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18España

Designer: Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler, Enrique Trigueros

The Iberian Peninsula with dual track gauges, rugged terrain, mines, and partial capitalization.

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18España Contents

How it works

Setup

Cash by player count: from ₧860 (3) to ₧440 (6); the bank is unlimited
2 northern majors, 3 southern majors and 3 minors are removed at random
Private auction, one by one and in order
At first only the northern majors and the minors can be started

Stock round ×1

Sell (if the company has operated) and buy one share
A major floats at 40% and receives 4 × par
A minor is a single certificate: it receives 2 × the price
Selling drops the share price; sold out, it rises

Operating round ×1-3

Private income
Each company, highest share price first:
1. Track: one tile; majors, a second for ₧20
2. One station (₧50)
3. Trains: the north on narrow gauge, the south on broad gauge
4. Pay out (right) or withhold (left); minors split half and half
5. Absorb a minor (from phase 3)
6. Buy trains

↻ Repeats until the end

End

The second 8-train is bought: that round finishes and one last set of operating rounds is played
No bankruptcies: a president who can't pay for a train takes a loan
Cash and shares count
Highest total wins

Components

Players

Cash
Shares (max. 60% of a major)
Privates
Limit of 27 to 13 certificates

Majors

Northern (narrow gauge) and southern (broad gauge)
Three objectives: reach the destination, run to an off-board, run to a port
Each objective: more capital (price × objectives achieved) and a station
Stations at ₧50

Minors

A single owner
One tile per turn, can't go to off-boards
Pay half to the owner and half to the treasury
A major can absorb them; they close with the first 5-train

Privates

Income from ₧5 to ₧30
Mines, a free train, a permanent 2-train, mountain passes, tenders
Two come with shares; P7, the presidency of a northern major

Bank

Unlimited money
[IPO] and open market
Trains: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, each in broad or narrow gauge

Where the money goes

Players Bank Shares, minors and privates at auction
Bank Majors On floating, 4 × par; capital for each objective; withheld revenue
Bank Minors On floating, 2 × the price; half the revenue
Bank Players Dividends, private income, share sales
Majors Bank Trains, terrain, stations and mountain passes
Majors Players Buying a private from a player (up to 100%, 150% or 200% of face value depending on phase)
Players Majors Forced train purchase: the president makes up the shortfall, with a loan if needed

Phases

Start

2 / 1+2 · ₧100

Yellow, 1 operating round; northern majors and minors

1st 3-train

3 / 2+3 · ₧200

Green, 2 rounds; southern majors; mountain passes; privates up to 150%

1st 4-train

4 / 3+4 · ₧300

2s rust; privates up to 200%

1st 5-train

5 / 4+5 · ₧500

Brown, 3 rounds; privates and minors close; majors float at 60% with full capital

1st 6-train

6 / 5+6 · ₧600

3s rust; majors, limit of 2

1st 8-train

8 / 6+8 · ₧800

Grey; 4s rust

Each train has two versions at the same price: broad gauge (south) and narrow gauge, which counts cities and towns separately (1+2: one city and two towns).
A major starts with little capital: it completes it by achieving objectives.
North and south use different gauges and can only be linked through 4 mountain passes, closed until someone opens them (from phase 3).

A round, step by step

Illustrative example built with the game's 18xx.games implementation: 4 players with ₧650 each. We follow [PL1] and the [FdSB], a northern major based in Santander with Bilbao as its destination, through the first two stock and operating rounds.

Before starting A different game every time Phase 2

With 4 players, each has ₧650 and the limit is 20 certificates. A few companies are removed at random; the [FdSB] stays.

[PL1] cash

₧650

[FdSB] treasury

—

[FdSB] share price

—

[FdSB] trains

—
Private auction The [P4] Phase 2

Privates are auctioned one after another. [PL1] wins [P4] for ₧100. It pays ₧20 per operating round and, owned by a major, opens a mountain pass.

[PL1] cash

₧550

[FdSB] treasury

—

[FdSB] share price

—

[FdSB] trains

—
Stock round 1 Starting the [FdSB] Phase 2

[PL1] buys the [FdSB] president's certificate (20%) at ₧90, the highest price a northern major can choose right now. They pay ₧180.

