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1822PNW

Designer: Ken Kuhn

1822 without concessions, with merging associated minors and a lumber market unique to the Pacific Northwest.

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1822PNW Contents

How it works

Setup

$12,000 bank; $375 per player with 4 ($500 with 3, $300 with 5)
No concessions: 7 associated minors (each with its major), 14 unassociated and 3 regional railways
The minor stack is built in three packs, so associated minors come out throughout the game; [M6] in box 1
Bid boxes: 4 minors and 3 privates ([P1] in the first)
Bid tokens (4 with 4 players) and a random turn order number

Stock round ×1

Turn: sell shares, repay loans, then one of these:
· buy a share of a major
· place up to 3 bids on minors, regionals or privates
· from phase 5, convert an associated minor or buy a president's certificate
At the end, each winning bidder pays and takes the certificate
Next order: most to least cash in hand

Operating round ×1-2

Private and regional income
Minors, then majors, highest share price first:
1. Acquire privates from a player
2. Track or builder cubes: 1 yellow (minor) or 2 yellows / 1 upgrade (major)
3. Destination and one station, majors only
4. Run trains: minors split 50/50
5. Buy trains (mandatory if it has none)
6. Absorb a minor or regional, and issue or redeem shares (majors)

Merger round ×1

From phase 2, after each operating round
An associated minor and an unassociated minor owned by the same player, connected
They form the associated minor's major; the player is paid the value of both in shares and cash

↻ Repeats until the end

End

The bank runs out: the game ends after that set of operating rounds
A share reaches $600: the game ends after that operating round
If nothing sells in the first stock round, it ends immediately
Most cash plus shares wins; each regional is worth $200 and loans are subtracted

Components

Players

Cash and bid tokens
Minors (50%), regionals and major shares
Privates (worth 0, but with income or a power)
Emergency loans at 50%

Minors

21 minors, 7 of them associated with a major
Start at $50 with $100 in phase 1
Never upgrade beyond green
Revenue always split with the director

Majors

7 majors, each with its own destination
Born by merger (from phase 2) or by conversion or direct purchase (from phase 5)
Absorb minors and regionals

Map

Portland and Seattle compete for the value tokens
Lumber: a fixed yellow that adds $10 to any train running through
Regionals in Calgary, Tacoma and Vancouver (WA): $10 per round

Bank

$12,000
New trains and the used-train market

Where the money goes

Players Bank Winning bids (until phase 2, the bank puts up the minor's capital)
Players Majors Buying shares from a major's treasury
Minors Players Half the minor's revenue
Minors Majors In a merger, the cash and trains of both minors
Majors Players Dividends, and cash or shares for mergers and acquisitions
Majors Bank Trains, terrain and stations

Phases

Start

L · $60 · 2 · $120

1 operating round; minors at $50 with $100; no majors

1st 2-train

L · 2

Mergers after each operating round; 2 operating rounds

1st 3-train

3 · $200

L trains rust; trains between companies

1st 4-train

4 · $300

2s rust; limit of 3 trains per major and 1 per minor

1st 5-train

5 · $500

Majors by conversion or direct purchase

1st 6-train

6 · $600

3s rust; full capitalisation on direct purchase

1st 7 / E train

7 · $750 or E · $1,000

4s rust

The key is pairing an associated minor with a neighbouring minor: together they give birth to the major.
A single-row stock market, with $5 steps at the low end: paying out goes up, withholding goes down.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example using 1822PNW's rules (R5 draft rulebook and 18xx.games implementation): 4 players with $375. We follow [PL1], who buys [M8] in Seattle (associated with the [SWW]) and [M10] in Tacoma, linked by printed track, and merges them.

Before starting Associated minors and neighbours Phase 1

There are no concessions: each major is born from an associated minor. [M8] in Seattle is the [SWW]'s, and Seattle has printed track to Tacoma, home of [M10]. Both are in the bid boxes.

If the minor in box 1 gets no bid, it leaves the game and takes a train from the bank with it.

[PL1] cash

$375

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Stock round 1 Two bids Phase 1

[PL1] puts a token on [M8] and another on [M10], $100 each (face value). They don't pay anything yet.

A bid can't be withdrawn or moved to another lot, even if someone outbids it.

[PL1] cash

$375

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Stock round 1 Defending Tacoma Phase 1

[PL2] raises [M10] to $115. On their next turn, [PL1] takes it to $120. Nobody else joins in.

[PL1] cash

$375

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Stock round 1 End of round Phase 1

[PL1] pays $100 and $120. In phase 1 both start at $50 with $100 put up by the bank. [M10], with the higher bid, will operate first.

