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18NewEngland

Designer: Scott Petersen

From Massachusetts to New York: draft with no auctions, partial capitalization at par, and a great entry-level game.

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18NewEngland Contents

How it works

Setup
  • $12,000 in the bank; each player gets $280 with 4 players
  • 10 of the 15 minors, at random, available from the start
  • Stock round 1: snake draft to reserve minors and set their value
  • At the end, each minor buys a 2-train and places its home station
Stock round ×1
  • Sell and buy one share, or start a minor
  • Minor: the player puts in double the chosen value
  • Always buy at share price; an [IPO] share gives the company the par price
  • Only the president's sales drop the share price
Operating round ×2
  • Minors, then majors, highest value first:
  • Redeem shares from the market (majors)
  • 1. Track: majors 2 yellows or 1 upgrade; minors, 1
  • 2. Station (majors only)
  • 3. Run trains
  • 4. Minor: half and half. Major: all, half or nothing
  • 5. Buy trains
  • 6. Issue shares (majors)
Merger round ×2
  • From phase 3, after each operating round
  • Convert a minor into a major (value $100)
  • Or merge two: the sum of their values, rounded down
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • The bank runs out: the set of operating rounds finishes
  • A share price reaches $500: the operating round finishes
  • Cash + shares at share price + minors at double their value

Components

Players
  • Cash
  • Minors (can't be sold)
  • Major shares (max. 60%)
Minors
  • A single share, fixed value
  • One tile per turn, no extra stations
  • No train at the end of its turn: liquidated
Majors
  • 10 shares; born by converting or merging minors
  • The president manages the shares: issuing and redeeming
  • E trains: two expresses run together and double up
Bank
  • $12,000
  • Open market (max. 50% of each major)
  • Trains

Where the money goes

  • Players Minors Starting a minor: double its value
  • Players Bank Buying shares at share price
  • Bank Majors For each [IPO] share sold or issued, the par price
  • Bank Players Dividends and half the minors' revenue
  • Minors Bank Trains and terrain
  • Majors Bank Trains, terrain, stations and share buybacks

Phases

2
Start
2 · $100
Minors at $50-$70; no mergers yet
3
1st 3-train
3 · $180
Merger rounds; 5 more minors and values of $80-$100
4
1st 4-train
4 · $300
2s rust; minors, 1 train
5
1st 5E train
5E · $500
6
1st 6E train
6E · $600
3s rust; majors, 2 trains
8
1st 8E train
8E · $800
4s rust
  • An [IPO] share is paid for at share price, but the company collects the par price: issuing to drive the share price down makes shares cheaper.
  • No privates and no auction: everything starts with minors.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the game's rules, 4-player game ($280 each). The stock round 1 draft follows the procedure in the rulebook's example. We follow [P1] and the [CR] minor, based in Springfield, up to stock round 2.

  1. Before starting Ten minors Phase 2

    10 of the 15 minors have been drawn at random. The other 5 will arrive in phase 3. Majors don't exist yet: they'll grow out of the minors.

    [P1] cash
    $280
    [CR] treasury
    —
    [CR] trains
    —
  2. Stock round 1 Reserving the [CR] Phase 2

    The first round is a snake draft (1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1…). On their turn, [P1] reserves the [CR]. Reserving takes the whole turn.

    [P1] cash
    $280
    [CR] treasury
    —
    [CR] trains
    —
  3. Stock round 1 Setting the value Phase 2

    On their next turn they set the [CR]'s value at $60 and pay double, $120, into its treasury.

    In phase 2 you can pick $50, $55, $60, $65 or $70; each value has two slots.

    [P1] cash
    $160
    [CR] treasury
    $120
    [CR] trains
    —
  4. Stock round 1 A second minor Phase 2

    Then they reserve another minor and start it at $50, paying $100 into it. When everyone passes, the draft ends; priority goes to whoever has the most cash.

    [P1] cash
    $60
    [CR] treasury
    $120
    [CR] trains
    —
  5. Stock round 1 The first train Phase 2

    At the end of the round, each minor that was started automatically buys a 2-train for $100 and places its home station.

    [P1] cash
    $60
    [CR] treasury
    $20
    [CR] trains
    2
  6. Operating round 1.1 Towards Northampton Phase 2

    Minors operate first, highest value first. The [CR] lays a yellow on the Northampton town, north of Springfield.

    A minor lays one tile per turn; a major, up to two yellows.

    [P1] cash
    $60
    [CR] treasury
    $20
    [CR] trains
    2
  7. Operating round 1.1 The train runs Phase 2

    The 2-train runs from Springfield ($20) to Northampton ($10): $30. Towns count as stops.

    [P1] cash
    $60
    [CR] treasury
    $20
    [CR] trains
    2
  8. Operating round 1.1 Half and half Phase 2

    A minor always pays half to its owner and keeps the other half: $15 for [P1] and $15 for the [CR].

    [P1] cash
    $75
    [CR] treasury
    $35
    [CR] trains
    2
  9. Operating round 1.1 No purchases Phase 2

    The cheapest train in the bank is still a $100 2-train. The [CR] can't afford it and stays as it is.

