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1889: History of Shikoku Railways

Designer: Yasutaka Ikeda

Shikoku, the compact and mountainous version of 1830 in Japan, with one fewer company and a shorter game.

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1889: History of Shikoku Railways Contents

How it works

Setup

Shikoku, 2-6 players: ¥420 each (¥390 with 5 or 6)
¥7,000 bank
Private auction, as in 1830 (the [UTF] only with 4 or more players)
7 companies, each with its own home city

Stock round ×1

In turn: sell (not in round 1) and buy one certificate
Whoever buys a president's certificate sets the par price: ¥65-¥100
Each share sold drops the share price one row
Floats at 50% sold: the company receives 10 × par
At the end: sold-out companies go up

Operating round ×1-3

Privates pay income to their owner
Each company, highest share price first:
1. One tile (new or upgrade)
2. One station
3. Run trains: the best route is mandatory
4. Pay out (up) or withhold (down)
5. Buy trains; with no train, it must
Phases 3 and 4: the company may buy privates

↻ Repeats until the end

End

The bank (¥7,000) runs out of money
Play continues to the end of that set of operating rounds
Or a player goes bankrupt: the game ends at once
Most cash plus shares at current share price wins

Components

Players

Cash
Shares: normally at most 60% of a company
Privates
Certificate limit (4 players: 14)

Companies

10 shares; the president holds the 20% certificate
Treasury, trains (4, then 3 and 2), stations
Fixed home city

Bank

¥7,000
Initial offering and market
New trains and trains in the market

Privates

Fixed income every operating round
Abilities: free mountains, port, an [IR] share…
Close with the first 5-train (not the [UTF], if a player owns it)

Map

The island of Shikoku: mountains and rivers at ¥80
Kouchi (green) and Takamatsu already printed
Ports along the coast

Where the money goes

Players Bank Shares (from the initial offering or the market) and privates in the auction
Bank Companies On floating, 10 × par in one go; withheld revenue
Bank Players Dividends, private income, share sales
Companies Bank Trains, terrain, stations
Companies Players Buying a private from a player (phases 3 and 4, between half and double its value)
Players Companies The president tops up a mandatory train the company can't afford
Players Companies Shares bought after floating: that money goes to the bank, not the company

Phases

Start

2 · ¥80 (6)

Yellow; 4 trains; 1 operating round

1st 3-train

3 · ¥180 (5)

Green; 2 operating rounds; companies can buy privates

1st 4-train

4 · ¥300 (4)

2s rust; 3 trains

1st 5-train

5 · ¥450 (3)

Brown; privates close; 2 trains; 3 operating rounds

1st 6-train

6 · ¥630 (2)

3s rust; diesels become available

1st diesel

D · ¥1,100 (¥800 trading in a 4, 5 or 6)

4s rust

It plays like 1830, but a company floats at 50% sold instead of 60%.
A small map packed with mountains: tiles are expensive, and the [SMR], which avoids that cost, is worth more than it looks.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules: 4 players with ¥420 each. We follow [P1] and the [AR], the Tokushima company, through the first stock round and the first two operating rounds.

Initial auction The [SMR] Phase 2

In turn, each player either buys the cheapest private at face value or leaves a bid on another. When the [SMR] is the cheapest, [P1] buys it at face value, ¥50. It pays ¥15 every operating round.

The company that owns it won't pay for mountains.

[P1] cash

¥370

[AR] treasury

—

[AR] share price

—

[AR] trains

—
Stock round 1 [AR] president Phase 2

[P1] buys the [AR] president's certificate (20%) and sets its par price at ¥80: they pay ¥160 to the bank.

Possible par prices: ¥65, ¥70, ¥75, ¥80, ¥90 or ¥100.

[P1] cash

¥210

[AR] treasury

—

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

—
Stock round 1 Two more shares Phase 2

Over two more turns they buy two 10% shares at ¥80. They now hold 40%.

Only one certificate per turn.

