Features

• The original 18xx game from which all others trace their design lineage is Francis Tresham's 1829.
• The games involve railroads/railways. (This is somewhat controversial, as games like 1830 UR and 2038 are based on the 18xx system, but do not involve railroads/railways).
• Highest net worth (normally cash plus stock assets) determine the winner.
• Players can buy stock in companies.
• The player (or corporate entity, e.g. in 1841) with the most stock runs the subject company as president or director.
• Turns alternate between stock buying/selling rounds and operating rounds.
• In operating rounds, the president/director determines what track tiles to lay and where, what stations/bases to create, calculates the earnings of trains, decides whether to pay out the revenue as dividends to the shareholders or to retain it in the company, and may buy a new train. These don't necessarily have to happen in this order (e.g. train buying may occur before revenue calculations in some games).
• The purchase of new types of trains may trigger other actions (increased revenues, border changes, private company closures, new track tiles, etc.).
• The board has a hexagonal grid and track tiles are hexagonal in shape.
• Stock values rise or fall depending on whether revenues are paid out as dividends or retained by the company.

Games

Community

• 18xx YahooGroup (primary discussion list)
• Indiana Google Group and Guild and Facebook Group
• Chicago, Illinois
• Portland, Oregon
• San Francisco, California
• http://www.kanataboardgamers.ca/

GeekLists and Threads

• Chris' List of 18XX games
• Definitive 18xx list
• 18xx Meta-list
• The 18xx designers list
• So, you're thinking about giving 18xx a try?
• Why Groups of New Players Often Struggle With 18XX
• More GeekLists

Current 18xx Publishers

• Tresham Games
• Mayfair Games
• Deep Thought Games, LLC
• Lookout Games
• Wolfram Janich
• Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler
• Helmut Ohley
• Print & Play Productions- Games
• All-Aboard Games
• GMT Games

Game Conventions

• Chattanooga Rail Gaming Challenge - January-February in Chattanooga, Tennessee; run by Mark Derrick
• TempleCon - January in Providence, Rhode Island; run by Dave Lionett
• TotalCon - February in Mansfield, Massachusetts; run by Dave Mitton
• Hattanooga - May in Medicine Hat, Alberta; run by Tyler McLaughlin
• Portland 18xx Convention - June in Portland, Oregon; run by Dave Blanchard (magnate)
• DieCon - June in St. Louis, Missouri metro area; run by Chris Fawcett
• ManorCon - July in the United Kingdom
• World Boardgaming Championships (WBC) - End of July in Seven Springs, PA near Pittsburgh; 18xx Tournament run by Tom McCorry
• MidSumCon - August in Chicago, Illinois; run by Anthony Carver
• RailCon - Fall in the United States, location varies; Run by the Train Gamers Association; includes non-18xx rail games.
• Buckeye Game Fest - September in Columbus Ohio. Includes non--18xx games. Run by Columbus Area Boardgame Society (CABS).
• Conception Convention - September in Glen Ellyn Illinois. Features an 18xx Tournament. Tournament run by Joe Miller.

Play Online and by Email

• 18XX play by email game clearinghouse
• 18xx-Online Live Gaming - Arrange and play in real-time live games with players around the world using wecams, audio, shared spreadsheets, etc.
• Cyberboard (gameboxes available on many sites)
• Vassal (open source)
• Rich Price's BOARD18 (open source)
• Rails: an 18xx game system (Java, open source)
• mais n’est-ce pas la gare (Contact Steve Thomas by email. You can find him on the 18xx YahooGroup.)
• FWTWR (hosted games)
• Postscript maps
• Bill Jaffe's spreadsheets
• Rich Price's spreadsheets

Miscellaneous

• FWTWR 18xx Game Information
• 18xx tags on BoardGameGeek
• Lou's Game Corner: Railroad Game Links
• Blackwater Station
• Wikipedia

Main Content Index | Game Series Index