Order for the next stock round is most to least cash.

[PL1] cash

$155

[M8] treasury

$100

[M10] treasury

$100

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Operating round 1 Two L trains Phase 1

Both place their home station and buy an L train for $60. [M10]'s runs Tacoma ($20) and [M8]'s runs Seattle ($20). Each gives [PL1] $10, keeps $10 and moves up one space, to $55.

An L train only counts one city with its own station and, if it wants, one town.

[PL1] cash

$175

[M8] treasury

$50

[M10] treasury

$50

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Rounds 2 and 3 Two more laps Phase 1

In stock rounds 2 and 3 [PL1] passes. In each operating round both minors make $20 again, split in half. They're now at $65.

In the PNW market the first spaces go up in $5 steps.

[PL1] cash

$215

[M8] treasury

$70

[M10] treasury

$70

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Operating round 3 Phase 2 begins Phase 2

Another player's minor upgrades its L train to a 2 for $80. It's the first 2-train: phase 2 begins, and from now on every operating round is followed by a merger round.

Two operating rounds per stock round only start after the next stock round.

[PL1] cash

$215

[M8] treasury

$70

[M10] treasury

$70

[SWW] treasury

—

[SWW] share price

—
Merger round The [SWW] is born Phase 2

[PL1] merges [M8] and [M10]: they're connected and both theirs. Each is worth double the share price, 2 × $65, so [PL1] is owed $260. They choose a $65 par and take it in shares: the president's certificate (20%) and two 10% shares, 4 × $65 = $260.

The par price must be at least one sixth of the two minors' combined value.

[PL1] cash

$215

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$140

[SWW] share price

$65
Merger round What it inherits Phase 2

The [SWW] keeps the two minors' $140 and both L trains. [M8]'s station in Seattle is flipped and becomes the [SWW]'s home; the Tacoma one is swapped for an exchange station. The 6 remaining shares go to the treasury.

[PL1] cash

$215

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$140

[SWW] share price

$65
Stock round 4 One more share Phase 2

[PL1] buys a 10% [SWW] share for $65, which goes to the treasury: incremental capitalisation. They now hold 50%.

[PL1] cash

$150

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$205

[SWW] share price

$65
Operating round 4.1 Two Ls, two cities Phase 2

The [SWW]'s first turn. Each L train runs in one of its stations: Seattle and Tacoma, $40. It pays out: $20 for [PL1]'s 50% and $20 for the treasury's 50%. Not enough to reach the share price: no movement.

Only one L train per station.

[PL1] cash

$170

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$225

[SWW] share price

$65
Operating round 4.1 A 2-train Phase 2

The [SWW] buys a 2-train for $120. Nothing to do in the following merger round.

[PL1] cash

$170

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$105

[SWW] share price

$65
Operating round 4.2 Three trains Phase 2

The 2-train runs Seattle–Tacoma ($40) and the two Ls make $20 each again: $80. It pays out: $40 for [PL1] and $40 to the treasury. Since $80 matches or beats the share price, it moves up one space, to $70.

Paying double the share price would move it up two spaces; triple, three, as long as the share price is no higher than $150.

[PL1] cash

$210

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$145

[SWW] share price

$70
Towards stock round 5 What now? Phase 2

The first 3-train will rust both Ls. The [SWW] needs to stretch its track towards its destination, Walla Walla, far to the southeast, and can absorb more minors along the way.

[PL1] cash

$210

[M8] treasury

—

[M10] treasury

—

[SWW] treasury

$145

[SWW] share price

$70

1822PNW — Summary

Capitalization type

Incremental capitalization for all majors: each share pays its par price into the treasury at the moment it's actually sold, not all at once when floating.
Once the first 6-train is bought (phase 6), any major that hasn't floated yet switches to full capitalization (receiving its whole capital at once) for the rest of the game.

Floats at 50% of shares sold for all majors; minors and regionals (A, B, C) float at 100% (they start operational right away)
No player may hold more than 60% (6 of 10 certificates) of a single major, except minors and regionals, which have no limit (100%)
Certificate limit per player: 3 players — 21; 4 players — 15; 5 players — 12

Starting cash by player count

3 players: $500 starting cash
4 players: $375 starting cash
5 players: $300 starting cash
The bank always starts with $12,000, regardless of the number of players
1822PNW is strictly for 3-5 players (no 2-player or 6+ mode)