[P1] cash

¥50

[AR] treasury

—

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

—
Stock round 1 The [AR] floats Phase 2

[P3] buys 10% of the [AR]. With 50% sold, the [AR] floats and the bank pays it 10 × ¥80 in one go.

In 1830 it took 60%.

[P1] cash

¥50

[AR] treasury

¥800

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

—
Operating round 1 Income and Tokushima Phase 2

The [SMR] pays [P1] ¥15. The [AR] places its station in Tokushima and lays a straight yellow city there, with one exit towards Naruto and Awaji (red, to the northeast) and the other towards Komatsujima.

Just one tile per turn.

[P1] cash

¥65

[AR] treasury

¥800

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

—
Operating round 1 No trains, price drops Phase 2

No trains yet: no revenue, and the share price moves one space left, from ¥80 to ¥75.

[P1] cash

¥65

[AR] treasury

¥800

[AR] share price

¥75

[AR] trains

—
Operating round 1 Two 2-trains Phase 2

It buys two 2-trains from the bank at ¥80 each. There are 6 in all.

[P1] cash

¥65

[AR] treasury

¥640

[AR] share price

¥75

[AR] trains

2 + 2
Stock round 2 [P1] comes up short Phase 2

A share from the initial offering costs par, ¥80, and [P1] only has ¥65: they pass. The others buy [AR] shares, but not all of them.

[P1] cash

¥65

[AR] treasury

¥640

[AR] share price

¥75

[AR] trains

2 + 2
Operating round 2 Komatsujima Phase 2

The [SMR] pays another ¥15. The [AR] lays the yellow Komatsujima town on Tokushima's southwest exit.

[P1] cash

¥80

[AR] treasury

¥640

[AR] share price

¥75

[AR] trains

2 + 2
Operating round 2 Two routes Phase 2

One 2-train runs Tokushima–Naruto and Awaji: ¥20 + ¥20 = ¥40. The other runs Tokushima–Komatsujima: ¥20 + ¥10 = ¥30. Total: ¥70.

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

[P1] cash

¥80

[AR] treasury

¥640

[AR] share price

¥75

[AR] trains

2 + 2
Operating round 2 Paying out Phase 2

The [AR] pays out: ¥7 per share. [P1], with 40%, collects ¥28. The share price moves one space right, from ¥75 to ¥80.

Shares still in the initial offering get nothing.

[P1] cash

¥108

[AR] treasury

¥640

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

2 + 2
Operating round 2 The first 3-train Phase 3

The other four 2-trains have already been sold. The [AR] buys the first 3-train for ¥180 and phase 3 begins: green, two operating rounds per stock round, and private purchases.

[P1] cash

¥108

[AR] treasury

¥460

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Operating round 2 Buying the [SMR] Phase 3

Companies can now buy privates. The [AR] buys the [SMR] from [P1] for ¥100, double its value: the money goes from the treasury into the president's pocket, and the [AR] will no longer pay for mountains.

The price must be between half and double the private's value.

[P1] cash

¥208

[AR] treasury

¥360

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

2 + 2 + 3
Towards stock round 3 What now? Phase 3

With ¥208, [P1] can now buy more shares. The [AR], with a 3-train and free mountains, can cross the island's interior towards Kouchi.

[P1] cash

¥208

[AR] treasury

¥360

[AR] share price

¥80

[AR] trains

2 + 2 + 3

1889 History of Shikoku Railways — Summary

Capitalization type

Full capitalization: upon floating (50% sold), the company receives its entire capital (par price × 10) into the treasury at once.