The ₧95 and ₧100 prices open for the north in phase 3.

[PL1] cash

₧370

[FdSB] treasury

—

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

—
Stock round 1 Floating at 40% Phase 2

[PL1] buys another 10% (₧90) and [PL2] buys one. With 40% sold, the [FdSB] floats and receives 4 × ₧90 = ₧360.

The rest of the capital comes with the objectives.

[PL1] cash

₧280

[FdSB] treasury

₧360

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

—
Operating round 1 Income and station Phase 2

[P4] pays [PL1] ₧20. The [FdSB] places its station in Santander, which already has printed narrow-gauge track.

[PL1] cash

₧300

[FdSB] treasury

₧360

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

—
Operating round 1 A single tile Phase 2

A northern major can only lay one tile per turn until phase 3. The [FdSB] lays a yellow town at Laredo, on the way to Bilbao.

[PL1] cash

₧300

[FdSB] treasury

₧360

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

—
Operating round 1 No trains, no revenue Phase 2

It has no trains: it withholds ₧0 and the share price drops one space, from ₧90 to ₧85.

[PL1] cash

₧300

[FdSB] treasury

₧360

[FdSB] share price

₧85

[FdSB] trains

—
Operating round 1 A narrow-gauge train Phase 2

It buys a 2-train in its narrow-gauge version, the 1+2, for ₧100: it can visit one city and up to two towns.

A northern company can't use broad-gauge trains until it has a station in the south.

[PL1] cash

₧300

[FdSB] treasury

₧260

[FdSB] share price

₧85

[FdSB] trains

1+2
Stock round 2 One more share Phase 2

[PL1] buys another [FdSB] share from the [IPO] at par, ₧90. They now hold 40%.

[PL1] cash

₧210

[FdSB] treasury

₧260

[FdSB] share price

₧85

[FdSB] trains

1+2
Operating round 2 On to Bilbao Phase 2

[P4] pays another ₧20. The [FdSB] lays a yellow linking Laredo to Bilbao, its destination.

[PL1] cash

₧230

[FdSB] treasury

₧260

[FdSB] share price

₧85

[FdSB] trains

1+2
Operating round 2 First objective Phase 2

Reaching the destination is the first of three objectives. The bank pays it the par price multiplied by objectives achieved: 1 × ₧90. A station is also freed up for it.

The second objective will be worth 2 × ₧90; the third, 3 × ₧90. In total, the company will have received 10 times the price.

[PL1] cash

₧230

[FdSB] treasury

₧350

[FdSB] share price

₧85

[FdSB] trains

1+2
Operating round 2 One city and one town Phase 2

The 1+2 can't pass through two cities: it runs Santander (₧20) + Laredo (₧10) = ₧30. The [FdSB] pays ₧3 per 10%: [PL1] collects ₧12. The share price goes back to ₧90.

[PL1] cash

₧242

[FdSB] treasury

₧350

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

1+2
Operating round 2 A second train Phase 2

It buys another 1+2 for ₧100. A major can own up to 4 trains in this phase.

[PL1] cash

₧242

[FdSB] treasury

₧250

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

1+2 + 1+2
Towards phase 3 Opening the mountain Phase 2

With the first 3-train come the southern majors, a second tile for the north and the mountain passes. If the [FdSB] buys [P4] from [PL1], it can open the Alar del Rey pass for free and run combined trains to the south.

[PL1] cash

₧242

[FdSB] treasury

₧250

[FdSB] share price

₧90

[FdSB] trains

1+2 + 1+2

18ESP — Summary

Capitalization type

Unusual capitalization tied to the float threshold: on floating (40% sold for majors, 100% for minors), the corporation immediately receives only the payment corresponding to the shares already sold at that point (4 shares for a major, 2 for a minor), not a full 10-share payment like in 1830. Once the first 5-train is bought (the "float_60" event), the float threshold for majors that haven't floated yet rises to 60%, and from then on they receive the full 10-share payment when they float.

