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18NL

Designer: Helmut Ohley

1830 transplanted to the Netherlands, with the same classic spirit on a Dutch map.

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18NL Contents

How it works

Setup
  • The bank holds ƒ12,000; each player gets ƒ600 with 4 players
  • Auction of the 6 privates, as in 1830
  • [P4] comes with 10% of the [NCS]; [P5] with the [HIS] president's share; [P6] with the [NFL]'s
Stock round ×1
  • Sell, buy one share, sell
  • Start a company: president's share (20%) at ƒ67-ƒ100
  • Floats at 60% sold
  • Max 60% of a company
  • Sold-out company: goes up
Operating round ×1-3
  • Private income
  • Each company, highest share price first:
  • 1. Track: one tile
  • 2. Station
  • 3. Run trains
  • 4. Pay out (up) or withhold (down)
  • 5. Buy trains; from phase 3, privates too
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • The bank (ƒ12,000) runs out: the set of operating rounds finishes
  • A bankruptcy: the game ends immediately
  • Most cash plus shares wins

Components

Players
  • Cash
  • Shares and privates
Companies
  • 9 companies; the [NFL] has a 30% president's share
  • Float at 60% and receive 10 × par
  • Treasury, trains, stations
Privates
  • Fixed income and a blocked hex
  • Sold to companies from phase 3
  • Close with the first 5-train
Bank
  • ƒ12,000
  • [IPO] and open market
  • Trains

Where the money goes

  • Players Bank Buying shares ([IPO] or market) and privates
  • Bank Companies On floating, 10 × par
  • Bank Players Dividends, private income, sales
  • Companies Bank Trains, terrain and stations
  • Companies Players Buying privates from players
  • Players Companies The president tops up a mandatory train

Phases

2
Start
2 · ƒ80
One operating round
3
1st 3-train
3 · ƒ180
Two operating rounds; privates can be bought
4
1st 4-train
4 · ƒ300
2s rust; 3-train limit
5
1st 5-train
5 · ƒ450
Privates close; three operating rounds; limit of 2
6
1st 6-train
6 · ƒ630
3s rust
D
1st D train
D · ƒ1,100
4s rust; a 4, 5 or 6 gives ƒ300 off
  • The rulebook puts it plainly: in principle, 1830's rules apply. What changes is the map, the companies and the privates.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with 18xx.games rules (1830's), 4-player game (ƒ600 each). We follow [PL1] and the [NCS], based in Apeldoorn, from the private auction to the second operating round.

  1. Before starting Six privates Phase 2

    The game opens with the auction of the six privates, from P1 (ƒ20) to [P6] (ƒ200). Each player has ƒ600.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ600
    [NCS] treasury
    —
    [NCS] share price
    —
    [NCS] trains
    —
  2. Private auction [P4] Phase 2

    [PL1] buys [P4] for ƒ110. It pays ƒ10 every operating round and also comes with a free 10% of the [NCS].

    While a player owns it, [P4] blocks Hengelo and Enschede.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ490
    [NCS] treasury
    —
    [NCS] share price
    —
    [NCS] trains
    —
  3. Stock round 1 Starting the [NCS] Phase 2

    [PL1] starts the [NCS] at ƒ82: the president's certificate (20%) costs ƒ164. With the free 10% they now hold 30%.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ326
    [NCS] treasury
    —
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    —
  4. Stock round 1 Up to 60% Phase 2

    Over three more turns they buy three [IPO] shares at ƒ82. They reach 60%, the maximum per player, and with 60% sold the [NCS] floats: the bank pays it 10 × ƒ82 = ƒ820.

    [P4]'s 10% counts too: the company receives capital for all 10 shares regardless.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ80
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ820
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    —
  5. Stock round 1 End of round Phase 2

    Everyone passes. The [NCS] isn't sold out (40% is in the [IPO]), so the share price doesn't rise.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ80
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ820
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    —
  6. Operating round 1 [P4] income Phase 2

    Privates pay first: [PL1] gets ƒ10. In phase 2 there's just one operating round per stock round.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ90
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ820
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    —
  7. Operating round 1 Towards Deventer Phase 2

    The [NCS]'s station is in Apeldoorn, a grey ƒ20 city with track to the east and west. It lays a yellow in Deventer, a ƒ20 city.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ90
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ820
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    —
  8. Operating round 1 No train, price drops Phase 2

