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1882: Assiniboia

Designer: Marc Voyer

Assiniboia, in western Canada, with neutral tokens, a rebellion zone, and a parasite company.

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1882: Assiniboia Contents

How it works

Setup

Cash by player count: from $900 (2) to $300 (6); $9,000 bank
Auction of the 5 privates, cheapest to most expensive
The Canadian Pacific brings the [CPR] presidency (20%)
The Trestle Bridge comes with 10% of a random company
The North West Rebellion hides in a random 3, 4, 5 or 6-train

Stock round ×1

In turn: buy one share and sell as many as you like
Floats at 60% sold: receives 10 × par
Each share sold drops the share price
At the end, sold-out companies go up

Operating round ×1-3

Private income
Each company, highest share price first:
1. Track: one yellow or one upgrade; a 2nd yellow costs $20
2. One station ($40, later $100)
3. Run trains: cities, towns and off-boards
4. Pay out (right) or withhold (left)
5. Buy trains (mandatory if it has none)
6. From phase 3, buy privates

↻ Repeats until the end

End

A bankruptcy: the game ends at once
A share reaches $350: the current round finishes
The bank runs out: the current set of operating rounds finishes
Most cash plus share value wins

Components

Players

Cash
Shares (max. 60% of a company)
Privates
Certificate limit: from 20 (2) to 9 (6)

Companies

7 companies, fully capitalised
Almost all carry a free neutral token
[CN]: no stations of its own, lives off the neutral tokens
[SC]: can only be started by exchanging its private

Privates

Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan Central, North West Rebellion
Trestle Bridge: $10 for every river any company pays for
Canadian Pacific: [CPR] presidency

Bank

$9,000
[IPO] and open market
Trains: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and diesel

Map

$20, $40 and $60 rivers along hex edges
[NWR] zone: +$20 per yellow, until the rebellion breaks out
Hudson Bay + west on one run: +$100
Fishing exit: doesn't count toward train length
Few tiles: only 4 yellow city tiles, all straight

Where the money goes

Players Bank [IPO] and open market shares, privates at auction
Bank Companies On floating, all capital at once; withheld revenue; +$20 per yellow in the [NWR] zone
Bank Players Dividends, private income, share sales
Companies Bank Trains, rivers, extra tiles and stations
Companies Players Buying a private from its owner (from phase 3)
Players Companies Forced train purchase: the president makes up the shortfall

Phases

Start

2 · $80

Yellow, 1 operating round, 4 trains per company

1st 3-train

3 · $180

Green, 2 operating rounds, privates can now be bought

1st 4-train

4 · $300

2s rust; 3-train limit

1st 5-train

5 · $450

Brown, 3 operating rounds; privates close (not the [SC])

1st 6-train

6 · $630

3s rust; limit of 2; the [SC] closes; diesels become available

1st diesel

D · $1,100

4s rust; a 4, 5 or 6 gives $300 off

Money is tight: often only one or two companies run in the first operating round, and trains rust fast.
A neutral token takes up a city slot but doesn't block anyone.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules: 4 players with $450 each. We follow [P1] and their company, the [CNR], based in Prince Albert, from the auction to the second operating round.

Before starting Not much capital Phase 2

With 4 players, each starts with $450. That's $1,800 in all, and starting a company takes more than half a player's pocket.

In 1830, with 4 players, each gets $600.

[P1] cash

$450

[CNR] treasury

—

[CNR] share price

—

[CNR] trains

—
Private auction The Saskatchewan Central Phase 2

[P1] buys the Saskatchewan Central private at its card price: $50. It pays $10 every operating round and is the only way to start the [SC] company.

[P2] took the Canadian Pacific for $180: they're [CPR] president and set its par price at $90.

[P1] cash

$400

[CNR] treasury

—

[CNR] share price

—

[CNR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Starting the [CNR] Phase 2

[P1] picks a par price of $76 and buys the president's certificate (20%) for $152. The money goes to the bank: the company hasn't floated yet.

[P1] cash

$248

[CNR] treasury

—

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Floating at 60% Phase 2

Over the next turns, [P1] buys two more shares ($152) and [P3] and [P4] buy one each. With 60% sold, the [CNR] floats and the bank gives it 10 × $76 = $760 in one go.

Full capitalisation, as in 1830: the company gets all its capital on floating, whether the shares have sold or not.

[P1] cash

$96

[CNR] treasury

$760

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Stock round 1 One more, then pass Phase 2

[P1] buys a fourth share ($76) and now holds 50%. With $20 they can't do anything else and pass. The [CNR] isn't sold out, so the share price doesn't move.

A player can't own more than 60% of a company.

[P1] cash

$20

[CNR] treasury

$760

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Operating round 1.1 Income and order Phase 2

The bank pays the privates: [P1] collects $10 from the Saskatchewan Central. Companies operate from highest to lowest share price: first the [CPR] ($90), which buys four 2-trains, then the [CNR].