Floats at 50% 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 — 25; 3 players — 19; 4 players — 14; 5 players — 12; 6 players — 11

Starting cash by player count

2 players: ¥420 starting cash
3 players: ¥420 starting cash
4 players: ¥420 starting cash
5 players: ¥390 starting cash
6 players: ¥390 starting cash
The bank starts with ¥7,000, regardless of player count

End game triggers

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

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 (2 units)
Diesel (D) — ¥1,100, unlimited, available from the first 6-train; allows trading in old trains for a ¥300 discount

List of private companies

Takamatsu E-Railroad (TR) — ¥20, revenue ¥5 — blocks Takamatsu (K4) while owned by a player
Mitsubishi Ferry (MF) — ¥30, revenue ¥5 — allows placing the port tile on a coastal town (B11, G10, I12, or J9)
Ehime Railway (ER) — ¥40, revenue ¥10 — when sold to a corporation, allows placing an extra green tile at Ohzu (C4)
Sumitomo Mines Railway (SMR) — ¥50, revenue ¥15 — the owning corporation may ignore the building cost on mountain hexes without a river
Dougo Railway (DR) — ¥60, revenue ¥15 — can be exchanged for a 10% share of Iyo Railway from the initial offering
South Iyo Railway (SIR) — ¥80, revenue ¥20 — no special powers (removed in 2-player games, except in the beginner variant)
Uno-Takamatsu Ferry (UTF) — ¥150, revenue ¥30 (¥50 from Phase 5 onward) — only with 4+ players; never closes while owned by a player, and can no longer be sold to a public company once the first 5-train is out

List of corporations

Awa Railroad (AR) — home at K8
Iyo Railway (IR) — home at E2
Sanuki Railway (SR) — home at I2
Takamatsu & Kotohira Electric Railway (KO) — home at K4
Tosa Electric Railway (TR) — home at F9
Tosa Kuroshio Railway (KU) — home at C10
Uwajima Railway (UR) — home at B7

Game-specific mechanics

One fewer company than in 1830, reducing the risk of a massive train rust wave
Floats at 50% of shares sold (not 60%)
In the stock round: buy+sell or sell+buy, but never sell-buy-sell in the same turn
Semi-restrictive tile upgrades: the new tile must provide a new connection or increase the value of a city already reachable
Optional "Beginner Game" rule with simplified privates distributed directly, not by auction

Emergency sell

The funding order matches 1830 — treasury, then the president's personal cash, then a forced sale of any shares they hold — but a corporation forced to buy can only do so from the bank or depot, never from another corporation's holdings. 1889 also widens a protection that 1830 only grants narrowly: in 1830, selling shares of some other corporation during a forced sale can hand that corporation's presidency to someone else; in 1889 that can never happen to any company the selling player presides over.

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and a much smaller map
1830 covers the northeastern USA with a large map. 1889 takes place on Shikoku, the smallest of the four main islands of Japan, with a much smaller map full of mountainous terrain that makes building expensive. The rules engine is essentially that of 1830, but adapted to this smaller scale.

2. One fewer company than in 1830
Despite having the same number of trains as 1830, 1889 has one fewer company in play. Fewer companies means fewer "slots" for trains, so it's harder for many trains to be bought all at once, triggering a massive rust wave, unlike in 1830.

3. Companies float with 5 shares sold, not 6
In 1830 a company floats once 6 shares have been sold (60% of 10). In 1889 only 5 shares sold are needed for a company to float, a lower threshold that slightly speeds up companies getting started compared to 1830.

4. Restriction on the buy/sell order within the stock round turn
In 1830 there is no special restriction on the order of buying and selling within the same turn. In 1889 you can buy and then sell, or sell and then buy, but you cannot sell, buy, and sell again in the same turn.

5. Semi-restrictive tile upgrades
In 1830 it's enough for the company to be able to reach the hex where the upgrade is placed (permissive rule). In 1889 the new tile must additionally provide a new connection (new track) or increase the value of a city the company can already reach.

6. Smaller bank and expensive terrain on a mountainous map
In 1830 the bank is sized for a much larger map and company scale. In 1889 the bank only has ¥7,000, and Shikoku's terrain means that terrain costs weigh much more heavily on track-laying decisions than on the relatively flat map of 1830's northeastern corridor.

7. A noticeably shorter game
The combination of a small map and a reduced bank means a game of 1889 tends to be noticeably shorter than a game of 1830, while keeping all the depth of the system but in a more compact format. That's why it's often recommended as "1830, but smaller" to those who already know 1830 and want a similar rules experience but faster and more intense.

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