20% President's share and eight 10% shares). When the first share (the President's share) of a company is bought, that player pars that company, setting its initial stock price. Typically you'll be able to par a company somewhere between $60 and $120 per share.
You'll need to pay twice the par value to the bank from your personal cash when you purchase the 20% President's Share, and each additional share only costs one times the par value. But beware, the company won't float and will not be able to operate until 50% of its stock is purchased. If you only have $400 for example, it would be unwise to par your company at $100 because you would only be able to purchase 4 shares in the company (The President's share + 2 normal shares) and it would never get a chance to operate. But if you were wise and parred the company at $80, you would then be able to float the company once you bought 5 shares of it.
When a company floats it receives 10 times its par value in capital from the bank. This is what is meant by Full Capitalization. The company gets all it's money at once when it floats. In our example above, the company would receive $800 from the bank because it has been parred at $80 per share.
You'll need to pay twice the par value to the bank from your personal cash when you purchase the 20% President's Share, and each additional share only costs one times the par value. But beware, the company won't float and will not be able to operate until 50% of its stock is purchased. If you only have $400 for example, it would be unwise to par your company at $100 because you would only be able to purchase 4 shares in the company (The President's share + 2 normal shares) and it would never get a chance to operate. But if you were wise and parred the company at $80, you would then be able to float the company once you bought 5 shares of it.
When a company floats it receives 10 times its par value in capital from the bank. This is what is meant by Full Capitalization. The company gets all it's money at once when it floats. In our example above, the company would receive $800 from the bank because it has been parred at $80 per share.
This company doesn't have any money because this picture was taken at the end of the game.
Finally, the term "short" here, is a relative term; 18xx games take a while to play. So make sure to set out an entire afternoon for your group during your first few games. The two beginner games I recommend below (18AL and 1889) should play somewhere between 3 and 5 hours for your first game, and between 2 and 4 hours once you understand how the games are played. Do not let this discourage you. Time flies when you're having fun and 18xx is a LOT of fun. They are engaging throughout the course of the game, even when it isn't your turn to operate your company. You will be constantly monitoring what other players are doing and adjusting your own strategy in response.
Now, it's time to play.
Introducing, 18AL
18AL, by Mark Derrick, is set in the state of Alabama during the development of the railroad industry in the early 19th century. This is a fantastic first game because the map is relatively small, the game is relatively short, the track tiles are on the more basic end, and it will instill in you the fundamental rules of 18xx games. 18xx games take a while to play, and your first game will be longer than average because you are learning. This series of games can also be a bit brutal for new players because there are a lot of pitfalls you need to get passed to understand not just how to win, but how to survive. Two of the most common things that will doom even the most experienced XXers are train rushes, and getting a company dumped on them during the stock round (although the latter is uncommon).
I think it's a shame when new players get started with XX and experience one of these pitfalls without totally understanding the other aspects of the game, effectively eliminating them from the game before it's half over. 18AL has a slightly modified ruleset which prevents train rushes and minimizes shifty stock shenanigans. It will let you focus on learning the other aspects of 18xx before being confronted with the harsher realities of economic competition. In other 18xx games an experienced player can totally screw you over if you aren't careful. Not so much with 18AL.
One of the common criticisms of 18AL is that it isn't the "full experience" of 18xx because it doesn't feature these two vital elements and it can feel rather dry to play, especially for experienced players. It is objectively less fun than most 18xx games but I think the basic-ness of 18AL is a benefit given absolutely zero experience with the genre. 18AL will teach you the fundamentals of how your railroad companies should operate. Plus the game is available for free, and it has a great graphics redesign by Cory Williamson. That said, as you get more and more into 18xx games it's unlikely you'll come back to it except for nostalgia's sake or to introduce more players to the genre. For that reason, I don't recommend spending a ton of money trying to pimp out the PnP version because you're unlikely to play it more than a few times.
You can download Cory's version of 18AL from Board Game Geek here.
You can also download the zip file here, which contains Cory's graphical redesign of the game.
One of the common criticisms of 18AL is that it isn't the "full experience" of 18xx because it doesn't feature these two vital elements and it can feel rather dry to play, especially for experienced players. It is objectively less fun than most 18xx games but I think the basic-ness of 18AL is a benefit given absolutely zero experience with the genre. 18AL will teach you the fundamentals of how your railroad companies should operate. Plus the game is available for free, and it has a great graphics redesign by Cory Williamson. That said, as you get more and more into 18xx games it's unlikely you'll come back to it except for nostalgia's sake or to introduce more players to the genre. For that reason, I don't recommend spending a ton of money trying to pimp out the PnP version because you're unlikely to play it more than a few times.