End game triggers

The bank runs out of money: if it breaks during an operating round, the current full OR set is finished; if it breaks during a stock round, it ends at the next complete operating round set
A share price reaches one of the cells marked "e" at the top of the stock market grid: the game ends at the close of the current operating round
Unlike 1822GB and 1822NRS, if a second end-game condition is triggered that would end the game sooner than the first, that second condition takes precedence (an explicit 1822PNW rule, overriding the usual "first trigger wins")
There's no bankruptcy end condition: in 1822PNW, as in the rest of the 1822 family, company bankruptcy isn't enabled

Number of phases

7 phases (1 through 7), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type (2/L, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) respectively
Unlike the NRS/MRS, 1822PNW doesn't reduce the cost of upgrading an L-train to a 2-train from phase 2 onward: it always stays at $80

Train list and prices

L / 2 train — the L costs $60 (22 available) and can be upgraded into a 2-train, or a 2-train can be bought directly for $120; the L rusts with the first 3-train, the 2 with the first 4-train
3 train — $200 (7 available; rusts with the first 6-train)
4 train — $300 (4 available; rusts with the first 7-train)
5 train — $500 (2 available); unlike 1822GB/NRS, buying it has no special effect (1822PNW has no concessions to close)
6 train — $600 (3 available); buying it switches any major that hasn't floated yet to full capitalization
7 train (or E variant, distance 99, price $1,000) — $750 (unlimited); unlike 1822GB/NRS, buying it doesn't close any private (1822PNW has no phase-revenue privates)
Special trains not bought from the depot: 2P (permanent 2-train, from P2), LP (permanent L-train, from P3 and P4, two units), 5P (permanent 5-train, from P1); two "Pullmans" (P+, from P5 and P6) convert another train into a + train

List of private companies

All privates are distributed by auction through bidding boxes, not at a fixed price: they start with a minimum bid of $0 and each player has a limited number of bidding tokens
P1 (5-Train, phase 5) — grants a permanent 5-train
P2 (Permanent 2T, phase 2) — grants a permanent 2-train that doesn't count against the train limit
P3 and P4 (Permanent LT, phase 1) — each grants a permanent L-train
P5 and P6 (Pullman, phase 3) — convert a train into a + train able to include extra towns
P7 and P8 (Remove Town, phase 1) — let you remove a town by laying a plain track tile directly on it
P9 (Mail Contract, phase 3) — pays half the base value of the start and end stations of one of the trains operated
P10 (Three Builder Cubes, phase 1) — when acquired, the private is exchanged for three builder cubes, each worth a $40 discount on the cost of upgrading a tile
P11 (Extra Tile Lay, phase 3) — grants an extra tile (two for majors from phase 3 on) during the track-laying step
P12 (Small Port, phase 2) — converts a water spike into a fixed stop worth 30/40 depending on tile color
P13 (Large Port, phase 3) — same as P12 but worth 40/50/60 depending on color
P14 (Lumber Baron, phase 3) — doubles the payout of every timber hex crossed by a train, from $10 to $20
P15 (Paper Mill, phase 3) — closes to place a special token on a city adjacent to a timber hex, adding $10 (before phase 5) or $30 (phase 5+) to one train
P16 (Pacific Portage, phase 2) — lets you place special water tiles; any other company crossing them pays a $10 toll per tile
P17 (Ski Haus, phase 5) — closes to place a special token on a mountain-pass hex, adding $30 to a route running through it
P18 (Boom Town, phase 3) — closes to upgrade a plain yellow tile into the special "boom town" tile (PNW3, worth $30), ignoring normal upgrade restrictions
P19 (Rockport Coal Mine, phase 3) — lets you place a special mine tile on a mountain hex; only the owning company can stop there
P20 (Backroom Negotiations, phase 1) — lets a non-associated minor take over the association of an inactive associated minor, inheriting its major and turning its own home into the major's new home
P21 (Credit Mobilier, phase 2) — lets you move a private or minor to the top or bottom of its stack, or (if held by a major) move a token from the exchange area to the available slot

