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18Mag: Hungarian Railway History

Designer: Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler

Hungary with every train available from the start and no rusting at all: trains can only be scrapped voluntarily, and companies always split earnings 50:50.

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18Mag: Hungarian Railway History Contents

How it works

Setup
  • Players start with no money; the bank is unlimited
  • The 7 majors get a random price (60-80 Ft) and have no director
  • Stock round 1: minors and shares are picked for free (with 4 players, 3 minors and 1 share)
  • Each chosen minor gets a 2-train and 50 Ft; the rest are out
Stock round ×1
  • Sell (each sale drops one space) and buy one 10% share
  • Money from purchases goes to the bank
  • Whoever gathers two 10% shares of a major swaps them for the director's certificate
  • Major fully in players' hands: goes up
Operating round ×1-3
  • Minors, by number:
  • 1. One yellow or one upgrade, plus a second yellow for 10 Ft
  • 2. Station (40 Ft, later 80 Ft)
  • 3. Run trains, with rented cars if it likes
  • 4. Half to the owner, half to the minor
  • 5. Buy trains (max. 2)
  • Majors, by share price: station (+10 to the city) and dividend
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • The grey phase begins
  • The current round finishes, then one stock round and three more operating rounds
  • Cash + shares at share price
  • Minors and what they own don't count

Components

Players
  • Cash (start at zero)
  • Minors (can't be sold)
  • Major shares (max. 60%)
Minors
  • The only ones that lay track and run trains
  • At most 2 trains, which never rust
  • Don't have to own a train
Majors
  • Suppliers: they charge the minors for their services
  • Trains ([LdStEG], [MÁVAG]), terrain [SIK], tiles and stations [SzKÉV], cars ([RÁBA], [G&C], [SNW])
  • Pay out their treasury in multiples of 10 Ft
Bank
  • Unlimited money
  • Collects half of trains and stations

Where the money goes

  • Bank Minors Half the train revenue
  • Bank Players The other half of the minors' revenue
  • Minors Majors Half a train, terrain, second tile, half a station, cars
  • Minors Bank The other half of trains and stations
  • Majors Players Dividends out of the major's treasury
  • Players Bank Buying shares

Phases

Yellow
Start
2 · 3 · 4 · 6, all for sale
One operating round per stock round
Green
1st train from a 2nd stack
3, 4 or 6
Two operating rounds
Brown
1st train from a 3rd stack
—
Pricier cars and off-boards
Grey
1st train from the 4th stack
—
The endgame begins
  • All trains are for sale from the start and never rust: phases advance when someone opens a new stack.
  • If a stack goes three operating rounds without selling a train, the phase advances anyway.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules, 4-player game. We follow [P1], their minor [TVV], based in Szeged, and the [SzKÉV] major, of which they hold 10%, through the first two stock and operating rounds.

  1. Before starting Without a forint Phase Yellow

    All players start with 0 Ft. Each major gets a random price: the [SzKÉV] draws 70 Ft.

    [P1] cash
    0 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    —
    [TVV] trains
    —
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  2. Stock round 1 Picking the [TVV] Phase Yellow

    The first stock round is a free pick in turns. [P1] takes the [TVV]: it places its station in Szeged and gets a 2-train and 50 Ft in its treasury.

    [P1] cash
    0 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    50 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  3. Stock round 1 Filling the hand Phase Yellow

    Over the next turns they pick two more minors and 10% of the [SzKÉV]. With 4 players you can't take more. Minors nobody picks leave the game.

    Nothing can be sold in this round.

    [P1] cash
    0 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    50 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  4. Operating round 1 Two yellows Phase Yellow

    Minors operate by number. The [TVV] lays the Szeged yellow (a 30 Ft city) and, paying 10 Ft to the [SzKÉV], a second yellow on a neighbouring town.

    Rivers and mountains are paid to the [SIK], 10 Ft per symbol.

    [P1] cash
    0 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    40 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  5. Operating round 1 The train runs Phase Yellow

    The 2-train runs from Szeged to the town: 30 + 10 = 40 Ft.

    Paying 10 Ft to the [G&C] would turn it into a 2+2 and add two more towns.

    [P1] cash
    0 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    40 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  6. Operating round 1 Half and half Phase Yellow

    A minor doesn't choose: half goes to the owner and half to the treasury. [P1] collects 20 Ft and the [TVV] keeps 20.

    [P1] cash
    20 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    60 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  7. Operating round 1 Not enough for a train yet Phase Yellow

    A 2-train costs 80 Ft and the [TVV] has 60. It buys nothing.

    If no train is sold all round, a marker goes on the stack; on the third, the phase advances.

    [P1] cash
    20 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    60 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  8. Operating round 1 The [SzKÉV] pays out Phase Yellow

    Then the majors operate. The [SzKÉV] has no director, so it pays out its whole treasury. If it has only collected the [TVV]'s 10 Ft, it pays 1 Ft per share: [P1] collects 1 and the rest goes to the bank. With 10-20 Ft paid out, the share price doesn't move.