You can download Cory's version of 18AL from Board Game Geek here.
You can also download the zip file here, which contains Cory's graphical redesign of the game.
Introducing, 1889 - Railways of Shikoku Japan
1889, by Yasutaka Ikeda, is set in the Shikoku region of Japan during the development of the railroad systems on the small island in the late 19th Century. It features a small terrain-heavy map, a moderate train rush and a simple ruleset. Similar to 18AL and 1830, this game is a full capitalization game. When I originally wrote my reddit post on getting started with 18xx this game came up again and again, which I had not played at the time. Since then I've had a chance to play it twice, and I agree that it is a pretty damn good XX game.
I think it presents a more authentic 18xx experience than 18AL and the track tile placement is certainly more interesting. That said, it is more complex than 18AL and may not be suitable for a game where no-one has played an 18xx before. I am sure there are many that would disagree with that assessment, but it is something to consider. When learning XX the simplest thing you can find (18AL) is probably better for inexperienced players. But unlike 18AL, which you are probably only going to play a few times, I can see you bringing this one out over and over again. Hell, as an experienced player I wouldn't mind playing it again next week. :D
1889 is currently being published by Deep Thought Games.
Previously I mentioned that 1889 is available as a print-and-play off of BGG's website and provided the files here. I then learned that there was some question to the legality of these files, so I took them down. It was unknown whether or not the original author of the game had authorized the print-and-play to be publicly available. Since then, I've gotten in touch with Deep Thought Games, and they have stated that they "do not mind" that it is available from their standpoint, however they are not the rights-holder and so directed me to get in touch with the designer directly. I am happy to announce that Mr. Ikeda has given his blessing for the print-and-play release on BGG for non-commercial purposes.
You are allowed to download, print, and play the game at your leisure but you may not sell it.
That said, if you want to snag a copy of 1889, I recommend you purchase a copy directly from Deep Thought Games to support Mr. Ikeda's work on this game.
You can also download the files from my Google Drive here.
I think it presents a more authentic 18xx experience than 18AL and the track tile placement is certainly more interesting. That said, it is more complex than 18AL and may not be suitable for a game where no-one has played an 18xx before. I am sure there are many that would disagree with that assessment, but it is something to consider. When learning XX the simplest thing you can find (18AL) is probably better for inexperienced players. But unlike 18AL, which you are probably only going to play a few times, I can see you bringing this one out over and over again. Hell, as an experienced player I wouldn't mind playing it again next week. :D
1889 is currently being published by Deep Thought Games.
Previously I mentioned that 1889 is available as a print-and-play off of BGG's website and provided the files here. I then learned that there was some question to the legality of these files, so I took them down. It was unknown whether or not the original author of the game had authorized the print-and-play to be publicly available. Since then, I've gotten in touch with Deep Thought Games, and they have stated that they "do not mind" that it is available from their standpoint, however they are not the rights-holder and so directed me to get in touch with the designer directly. I am happy to announce that Mr. Ikeda has given his blessing for the print-and-play release on BGG for non-commercial purposes.
You are allowed to download, print, and play the game at your leisure but you may not sell it.
That said, if you want to snag a copy of 1889, I recommend you purchase a copy directly from Deep Thought Games to support Mr. Ikeda's work on this game.
You can also download the files from my Google Drive here.
The Bonus
1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight, by Mike Hutton.
1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight, by Mike Hutton.
1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight, is one of the few 18xx games that can claim that it was designed with the intent to be beginner friendly and fast to play. Before Carthaginian redid the artwork for 1889 this was what many 18xxer's used to introduce new players to the series. Unfortunately, in recent years it has become rather hard to get a hold of, although Z-Man did a recent small-run reprint of the game. It pops up from time to time on the Board Game Geek Marketplace at rather reasonable prices. To try and snag a copy, I suggest you subscribe to the game on BGG.