When the [CPR] buys its first train, the Canadian Pacific private closes.

[P1] cash

$30

[CNR] treasury

$760

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Operating round 1.1 Track in the rebellion zone Phase 2

The [CNR] lays a yellow on a hex in the [NWR] zone. It crosses a river and pays $40, but the bank gives it $20 for the yellow in the zone.

Whoever owns the Trestle Bridge collects $10 from the bank each time a company pays for a river.

[P1] cash

$30

[CNR] treasury

$740

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Operating round 1.1 A second yellow Phase 2

Since it hasn't upgraded a tile, it can lay a second yellow for $20. It extends the track towards Saskatoon.

[P1] cash

$30

[CNR] treasury

$720

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

—
Operating round 1.1 No trains, no revenue Phase 2

No station this time. It has no trains yet, so no run: it withholds $0 and the share price moves one space left, from $76 to $71.

[P1] cash

$30

[CNR] treasury

$720

[CNR] share price

$71

[CNR] trains

—
Operating round 1.1 Phase 3 begins Phase 3

It buys the last two 2-trains ($160) and the first 3-train ($180). Phase 3 begins: green tiles, two operating rounds per set, and privates can now be bought.

The rebellion didn't break out this time: it's hidden in another train.

[P1] cash

$30

[CNR] treasury

$380

[CNR] share price

$71

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 1.2 A yellow in Saskatoon Phase 3

The Saskatchewan Central pays [P1] another $10. The [CNR] reaches Saskatoon with a yellow city tile ($20). The tile crosses a river: $40.

[P1] cash

$40

[CNR] treasury

$340

[CNR] share price

$71

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 1.2 A station in Saskatoon Phase 3

It places its second station there for $40. The next one will cost $100.

The [CNR] also has a free neutral token: it takes up a slot but lets everyone through, and belongs to the [CN].

[P1] cash

$40

[CNR] treasury

$300

[CNR] share price

$71

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 1.2 Three runs Phase 3

The 3-train runs from Saskatoon to Prince Albert through a town: 20 + 10 + 30 = $60. One 2-train runs Prince Albert–Candle Lake: $40. The other, Saskatoon and a town on a different line: $30. Total: $130.

Two trains can leave from the same city, but they can't share any track section.

[P1] cash

$40

[CNR] treasury

$300

[CNR] share price

$71

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 1.2 Paying out Phase 3

The [CNR] pays out: $13 per 10%. [P1] holds 50% and collects $65. The share price moves one space right, from $71 to $76.

Shares in the [IPO] get nothing; the company receives nothing.

[P1] cash

$105

[CNR] treasury

$300

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 1.2 Saving for the 4-train Phase 3

It could own a fourth train, but buys none. The first 4-train will rust both 2-trains, and the [CNR] keeps its $300 so it isn't left trainless.

[P1] cash

$105

[CNR] treasury

$300

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Towards stock round 2 Starting the [SC] Phase 3

In stock round 2, [P1] can exchange the Saskatchewan Central for the [SC] president's certificate, set its price and buy one more share. It makes its home in any free city or in place of a neutral token, and a train is added of the current type to the supply.

If the private passes to a company or closes first, the [SC] can never be started.

[P1] cash

$105

[CNR] treasury

$300

[CNR] share price

$76

[CNR] trains

2 + 2 + 3

1882 Assiniboia — Summary

Capitalization type

Full capitalization: upon floating (60% sold), the company receives its entire capital (par price × 10) into the treasury at once, just like in 1830.

Floats at 60% of shares sold (single threshold for all corporations)
No player may hold more than 60% (6 out of 10 certificates) of a single corporation
Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 20; 3 players — 14; 4 players — 11; 5 players — 10; 6 players — 9

Starting cash by player count

2 players: $900 starting cash
3 players: $600 starting cash
4 players: $450 starting cash
5 players: $360 starting cash
6 players: $300 starting cash
The bank always starts with $9,000, regardless of player count

End game triggers

A company goes bankrupt: immediate end
A share reaches the top of the market grid: the current round is finished
The bank runs out of money: the current full operating round set is finished

Number of phases

6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, D), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type

Train list and prices

2 train — $80 (6 units; rusts with the first 4-train)
3 train — $180 (5 units; rusts with the first 6-train)
4 train — $300 (4 units; rusts with the first Diesel)
5 train — $450 (3 units; buying it closes the private companies)
6 train — $630 (3 units)
Diesel (D) — $1,100, unlimited, available from the first 6-train; allows trading in an old train for a $300 discount

