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1817NA

Designer: Marc Voyer

The same shortened take on 1817 for 3 players, now focused on the original North America map.

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1817NA Contents

How it works

Setup
  • A 1817 variant covering all of North America: 2-6 players
  • From $420 (2 players) to $180 (6 players); with 4, $252
  • 5 companies are removed: 15 remain
  • Bank of New York: 56 loans of $100; interest rises every 4 loans
  • Auction of 8 privates with $150 of seed money
Stock round ×1
  • In turn, each player, in this order:
  • · sell shares (not 2-share companies)
  • · short one share
  • · buy one share or start a company
  • Or act for a company: loans and share buybacks
  • At the end: 100% player-owned goes up; each share in the market goes down
Operating round ×2
  • Interest rate is set; mail contracts pay
  • Each company, highest share price first:
  • 1. Up to 2 tiles (the 2nd costs $20; only 1 upgrade)
  • 2. One station, if it has any on its charter
  • 3. Trains: cities, mines and off-board areas
  • 4. Pay out, pay half or withhold
  • 5. Buy trains
  • 6. Pay interest and repay loans
  • At the end, the bank exports the next train
Mergers and acquisitions ×2
  • After each operating round
  • Convert (2→5, 5→10 shares) or merge
  • Liquidate companies in the red zone
  • Buy companies in the grey zone (from $10)
  • Offer companies for sale to other companies
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • The first 8-train is bought or exported
  • 3 more operating rounds are still played
  • Net worth = cash + shares − shorted shares, at current share price
  • Company assets and privates don't count
  • If all but one go bankrupt, the survivor wins

Components

Players
  • Cash
  • Shares: at most 6 of a 10-share, 3 of a 5-share or 2 of a 2-share
  • Short shares: a debt that pays the dividends
  • Liable for their companies' debts
Companies
  • 2, 5 or 10 shares, no fixed home city
  • The president wins the opening auction
  • Treasury, trains, stations
  • Loans: as many as shares; each one lowers the share price
Bank and market
  • Unlimited bank
  • Bank of New York: 56 loans, in rows of 4
  • Open market and shares to short
  • New trains (fewer than in 1817)
Privates
  • Denver Telecommunications (plays the Pittsburgh Steel Mill role in Denver)
  • Coal mines, Union Bridge (Winnipeg and New Orleans), mail…
  • Never close and can't be resold
  • Can be used to pay for starting a company

Where the money goes

  • Players Companies The winning opening bid (cash or privates) and shares bought from the treasury
  • Players Bank and market Buying from the open market, privates, and the dividend on each short share
  • Bank and market Players Dividends, sales and short sales
  • Bank and market Companies $100 loans, withheld revenue, mail contracts
  • Companies Bank and market Trains, terrain, interest, loan repayment, stations
  • Companies Companies Buying another company or its trains
  • Players Companies President's cash to buy a train: doesn't exist

Phases

2
Start
2 · $100
Yellow only; 2-share companies; 4 trains
2+
End of operating round 1
2+ · $100
3 2+ trains; unsold 2s are removed
3
1st 3-train
3 · $250
8 3-trains; green; 2- or 5-share companies
4
1st 4-train
4 · $400
6 4-trains; 2s rust; 2+s get one last run; 3 trains; 5-share only
5
1st 5-train
5 · $600
4 5-trains; brown; 5- or 10-share companies
6
1st 6-train
6 · $750
3 6-trains; 3s rust; 2 trains; 10-share only
7
1st 7-train
7 · $900
2 7-trains; grey
8
1st 8-train
8 · $1,100
4s rust; no more shorting; final countdown
  • The rules are 1817's; what changes is the map, the money, the privates, and the trains and loans available.
  • The map is smaller: fewer tiles and shorter games. Cities stand for population areas.
  • Recommended variants: no price cap in the private auction, and 10 short shares.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example using 1817's rules and 1817NA's numbers: 4 players with $252 each. We follow [P1] and the 2-share company they start in Guadalajara, the [PLE], through the first stock round and the two operating rounds after it.

  1. Initial auction A mail contract Phase 2

    The 8 privates are auctioned with $150 of seed money. [P1] opens the Minor Mail Contract (value $60) with a $45 bid. Nobody raises: they pay $45 and the seed money covers the missing $15.

    In 1817 the seed money is $200.

    [P1] cash
    $207
    [PLE] treasury
    —
    [PLE] share price
    —
    [PLE] loans
    —
    [PLE] trains
    —
  2. Stock round 1 Starting the [PLE] Phase 2

    [P1] starts the [PLE]: they place its station in Guadalajara and open the auction for the president's certificate. They win at $140, and the share price is half that: $70. It can only be a 2-share company.

    The auction runs from $100 to $400.