Majors initially float at 40% of shares sold (rising to 60% once the first type 5 train is bought); minors always float at 100%
No player may hold more than 60% of a major, while minors may be owned 100% by a single player
Certificate limit per player: 3 players — 27; 4 players — 20; 5 players — 16; 6 players — 13

Starting cash by player count

3 players: ₧860 starting cash (certificate limit: 27)
4 players: ₧650 starting cash (certificate limit: 20)
5 players: ₧520 starting cash (certificate limit: 16)
6 players: ₧440 starting cash (certificate limit: 13)
The bank has unlimited money (there's no end-game trigger from the bank running dry)

End game triggers

Bankruptcy isn't possible in this game (BANKRUPTCY_ALLOWED = false), and the bank has unlimited money, so neither of those two classic end-game reasons applies here
Only trigger: the second 8-train is bought. The current operating round is finished (no more are added to that set) and the game ends at the next check

Number of phases

6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type
Phase 3: the southern majors open up; privates can now be bought in by corporations for up to 150% of their value
Phase 4: the maximum buy-in price for privates rises to 200% of their value
Phase 5: all remaining privates close, minors stop operating, and the float threshold for majors rises from 40% to 60%

Train list and prices

2 train — ₧100 (11 available; rusts once the first 4-train is bought) — narrow-gauge "1+2" variant for crossing mountain passes by combining both gauges
3 train — ₧200 (9 available; rusts once the first 6-train is bought) — narrow-gauge "2+3" variant
4 train — ₧300 (7 available; rusts once the first 8-train is bought) — narrow-gauge "3+4" variant; buying it closes any private companies still owned by players
5 train — ₧500 (5 available) — narrow-gauge "4+5" variant; buying it closes all remaining privates, stops minors from operating, and raises the float threshold to 60%
6 train — ₧600 (3 available) — narrow-gauge "5+6" variant
8 train — ₧800 (unlimited) — narrow-gauge "6+8" variant, the last available type
Every train has a narrow-gauge variant at the same price; "combined" trains crossing a mountain pass must stop both north and south of the map

List of private companies

La Habana - Güines (P1) — ₧20, revenue ₧5 — ₧30 discount for laying a yellow mine tile or for shutting down a mine when upgrading that hex to green; closes once used
Barcelona - Mataró (P2) — ₧60, revenue ₧10 — the corporation that buys it gets a free 2/1+2 train; closes once bought by a corporation
Madrid - Aranjuez (El tren de la fresa) (P3) — ₧70, revenue ₧15 — if owned by a corporation at phase 5, it converts into a permanent 2-train that doesn't count against the train limit or fulfill the mandatory train-ownership requirement; its first run must go through Aranjuez and Madrid
Alar del Rey - Santander (P4) — ₧100, revenue ₧20 — the major company that buys it can open the Alar del Rey mountain pass for free, or any other pass at a ₧40 discount; closes once used
La Maquinista (P5) — ₧130, revenue ₧10 — grants six "tender" cards: up to five can be sold at ₧80 each (₧20 to the owner, ₧60 to the bank); a train with a tender assigned gains an extra stop at a town, harbor or mine; closes once bought by a minor or major
Zafra - Huelva (P6, version A) — ₧160, revenue ₧20 — grants a 10% certificate of the southern corporation CRB (only one of the two P6 versions is present in any given game)
Ferrocarril Vasco-Navarro (P6, version B) — ₧160, revenue ₧20 — grants a 10% certificate of a randomly chosen northern corporation
Ferrocarril de Carreño (P7) — ₧170, revenue ₧30 — grants the president's share (20%) of a randomly chosen northern major; closes once that corporation buys its first train