    With a director, they choose how much to pay out, in multiples of 10 Ft. From 30 to 50 Ft it moves up one space; over 200 Ft, four.

    [P1] cash
    21 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    60 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  9. Stock round 2 Too expensive Phase Yellow

    Shares are bought at share price and the money goes to the bank. With 21 Ft, [P1] can't afford any major and passes.

    [P1] cash
    21 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    60 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  10. Operating round 2 Another trip Phase Yellow

    The [TVV] runs Szeged–town again for 40 Ft: 20 for [P1] and 20 for the minor.

    [P1] cash
    41 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    80 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  11. Operating round 2 A second train Phase Yellow

    Now it can: it buys a 2-train for 80 Ft. Half goes to the bank and the other half to the [LdStEG], which sells the 2 and 4 trains.

    A minor can own 2 trains at most. To make room for a better one, it can scrap one before running.

    [P1] cash
    41 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    0 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2 + 2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    70 Ft
  12. Operating round 2 The [SzKÉV] earns nothing Phase Yellow

    This round no minor has paid the [SzKÉV] anything. It pays out 0 Ft and the share price drops one space, from 70 to 65 Ft. The [LdStEG], on the other hand, pays out the 40 Ft from the train and rises.

    [P1] cash
    41 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    0 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2 + 2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    65 Ft
  13. Towards stock round 3 What now? Phase Yellow

    Players' money comes from the minors, and the majors' money from the minors that pay them. The first to buy a 3, 4 or 6-train will open the green phase: green tiles and two operating rounds.

    [P1] cash
    41 Ft
    [TVV] treasury
    0 Ft
    [TVV] trains
    2 + 2
    [SzKÉV] share price
    65 Ft

18Mag — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Unusual, with no real floating: the seven (or four, in 2-player games) "major" companies are automatically founded during setup, with a par price drawn at random from a fixed list, and all of their shares go straight onto the market from the start for players to buy as pure investments. There is no player-driven floating. The "minor" companies (each player's actual operating vehicle) aren't bought or founded at all: they're distributed by draft and float immediately with Ft 50 from the bank.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Every corporation floats at 0%: since they're founded automatically during setup, they start operating immediately, with no need to sell any shares first
  • No player may hold more than 60% (the default cap) of a single corporation
  • Certificate limit per player: 2 players — 10; 3 players — 18; 4 players — 14; 5 players — 11; 6 players — 9

Starting cash by player count

  • From 2 to 6 players: Ft 0 starting cash in every case — players begin the game with no money at all; capital only comes from minors (which float with Ft 50 once chosen) and their later dividends
  • Certificate limit: 10 (2 players), 18 (3), 14 (4), 11 (5), 9 (6)
  • The bank has unlimited money

End game triggers

  • Entering the final phase (Gray with 3-6 players, Brown with 2): one more full set of operating rounds is played, then the game ends

Number of phases

  • 4 phases with 3-6 players (Yellow, Green, Brown, Gray); 3 phases with 2 players (Yellow, Green, Brown — no 6-train and no Gray phase)
  • The Green phase begins once the first train of type 3, 4, or 6 is bought (whichever comes first)
  • If 3 operating rounds pass in a row with nobody buying a train, the phase advances anyway, forced, to keep the game from stalling

Train list and prices

  • 2 train — Ft 80 (unlimited)
  • 3 train — Ft 120 (unlimited) — its first purchase may advance the phase
  • 4 train — Ft 200 (unlimited) — its first purchase may advance the phase
  • 6 train — Ft 320 (unlimited, only with 3-6 players) — its first purchase may advance the phase
  • No train ever rusts; minors voluntarily discard them as they grow in size
  • Trains aren't bought from a generic bank depot: they're bought from specific "major" companies (LdStEG sells the 2s and 4s; MAVAG sells the 3s and 6s; with 2 players, LdStEG sells all of them), who keep half the price as income

List of private companies

  • The base game has no private companies at all
  • With the optional "Supporters" variant (3-6 players), six free supporter cards can be chosen (not bought) in the first stock round, one per player: Kálmán Kandó — Ft 10/15/20/30 discount when buying a 2/3/4/6 train; Feketeházy János — can cover the terrain cost of one hex once per operating round; Rothschild — Ft 10 of extra income per operating round for one company; von Sina — a free extra green or brown upgrade once per round; Donaudampfschifffahrts­gesellschaft — 50% discount on placing a token; Magyar Államvasutak — turns one of a minor's trains into a "+1" train reaching an extra town