List of corporations

Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) — home at A8 (Vancouver, BC), destination A22, associated minor: 1 (Pacific Great Eastern)
Great Northern Railway (GNR) — home at D23 (Newport), destination D11 (Bellingham), associated minor: 5 (Idaho & Washington Northern)
Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound (CMPS) — home at F23 (Spokane), destination H11 (Seattle), associated minor: 7 (Spokane Falls and Northern)
Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad (SWW) — home at H11 (Seattle), destination O22, associated minor: 8 (Puget Sound Shore)
Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railway (SPS) — home at O8 (Portland), destination F23 (Spokane), associated minor: 17 (Oregon Central)
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (ORNC) — home at O8 (Portland), destination O20 (Wallula), associated minor: 18 (Portland and Willamette Valley)
Northern Pacific Railway (NP) — home at O20 (Wallula), destination I12 (Tacoma), associated minor: 20 (Walla Walla Valley)
All majors have 3 exchange tokens each
21 numbered minors (50% director's certificate), seven of which are "associated" with a major (1, 5, 7, 8, 17, 18, and 20, listed above), the rest operating independently: 2 Republic (B19), 3 Bellingham (D11), 4 Brewster (D19), 6 Port Townsend (F9), 9 Leavenworth (H19), 10 Tacoma (I12), 11 Aberdeen (J5), 12 Sprague (J23), 13 Yakima (L19), 14 Lewiston Junction (L23), 15 Ilwaco (M4), 16 Astoria (N5), 19 Stevenson/Cascade Locks (O14), and 21 The Dalles (P17)
Three additional "regional railways" (A, B, C), also minor-type but with no association to any major: A at Calgary (A22), B at Tacoma (I12), and C at Vancouver, WA (O10)

Game-specific mechanics

No concessions: majors are born by merging two minors (one of which must be their "associated" minor), instead of converting a concession
From phase 2 on, every set of operating rounds is followed by a dedicated Merger Round used exclusively for merging minors — a game phase that exists in neither 1822GB nor 1822NRS
Lumber market: timber ("forest") hexes pay an extra $10 per hex crossed by a train (not applicable to E-trains); the Lumber Baron private doubles it to $20
Portage toll: any company without the Pacific Portage private pays a $10 penalty for each special portage tile it crosses
Builder cubes (from P10): each is worth a flat $40 discount on the cost of upgrading a tile, and can be spent separately across different turns
Simultaneous auction of privates and minors with bidding tokens limited per player (between 4 and 5 depending on player count), as in the rest of the 1822 system
Stock round buying priority by cash on hand, not a cyclical turn order
Dedicated optional rules: "Starting Packet" (a quick initial distribution of minors and privates to jump straight into an operating round) and removing two or three L/2 trains from the game to shorten it
Two additional variants included: the Short Scenario and the Southern Regional Scenario (2-3 players)

Emergency sell

Follows 1822's usual order — company treasury, then the director's personal cash, then a forced sale of the director's own shares — but if that still isn't enough, this scenario lets the director take a bank loan instead of being declared bankrupt: 1822PNW disables bankruptcy entirely, so the loan exists specifically to guarantee a train purchase never fails outright. One added restriction versus the wider 1822 family: a train can only ever be bought from the bank here, never from another corporation's holdings.

Comparison with 1830

1. Same engine as 1822, without an auction for concessions
1822PNW (Ken Kuhn) builds on the 1822 system (privates and minors bought at auction), but removes "concessions" for founding majors. In 1830, major companies are freely founded by buying their president's certificate; in 1822PNW, they're instead founded by merging two minors together.

2. Majors are born by merging two associated minors, in a dedicated round
Each major company has 7 possible "associated" minors. To found it, players must identify and successfully merge two of these minors, and the game dedicates a whole Merger Round after every set of operating rounds (from phase 2 on) exclusively to this process. This layer of planning is unique to 1822PNW and exists in neither 1830 nor 1822GB (which uses concessions, not minor mergers).

3. A lumber market unique to the Pacific Northwest map
Hexes containing timber generate extra revenue when a train passes through them. This mechanic, absent from 1830, creates a whole secondary economy ("Lumber Baron") around hauling lumber to cities.

4. Privates that interact with the map in ways 1830 doesn't
Besides the Lumber Baron, privates like the Paper Mill (bonus for cities near timber) or the Ski Haus (bonus at mountain passes) assign special tokens to specific map hexes. No private in 1830 interacts with a map resource this way.

5. Half new, regionally-themed private companies
Alongside classic 1822-system privates (permanent "L" and 2-trains, etc.), half of 1822PNW's set of privates is entirely new and specifically themed around the Pacific Northwest region.

6. Simpler tile design than other 1822 titles
Despite sharing an engine with 1822, 1822PNW's track design is deliberately kept simple — closer to the basic 1817/1822 style than to the tile complexity of titles like 18GB or 1860.

7. Built-in short variant, an option 1830 doesn't offer out of the box
The 1822PNW box includes a short-game variant (Short Scenario) and a southern regional scenario (2-3 players), designed so the group can pick the length before starting. 1830 includes no equivalent variant in its base rulebook.

8. Still "1822" in spirit, despite the changes
The designer himself insists that, despite the novelties (mergers, lumber), 1822PNW remains fundamentally a 1822-system game with a fresh perspective, not a radical break from the engine — unlike 1830, which did establish a genuinely new reference engine relative to its own predecessors.

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