    No trains, no payout, and the share price drops one space: from ƒ82 to ƒ76.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ90
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ820
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ76
    [NCS] trains
    —
  9. Operating round 1 A 2-train Phase 2

    It buys a 2-train for ƒ80. There are 6, and they'll rust with the first 4-train.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ90
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ740
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ76
    [NCS] trains
    2
  10. Stock round 2 Already maxed out Phase 2

    [PL1] already holds 60% of the [NCS] and can't buy more. With ƒ90 it isn't worth getting into another company, so they pass.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ90
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ740
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ76
    [NCS] trains
    2
  11. Operating round 2 The train runs Phase 2

    [P4] pays ƒ10 again. The 2-train runs from Apeldoorn to Deventer: 20 + 20 = ƒ40.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ100
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ740
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ76
    [NCS] trains
    2
  12. Operating round 2 Paying out Phase 2

    It pays ƒ4 per share. [PL1], with 60%, collects ƒ24. The 40% in the [IPO] gets nothing. The share price moves up one space: from ƒ76 to ƒ82.

    Had it withheld, the ƒ40 would have gone to the treasury and the share price would have dropped.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ124
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ740
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    2
  13. Operating round 2 A second train Phase 2

    It buys another 2-train for ƒ80. In phases 2 and 3 a company can own 4.

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ124
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ660
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    2 + 2
  14. Towards stock round 3 What now? Phase 2

    With ƒ660 in the bank, the [NCS] can buy the first 3-train and open phase 3: green, two operating rounds and the option of buying [P4] from [PL1].

    [PL1] cash
    ƒ124
    [NCS] treasury
    ƒ660
    [NCS] share price
    ƒ82
    [NCS] trains
    2 + 2

18NL — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Full capitalization: on floating (60% sold), the company receives all its capital (par price × 10) at once into its treasury — exactly like 1830, with no variant of its own.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Floats once 60% of shares are sold (the default threshold, uniform across all corporations)
  • No player may hold more than 60% (the default cap) of a single corporation, with no exceptions
  • Certificate limit per player: 3 players — 22; 4 players — 18; 5 players — 14; 6 players — 12

Starting cash by player count

  • 3 players: ƒ800 starting cash (certificate limit: 22)
  • 4 players: ƒ600 starting cash (certificate limit: 18)
  • 5 players: ƒ480 starting cash (certificate limit: 14)
  • 6 players: ƒ400 starting cash (certificate limit: 12)
  • The bank always starts with ƒ12,000, the same figure as 1830

End game triggers

  • The bank runs out of money: immediate end (as in 1830)
  • A company goes bankrupt and can't complete a mandatory train payment: immediate end

Number of phases

  • 6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, D), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type — the same scheme as 1830

Train list and prices

  • 2 train — ƒ80 (6 available; rusts once the first 4-train is bought)
  • 3 train — ƒ180 (5 available; rusts once the first 6-train is bought)
  • 4 train — ƒ300 (5 available; rusts once the first Diesel is bought) — one more than in 1830, to supply the ninth company
  • 5 train — ƒ450 (3 available; buying it closes the private companies)
  • 6 train — ƒ630 (3 available) — one more than in 1830
  • Diesel (D) — ƒ1,100 (unlimited) — allows trading in type-4, 5, or 6 trains for a ƒ300 discount each

List of private companies

  • P1 — Amsterdamsche Omnibus-Maatschappij — ƒ20, revenue 0 — allows laying an extra tile at F5 with a ƒ40 discount; blocks F5 while owned by a player
  • P2 — Geldersch-Overijsselsche Lokaalspoorweg-Maatschappij — ƒ40, revenue ƒ5 — allows laying a free token on a hex without track, no connection needed; blocks F17 and G16
  • P3 — De Veluwe — ƒ70, revenue ƒ10 — can be exchanged for a 10% share of the DV (if the owner doesn't already hold 60% of it); blocks F9
  • P4 — De Twentsche Electrische Tramweg-Maatschappij — ƒ110, revenue ƒ10 — the buyer immediately receives a free 10% share of the NCS; blocks F19
  • P5 — Hollandsche Ijzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij — ƒ160, revenue ƒ10 — the buyer receives the president's certificate (20%) of the HIS and sets its par price immediately; closes when the HIS buys its first train; blocks E4 and E6
  • P6 — Spoorweg-Maatschappij Zuid Beveland — ƒ200, revenue ƒ15 — the buyer receives the president's certificate (30%, not the usual 20%) of the NFL and sets its par price immediately; closes when the NFL buys its first train; blocks J3 and K2