    [P1] cash
    $207
    [PLE] treasury
    —
    [PLE] share price
    $70
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  3. Stock round 1 Paying with the private Phase 2

    You don't have to pay it all in cash: [P1] puts in the Minor Mail Contract at face value ($60) plus $80 in cash. The private goes to the [PLE], which will collect mail every operating round as long as it owns a train.

    Cash and privates must add up exactly to the bid.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $70
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  4. Stock round 1 Everyone passes Phase 2

    The round ends when everyone passes in a row. 5- and 10-share companies get adjusted now; the [PLE], a 2-share company, doesn't move.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $70
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  5. Operating round 1.1 Interest at $5 Phase 2

    No loans are out yet: interest for the round is $5. The [PLE] doesn't collect mail because it doesn't have a train yet.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $70
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  6. Operating round 1.1 Guadalajara Phase 2

    It lays the yellow Guadalajara city with an exit towards Mexico City, which already has printed track. Since it's the home city, no existing route is needed. Guadalajara has no terrain cost.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $70
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  7. Operating round 1.1 No trains, price drops Phase 2

    No trains, no run, no payout: the share price drops from $70 to $65.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $65
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    —
  8. Operating round 1.1 A loan and a train Phase 2

    $80 isn't enough for a 2-train ($100). It takes a loan: $100 comes in and the share price drops to $60. It buys the 2-train.

    It only has one route, so a second 2-train would have no track of its own to run on.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $80
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  9. Operating round 1.1 Interest Phase 2

    It pays $5 for the loan. At the end of the round the bank exports a 2-train: the unsold ones are removed and the 2+s arrive, of which 1817NA has only 3.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $75
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  10. Mergers and acquisitions 1.1 Nothing to do Phase 2

    The [PLE] is in the white zone and [P1] doesn't want to convert or merge it. Nobody can buy it against their will.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $75
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  11. Operating round 1.2 Mail and interest Phase 2

    More than 4 loans have been taken around the table, and in 1817NA each row of 4 raises the interest: it's now $10. Since the [PLE] has a train now, it collects $10 from the mail contract.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $85
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  12. Operating round 1.2 Track heading east Phase 2

    It lays a free yellow out of Mexico City towards Belize, planning a longer route for when the 3-trains arrive.

    [P1] cash
    $127
    [PLE] treasury
    $85
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  13. Operating round 1.2 Half dividend Phase 2

    The 2-train runs Guadalajara–Mexico City: $20 + $30 = $50. It pays half: $25 to the treasury and $25 to [P1]. Since $25 doesn't reach the share price ($60), it doesn't move.

    Paying it all or withholding it all is also allowed; withholding would make it drop.

    [P1] cash
    $152
    [PLE] treasury
    $110
    [PLE] share price
    $60
    [PLE] loans
    1
    [PLE] trains
    2
  14. Operating round 1.2 Repaying the loan Phase 2

    It buys no train. It pays $10 interest and repays the loan: $100 to the bank and the share price goes up one space, to $65.

    Loans can only be repaid at this point, right after interest.

    [P1] cash
    $152
    [PLE] treasury
    $0
    [PLE] share price
    $65
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    2
  15. Towards stock round 2 What now? Phase 2

    The [PLE] comes out debt-free but broke. [P1] has $152 for stock round 2: they can start another 2-share company or, once the first 3-train is bought, a 5-share one.

    [P1] cash
    $152
    [PLE] treasury
    $0
    [PLE] share price
    $65
    [PLE] loans
    0
    [PLE] trains
    2

1817NA — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Incremental capitalization, same as base 1817: the company collects the par price each time one of its shares is actually sold.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Companies float with 20% of shares sold (single threshold for all corporations), same as base 1817
  • No player may hold more than 100% of a single corporation (the classic 60% cap doesn't apply)
  • Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 21; 3 players — 16; 4 players — 13; 5 players — 11; 6 players — 9

Starting cash by player count

  • 2 players: $420 starting cash
  • 3 players: $315 starting cash
  • 4 players: $252 starting cash
  • 5 players: $210 starting cash
  • 6 players: $180 starting cash
  • The bank is practically unlimited (no fixed size)

End game triggers

  • The final phase is reached (phase 8, triggered by the purchase of the first 8-train): one more full set of operating rounds is played, then the game ends
  • A player goes bankrupt: immediate end, but only once all players but one have gone bankrupt

Number of phases

  • 8 phases (2, 2+, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type, with the same maximum-corporation-size progression as base 1817 (2 shares → 5 → 10)