If you can manage to get into a game of 1860, I highly recommend it. It is a full capitalization game like 18AL, 1889, and 1830, however, it features a couple interesting concepts not found in many other 18xx games. The first is the concept of receivership. In most 18xx games the president's share (the 20% share) can never be sold to the bank, which means you can get stuck with it. But in 1860 you can sell the president's share to the bank, which means that the bank itself will run and operate the company. The company then runs for the most that it can and withholds all of its money in an effort to purchase a train; if it cannot it becomes insolvent. While receivership is found in many 18xx games, insolvency is unique to 1860. When a company is insolvent it only gets to run for half what it would normally, and withholds all of its income until it can buy a train. Eventually, if the company recovers, players can purchase the president's share back from the bank pool and attempt to run the company normally.
1860 also features one of the most unique end game conditions I've ever seen in an 18xx game. While many XX games feature a concept called nationalization, (which we will cover in future episodes) in 1860 nationalization occurs at the end of the game, merging in and closing companies as they operate from least valuable to most valuable. This gives better companies a chance to really pull out ahead of the smaller nationalized companies since they have more operating rounds to pay out to their shareholders.
Try to find a copy of 1860 to play with your friends. You won't regret it.
The elephant in the room.
I hear you, I hear you. You're saying, "But Ray, this is all great and everything, but what about 1830? Isn't that a classic 18xx game which features full-capitalization and is a good introduction to the series? Why not just talk about it instead, why talk about 18AL or 1889 at all?"
Listen, 1830 is a great game, and if you play 18AL or 1889 and decide you want more, the very next thing you should do is to go out and buy this game. That said, I think most 18xx players will agree, its a bit much to start you off with, especially if you're not sure if 18xx is for you. It is not uncommon, even with experienced players and poker chips, for 1830 to exceed 5 hours in length. The map is much bigger, and some of the track laying (especially around New York) can get really hairy and break your brain if you're just starting out with 18xx.
Also, something to consider is that the Mayfair Games reprint of 1830 has a metric ton of print and design errors. The shares and train cards are double sided, the track tiles have setup coding errors on them, and the rulebook itself is incorrect in several places. All of these errors together make the game a huge pain in the ass to setup, even for those that have played this exact version several times before.
Is it worth your money to buy this game? Absolutely! However, for a first game, dealing with all of those errors will drive you mad. Why not play a solid, free print-and-play instead and feel out the genre first?
Listen, 1830 is a great game, and if you play 18AL or 1889 and decide you want more, the very next thing you should do is to go out and buy this game. That said, I think most 18xx players will agree, its a bit much to start you off with, especially if you're not sure if 18xx is for you. It is not uncommon, even with experienced players and poker chips, for 1830 to exceed 5 hours in length. The map is much bigger, and some of the track laying (especially around New York) can get really hairy and break your brain if you're just starting out with 18xx.
Also, something to consider is that the Mayfair Games reprint of 1830 has a metric ton of print and design errors. The shares and train cards are double sided, the track tiles have setup coding errors on them, and the rulebook itself is incorrect in several places. All of these errors together make the game a huge pain in the ass to setup, even for those that have played this exact version several times before.
Is it worth your money to buy this game? Absolutely! However, for a first game, dealing with all of those errors will drive you mad. Why not play a solid, free print-and-play instead and feel out the genre first?
Final Thoughts
18xx is amazing. I've fallen in love with the genre as a gamer, even though for years I avoided it because I was too intimidated by the concept, the calculators, and my presumptions about how complex the series was. Over the past few years I've learned to love the series and I am grateful to have such a wonderful and diverse set of gaming friends who we're kind enough to guide me in the discovery of these great games. I hope that this introduction will get you excited about XX and give you some direction on which 18xx games you should play.
In the next part of this series we are going to cover incremental capitalization games which differ greatly from the full capitalization games presented in this post. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter, signup for my newsletter (top right) or catch me at Gencon in a couple of weeks and say hello. My own game, Corrupted Kingdoms, will be released there by Artana Games and I'd love to have you join me for a demo.
Cheers,
Until we meet again, my dear gaming friends.
Happy Gaming!
In the next part of this series we are going to cover incremental capitalization games which differ greatly from the full capitalization games presented in this post. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter, signup for my newsletter (top right) or catch me at Gencon in a couple of weeks and say hello. My own game, Corrupted Kingdoms, will be released there by Artana Games and I'd love to have you join me for a demo.
Cheers,
Until we meet again, my dear gaming friends.
Happy Gaming!