List of corporations

  • Almelo-Salzbergen (AS) — home at E16
  • Nederlandsche Centraal (NCS) — home at F13
  • De Veluwe (DV) — home at G8
  • Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (MES) — home at J7
  • Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg (HIS) — home at E6
  • Nederlansche Zuid-Ooster (NZO) — home at H13
  • Zuid-Hollandsche Electrische Spoorweg-Maatschappij (ZHE) — home at G2
  • Nederlansche Rhijnspoorweg-Maatschappij (NRS) — home at E6
  • Noord Friesche Lokaal (NFL) — home at B15; a ninth company on top of 1830's eight, with its own 8-share structure (30% president + 7 × 10%) instead of the usual 10 certificates

Game-specific mechanics

  • An almost literal transplant of the 1830 system onto the Dutch railway network: 18NL's own rulebook states that "in principle, the rules of 1830 are valid"
  • A ninth company (NFL) with its own share structure (30% president instead of 20%)
  • Two "B&O-style" privates: P5 with a 20% director's share of the HIS, and P6 with a 30% director's share of the NFL
  • Privates that convert directly into shares: P3 can be exchanged for 10% of the DV, and P4 comes with 10% of the NCS
  • P1 pays no revenue and cheapens P2 by 5 guilders in the auction (the same quirk as 1830's SV&N, with its own numbers)
  • Custom tiles with "X" and "Z" type cities (values 20/50/70) replacing some of 1830's pieces

Emergency sell

Matches the 1830 baseline exactly, with no overrides of any kind: treasury pays first, then the president's personal cash, then a forced sale of the president's personal shares of any corporation at market price if still short.

Comparison with 1830

1. The same 1830 system, transplanted literally to the Netherlands
Unlike every other game in this catalogue, 18NL doesn't reinterpret 1830: its own rulebook opens by saying "in principle, the rules of 1830 are valid." It's a direct transplant of the map, companies and privates onto the Dutch railway network (Almelo-Salzbergen, Nederlandsche Centraal, De Veluwe...), without adding any new subsystem (no loans, no mergers, no incremental capitalization): every change is small and concrete.

2. A ninth company on top of 1830's eight
1830 has eight operating companies. 18NL adds a ninth, the Noord Friesche Lokaal (NFL), the smallest company in the game (only 2 starting station tokens, same as the ZHE and the NRS).

3. The NFL floats with a 30% president's certificate, not 20%
In 1830 a director's certificate is always worth 20%, for any company. In 18NL, private no. 6 comes bundled with a 30% Director's certificate of the NFL (instead of the usual 20%), and this private closes when the NFL buys its first train — the same pattern as 1830's B&O, but with a higher president's stake that breaks the standard.

4. Two "B&O-style" privates, not just one
In 1830 only the B&O is tied from the start to a company's president certificate. In 18NL this pattern is doubled: private no. 5 comes with a 20% Director's certificate of the HIS (closes when the HIS buys its first train) and private no. 6 with a 30% Director's certificate of the NFL (closes when the NFL buys its first train).

5. Privates that convert directly into company shares
Besides the two "B&O-style" privates, private no. 3 (70 Gulden) can be converted into a 10% share of De Veluwe (DV), and private no. 4 (110 Gulden) comes bundled with a 10% share of the Nederlandsche Centraal (NCS). None of 1830's six original privates does anything like this.

6. A private that pays no revenue at all, and cheapens the next one
Private no. 1 (20 Gulden) pays no dividend whatsoever (0 Gulden), and as a direct consequence private no. 2 starts 5 Gulden cheaper in the auction. 18NL's own rulebook explicitly describes this as "similar to the SV&N in 1830" — that is, it's not a new mechanic, but the same 1830 quirk recreated with new numbers.

7. Certificate limits adjusted to compensate for the ninth company
Since there's one more company than in 1830 (and therefore more certificates in play), 18NL raises the per-player certificate limit compared to 1830's standard limits.

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