Train list and prices

  • 2 train — $100 (31 units; rusts once the first 4-train is bought)
  • 2+ train — $100 (3 units; becomes obsolete once the first 4-train is bought, but isn't removed)
  • 3 train — $250 (8 units; rusts once the first 6-train is bought)
  • 4 train — $400 (6 units; rusts once the first 8-train is bought)
  • 5 train — $600 (4 units; never rusts)
  • 6 train — $750 (3 units; never rusts)
  • 7 train — $900 (2 units; never rusts)
  • 8 train — $1,100 (unlimited; buying it triggers the game's final phase)

List of private companies

  • Denver Telecommunications (DTC) — $40 — may place a special yellow tile at Denver (F14) regardless of connectivity
  • Mountain Engineers (ME) — $40 — the owning corp receives $20 after laying a yellow tile on a mountain hex
  • Union Bridge Company (UBC) — $80 — two $10 bridge tokens at Winnipeg or New Orleans; skips the $10 river fee
  • Train Station (TS) — $80 — an extra station marker for the owning corp
  • Minor Coal Mine (MINC) — $30 — one mine marker; avoids mountain terrain cost and adds $10 extra revenue (doesn't count as a stop)
  • Major Coal Mine (MAJC) — $90 — three mine markers (same ability)
  • Minor Mail Contract (MINM) — $60 — pays $10 at the start of each operating round while the corp has a train
  • Major Mail Contract (MAJM) — $120 — pays $20 at the start of each operating round

List of corporations

  • 15 corporations (a fixed subset of base 1817's 20, not a random draw each game), all sharing the same format (floats at 20%, 100% of capital convertible from 2 to 5 and from 5 to 10 shares), with no fixed home
  • Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W), Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (J), Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GT), Housatonic Railroad (H), Morristown and Erie Railway (ME), New York, Ontario and Western Railway (NYOW), New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYSW), Pittsburgh, Shawmut and Northern Railroad (PSNR), Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (PLE), Providence and Worcester Railroad (PW), Rutland Railroad (R), Strasburg Railroad (SR), Union Railroad (UR), Warren & Trumbull Railroad (WT), West Chester Railroad (WC)

Game-specific mechanics

  • Corporate loans with variable interest, as in 1817, but the interest rises every 4 loans in circulation (instead of every 5 in base 1817)
  • Initial private auction funded with $150 of "seed" money (less than base 1817's $200)
  • Short selling: you can sell shares you don't own
  • Dedicated merger and acquisition rounds (friendly or hostile) between operating companies
  • 2-share "minor" companies that over time convert into 5-share, and later 10-share, companies
  • Private companies never close: they keep generating revenue for the whole game
  • A player who can't cover their own personal debts can be eliminated from the game

Emergency sell

Same as 1817: there's no train-related emergency sell mechanism, and the Cash Crisis forced-share-sale rule still applies only to unpaid loan interest or short-sale obligations. This official variant only trims the numbers — starting cash ($150 instead of $200) and a faster interest-rate ramp (climbing every 4 loans instead of 5).

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting, map and number of players
1830 covers the northeastern USA for 2-6 players. 1817NA keeps 1817's continental scope (all of North America) but on a much smaller map, with many cities reduced to simple "population zones" to keep things balanced. Unlike 1817, which wants 5-7 players, 1817NA works from as few as 2 up to 6 players — the same range as 1830.

2. "Minor" companies that merge up, but from a trimmed roster
As in 1817, there are 2-share "minor" companies that can be merged into 5-share and later 10-share companies, a progression that doesn't exist in 1830. 1817NA trims the total roster down to a fixed set of 15 companies (a subset of base 1817's 20), rather than the original game's full 20.

3. Corporate loans with variable interest
Absent from 1830: as in 1817, companies can take out loans that accrue interest, and the more debt circulates, the higher the general rate climbs. In 1817NA this interest rises every 4 loans in circulation (instead of every 5 in base 1817), with an initial auction funded by $150 of seed money.

4. Short selling
As in 1817 (and unlike 1830, where you can only sell what you actually own), players can short sell shares they don't hold, betting the price will drop.

5. Mergers, hostile takeovers and liquidations
Just like in 1817: dedicated rounds where two companies sharing a president merge amicably, while different presidents trigger a hostile takeover, with liquidation possible if debts can't be covered. None of this exists in 1830.

6. A private company roster rebuilt for the whole continent
1830 has 6 traditional privates. 1817NA uses 8, a smaller set than base 1817's 11: Denver Telecommunications (tied to Denver) replaces Pittsburgh Steel Mill, and the small Ohio Bridge Company, the mid-tier Coal Mine and the mid-tier Mail Contract are all gone. As in 1817, none of these privates ever close during the game.

7. Financial risk and personal elimination, as in 1817
Just like 1817 (and unlike 1830, where bankruptcy only affects the company): the combination of loans, short selling, and hostile takeovers can leave an 1817NA player unable to cover their own debts and get eliminated from the game.

Related games

Expansion of

More games by Marc Voyer

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