List of private companies

Hudson Bay (HB) — $20, revenue $5 — blocks hex C11 (Flin Flon); closes at the start of Phase 5
Saskatchewan Central (SC) — $50, revenue $10 — blocks hex H4; the owner may exchange it to found the SC corporation; closes at the start of Phase 6
North West Rebellion (NWR) — $80, revenue $15 — allows a free station token move into a hex in the NWR zone; closes at the start of Phase 5
Trestle Bridge (TB) — $140, no revenue — earns $10 every time any company crosses a river; comes with a 10% share of a randomly chosen corporation; closes at the start of Phase 5
Canadian Pacific (CP) — $180, revenue $25 — the buyer immediately takes the CPR's president's certificate (20%); closes at Phase 5 or when the CPR buys a train; cannot be bought by a corporation

List of corporations

Canadian National (CN) — no home and no tokens of its own; operates using other companies' neutral tokens
Canadian Northern (CNR) — home at D8
Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) — home at G11
Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) — home at I5
Grand Trunk Pacific (GT) — home at L8
Saskatchewan Central Railroad (SC) — no fixed home; only founded by exchanging the SC private
Qu'Appelle, Long Lake Railroad Co. (QLL) — home at J10

Game-specific mechanics

Every company has one extra free neutral token, which occupies a slot but lets every company (including rivals) run through it
The Canadian National has no tokens of its own: it cannot float until someone else places a neutral token, after which it uses those as route points
North-West Rebellion (NWR) zone: +$20 per yellow tile laid, but a random event (triggered when a phase 3, 4, 5, or 6 train is bought) removes all the yellow track in that zone
$100 bonus if a route simultaneously connects Hudson Bay with a western exit on the map
Fishing exit: an extra route stop that doesn't count toward train length
A very scarce and restrictive tile roster (only 4 yellow city tiles, all straight), which forces aggressive blocking and upgrades

Emergency sell

Matches the 1830 baseline almost exactly — treasury, then the president's personal cash, then a forced sale of any shares the president holds, with the normal exemptions from stock-round-only and pool-limit rules. The only addition is a map-specific trigger: near the special "fishing exit" hex tied to the Northwest Rebellion bonus, the president can be required to fund an emergency purchase even when no route strictly needs a train.

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and context: the wild western Canada
1830 covers the northeastern USA, a zone dense with cities and connections. 1882 takes place in Assiniboia, a region of western Canada with little infrastructure, rivers cutting across the map, an armed rebellion zone in the northwest, and special sea exits (Hudson Bay and the west coast) that offer unique bonuses. The game lasts between 1 and 3 hours for experienced players, significantly less than 1830.

2. Less starting cash and a more brutal train rush
In 1830 players receive $2,400 total between them. In 1882 only $1,800, which means that often only one or two companies will float in the first stock round and players need to collaborate to get things started. On top of that, there is one fewer train of each type 3, 4, and 5 compared to 1830, so when phase 3 trains arrive the rush takes off quickly and bankruptcies are common even among experienced players.

3. Neutral tokens: a completely new strategic layer
Most companies in 1882 have a free neutral token they can place on the map in addition to their normal tokens. Neutral tokens occupy a slot on the tile, but all companies (including rivals) can run through them, unlike normal tokens which block passage. In 1830 no equivalent concept exists.

4. The Canadian National: the company that lives off others' tokens
One of the 7 companies, the Canadian National (CN), has no tokens of its own. It cannot float until someone else has placed at least one neutral token on the map, and when it operates it uses the neutral tokens placed by the other companies as route points. It is a parasite company by design, totally absent from 1830.

5. The Saskatchewan Central (SC): tied to a private, controls the game's pace
The Saskatchewan Central is the only company in 1882 that cannot be floated by just any player: only the owner of the "Saskatchewan Central Company" private can start it. If the private is sold to another company or removed from the game before the SC floats, that company will never be able to exist. In addition, when the SC pars, an extra train of whatever type is available is automatically added, giving its owner direct control over accelerating the train rush. In 1830 no company has a similar link to a private.

6. The North-West Rebellion (NWR) zone: risk and reward with a random trigger
Companies that lay yellow track in the NWR zone receive $20 per tile laid, an attractive incentive. But during setup an NWR card is randomly hidden in the train deck, which can trigger when a phase 3, 4, 5, or 6 train is bought. When it appears, all the yellow track in the NWR zone is removed from the map immediately. Nothing equivalent exists in 1830: there are no track-destruction events.

7. A very limited tile roster: blocking and forced creativity
1882 has an intentionally scarce tile roster: there are only 4 yellow city tiles and all of them are straight, which makes it very difficult to create curved paths. It's common to found a company and discover that no tiles remain available for its starting hex. In 1830 the roster is limited but not as restrictive; here the scarcity is a conscious design tool that allows very aggressive route blocking.

8. Hudson Bay–West Coast route bonus and the fishing exit
The 1882 map has two revenue mechanics that don't exist in 1830: a fishing exit that doesn't count toward train length, and a $100 bonus if a route simultaneously connects Hudson Bay with one of the western exits on the map. These two mechanics push companies toward cross-map expansions, very different from the dense, local route optimization typical of 1830.

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