List of corporations

  • 13 numbered minors (the players' actual operating vehicle, 3-6 player map): 1 Magyar Északi Vasút — E12; 2 Magyar Keleti Vasút — D19; 3 Magyar Nyugoti Vasút — E10; 4 TiszaVidéki Vasút — G14; 5 Első Erdélyi Vasút — H27; 6 Kassa-Oderbergi Vasút — B17; 7 Mohács-Pécsi Vasút — G10; 8 Hrvatske Željeznice — H5; 9 Szabadka-Újvidék Vasút — I14; 10 Arad-Temesvári Vasúttársaság — H17; 11 Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Vasút — D7; 12 Segesvár–Szentágotai Vasút — H23; 13 Déli Vasút — I2; plus a neutral "mine" minor (fixed tokens at A10/A18/E26/I20, unowned) that grants access to mines
  • With 2 players there are only 8 minors (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, and mine) on a smaller map with its own coordinates; the optional new-minors variants add 14 (Nagyvárad–Kolozsvár), 15 (Vágvölgyi), and 16 (Püspökladány–Nagyvárad)
  • "Major" companies (no home on the map; they never operate track, only earn automatic income): RABA — bonus for routes reaching off-board areas; G&C — sells plus-train conversions (3-6 players only); SNW — sells access to mine hexes (3-6 players only); SIK — earns for every difficult-terrain symbol crossed; SKEV — earns for corporation tokens present and for second tile lays; LdStEG — sells 2-trains and 4-trains (all trains with 2 players); MAVAG — sells 3-trains and 6-trains (3-6 players only)
  • With 2 players there are only four majors (SIK, SKEV, LdStEG, RABA). The optional "New major" variant (3-6 players) adds CIWL, the only one with 40/20/20/20 shares (5 shares) instead of the usual 10, which earns a bonus whenever a train runs between two red (off-board) areas

Game-specific mechanics

  • Draft (not an auction) of minors at the start: each player picks one in turn, for free; they float instantly with Ft 50 from the bank
  • No player ever founds a "major" company: they're born at a random price and their shares go straight onto the market as pure investment
  • Trains that never rust; a minor discards them voluntarily as it grows
  • Forced phase advance if 3 operating rounds pass in a row without a train purchase
  • Fixed 50% split of a minor's profit with its owner, with no option to withhold it all
  • A very steep dividend scale for majors: paying out Ft 21 or more can jump the price up by as much as four spaces at once
  • Limited terrain tokens that can be used to waive the cost of building on difficult terrain

Emergency sell

There's no emergency sell mechanic here at all: owning a train is never mandatory, so the entire company/president/forced-sale chain never triggers. If no company buys any train at all for several operating rounds in a row, the game simply advances to the next equipment phase on its own, rather than compelling any specific corporation to buy. This fits 18Mag's unusual economy, where players start with no personal cash whatsoever and money mostly stays locked inside the companies until the very end.

Comparison with 1830

1. No starting capital, with Hungary as the setting
In 1830 each player receives a fixed amount of starting cash based on player count. In 18Mag, players start the game with zero forints in hand, for any player count from 2 to 6, set in the history of Hungarian railroads.

2. Players run drafted "minors," not companies founded through an auction
In 1830, players found public companies by buying the president's certificate on the stock market. In 18Mag, a player's main vehicle is a "minor" company (capped at just 2 trains at any time) that gets drafted during setup, not bought or auctioned.

3. Seven fixed "majors" that act as automatic tolls, not flat-income privates
In 1830, private companies simply pay a flat income and nothing else. In 18Mag, the same seven "major" companies exist in every game (four with 2 players), and no single player controls them directly: they earn money automatically whenever a minor performs a specific action (for example, SIK gets paid for every difficult-terrain symbol crossed, and LdStEG pockets half of every train-purchase payment).

4. The "majors" have shares and a president, but the president barely decides anything besides the dividend
Like in 1830, each "major" has 10% shares and needs a 20% stake to name a president. But unlike 1830 (where the president decides track, stations, and trains), in 18Mag's "majors" the president's only real decision is how much dividend to pay out — everything else about the company runs automatically, triggered by other players' minors.

5. Trains never rust, and minors only ever reach the 6-train
In 1830, old trains are forcibly retired once a sufficiently advanced type is introduced. In 18Mag, trains never rust at all: a minor starts with a 2-train, can add a second 2-train, and then discards trains voluntarily as it grows in size (2, 3, 4, and 6 — skipping the 5 entirely). This gives every group a flexibility of game length that 1830 doesn't offer, since its phase clock pushes the game forward regardless of the players' wishes.

6. A fixed 50% split for minors, with no choice between full payout or full withholding
In 1830 the president decides each round whether to pay out 100% of the profit or withhold it entirely for the treasury. In 18Mag, minors always split their earnings evenly with their owner: half goes straight to the player's pocket and half stays with the minor, with no other option.

7. A much steeper dividend scale for the "majors"
In 1830, paying out 100% of the profit moves the stock price up a single space. In 18Mag, if a major's president pays out 21 forints or more in dividends, the stock price can jump up by as many as four spaces at once — a far steeper scale than 1830's.

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More games by Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler

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