List of corporations

18ESP defines up to 15 majors and 9 minors, but each game randomly removes 2 northern majors, 3 southern majors and 3 minors (unless the "core" variant is used), so the actual set of active corporations changes every time
Southern majors (9): N — Norte — F24; MZA — Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante — F24; A — Andaluces — E33; CRB — Ciudad Real a Badajoz — B26; MCP — Madrid a Cáceres y Portugal — F24; ZPB — Zaragoza a Pamplona y Barcelona — M21; GSSR — Great Southern of Spain — I29; AVT — Almansa a Valencia y Tarragona — K25; TBF — Tarragona a Barcelona y Francia — L22
Northern majors (6): FdSB — Santander a Bilbao — I5; CFEA — Ferrocarriles Económicos de Asturias — D6; CFLG — Ferrocarril de Langreo — E3; FdLR — Ferrocarril de La Robla — H8; SFVA — Vasco Asturiana — D6; FdC — Ferrocarril del Cantábrico — I5
Minors (9): MS — Mérida a Sevilla — C27; CM — Córdoba a Málaga — E29; SC — Sevilla a Jerez / Puerto Real a Cádiz — C31; AC — Albacete a Cartagena — H28; MZ — Madrid a Zaragoza — F24; ZP — Zaragoza a Pamplona — J20; CSE — Sur de España — H32; MH — Madrid a Hendaya — E21; CA — Central de Aragón — J20

Game-specific mechanics

Dual track gauge (broad Iberian / narrow): northern and southern majors mostly use different gauges, and only trains with a "combined" variant can cross a mountain pass linking both networks
Blocking tokens on mountain passes that must be paid off (cost varies by pass, ₧60-₧100) before they can be crossed
Mines as a revenue source alternative to cities and towns
Per-corporation goals (connect its destination, run to an off-board area, run to a harbor): each new goal reached grants extra capital (par price × number of goals reached so far) and an extra token
"Minor" companies absorbable by the majors, with compensation to the shareholder and possible token retention
Variable setup: corporations are randomly removed each game (unless the "core" variant is used)
East/west and G/Bi-to-B/M route bonuses

Emergency sell

Starts the same way as 1830 — treasury, then the president's personal cash — but then opens a choice: the president can either sell personal shares as usual, or take an interest-bearing bank loan instead, though not both in the same emergency. Presidency protection is also wider than 1830's: a forced sale can never cost the selling player the presidency of any corporation they run, not just the one being funded. And there's no bankruptcy at all here — between the unrestricted forced sale and the always-available loan, a corporation is guaranteed to be able to raise the money somehow.

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and map: the Iberian Peninsula
1830 covers the northeastern USA. 18ESP is set on the Iberian Peninsula, with the Spanish railway network of the 19th century as its backdrop. The map is rugged and reflects the real difficulty of building railway lines across one of Europe's most orographically complex peninsulas: the Pyrenees, central mountain ranges, and Andalusian highlands.

2. Dual track gauges: Iberian and narrow
In 1830 all track is equivalent and there is no gauge distinction. In 18ESP there are two distinct track gauges: the Iberian gauge (the traditional Spanish gauge, wider than the European standard, adopted in the 19th century for stability on mountainous terrain) and the narrow gauge (used on mountain and regional lines). Each corporation mostly runs one gauge, and only trains with the "combined" variant can cross a mountain pass to link both networks.

3. Very demanding terrain
In 1830 terrain has a one-time cost but is not a dominant factor. In 18ESP the peninsula is mountainous and hexes with difficult terrain (mountain ranges, high passes) are very expensive to build through. The orography demands careful planning of every network extension, since direct routes tend to be the costliest and alternatives through valleys or along the coast significantly lengthen distances.

4. Mines as revenue sources
In 1830 revenue comes exclusively from cities and towns. In 18ESP there are mine hexes that generate specific income for trains that visit them. Connecting mines can be as profitable as, or more profitable than, connecting cities, especially in areas where mines are clustered but terrain is difficult. These alternative revenue sources change the logic of route design entirely.

5. Companies with historical Iberian routes
The game's companies recreate the great railways of 19th-century Spanish history: the companies that built the radial lines from Madrid, the Mediterranean coastal lines, and the cross-border connections with France. For players who know the Iberian railway network, the map and the companies resonate with real names and routes, adding an extra layer of thematic recognition.

6. An 18xx with its own identity, not just a variant of 1830
The combination of dual track gauges, extreme terrain, and mines gives 18ESP a flavour very different from the classic Anglo-Saxon 18xx games. Knowing 1830 is not enough to be a strong 18ESP player: managing terrain, gauges, and mines forces you to rethink from scratch how a profitable railway network is designed.

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