    A minor doesn't have to buy a train, but if it ends its turn with none it's liquidated.

    [P1] cash
    $75
    [CR] treasury
    $35
    [CR] trains
    2
  10. Operating round 1.2 Another trip Phase 2

    There are always two operating rounds in a row. The [CR] runs Springfield–Northampton again for $30: $15 and $15.

    [P1] cash
    $90
    [CR] treasury
    $50
    [CR] trains
    2
  11. Operating round 1.2 No mergers yet Phase 2

    In phase 2 there are no merger rounds. Until the first 3-train, no major can be born.

    [P1] cash
    $90
    [CR] treasury
    $50
    [CR] trains
    2
  12. Stock round 2 Nothing to buy Phase 2

    Since there are no majors yet, there are no shares for sale. The only option is to start another minor; [P1] keeps the money and passes.

    [P1] cash
    $90
    [CR] treasury
    $50
    [CR] trains
    2
  13. Towards phase 3 What now? Phase 2

    When someone buys a 3-train, [P1] can convert the [CR] into a major like the [NYC], always at $100. They'll have to put in $200 − 2 × $60 = $80, which goes to the major's treasury, and receive the president's certificate.

    If they merge the [CR] ($60) with their other minor ($50), the par price will be $110.

    [P1] cash
    $90
    [CR] treasury
    $50
    [CR] trains
    2

18NewEngland — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Two-tier system: the 15 "minor" companies each have a single share (100%) and incremental capitalization — they float instantly once someone buys their one share at a price chosen from a fixed grid. The 8 "major" companies use full capitalization (they receive par price × 10 all at once), but float with just 20% sold (2 shares), not 1830's usual 60%.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • Major corporations float once 20% of shares are sold; minors float at 100% (operating from the start)
  • No player may hold more than 60% of a major corporation; minors have no cap (100%)
  • Certificate limit per player: 3 players — 20; 4 players — 16; 5 players — 13

Starting cash by player count

  • 3 players: $400 starting cash (certificate limit: 20)
  • 4 players: $280 starting cash (certificate limit: 16)
  • 5 players: $280 starting cash (certificate limit: 13)
  • The bank always starts with $12,000, the same figure as 1830

End game triggers

  • A share price reaches the marked end-game space on the stock chart: ends once the current round is finished (no need to wait for the full operating round set)
  • A company goes bankrupt: immediate end
  • The bank runs out of money: the current full operating round set is finished

Number of phases

  • 6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type
  • From phase 3 onward, every set of operating rounds is followed by a dedicated Merger Round, where players may combine minors into majors
  • Minors' train limit drops from a maximum of 2 to just 1 starting in phase 4

Train list and prices

  • 2 train — $100 (10 available; rusts once the first 4-train is bought)
  • 3 train — $180 (7 available; rusts once the first 6E-train is bought)
  • 4 train — $300 (4 available; rusts once the first 8E-train is bought)
  • 5E train — $500 (4 available) — "express" train: ignores towns and, if a corporation owns more than one, the route's revenue is multiplied by the total number of express trains it owns
  • 6E train — $600 (3 available) — same express and multiplier mechanic
  • 8E train — $800 (unlimited) — the last available type, same express and multiplier mechanic

List of private companies

  • 18NewEngland has no private companies at all. The game opens directly with a special round in which, in snake order, each player reserves and founds a "minor" company, choosing its par price from a fixed grid of yellow values (50/55/60/65/70) or, from phase 3 onward, also green values (80/90/100)

List of corporations

  • 8 majors (no fixed home: they're born when players merge minors into them during a Merger Round): Boston and Albany Railroad (B&A); Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M); Canadian National Railroad (CN); Central Vermont Railroad (CVT); Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H); New York Central Railroad (NYC); New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNHH); Providence and Worcester Railroad (P&W)
  • 15 minors (a single 100% share each; 10 are randomly chosen to be available from the start, the rest unlock at phase 3): Albany and West Stockbridge (AWS) — B3; Boston and Lowell (BL) — L5; Boston & Providence (BP) — K10; Connecticut River (CR) — G8; Connecticut Valley (CV) — E2; Eastern Railroad (ER) — L5; Fitchburg Railroad (FRR) — J3; Granite Railway (GR) — L7; Hartford and New Haven (HNH) — F13; Hudson Railroad (HRR) — B3; New London Northern Railroad (NLN) — F13; New York New Haven Railroad (NYNH) — F13; New York Westchester Boston (NYW) — B19; Poughkeepsie and Eastern Railway (PE) — B11; Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad (WNR) — I6

Game-specific mechanics

  • No auction and no privates: the opening round is a snake-order reservation where each player directly picks which minor to found and at what par price
  • Two-tier structure: minors (a single share, incremental capitalization) are the entry point; majors (10 shares, full capitalization, float at 20%) only come into existence when minors are merged into them during a dedicated Merger Round, available from phase 3 onward
  • "Express" (E) trains: starting with the type-5 train, each additional express train a corporation owns multiplies its route's revenue by the total number of express trains it holds
  • Separate treasury for each company (majors can issue or redeem their own shares from their treasury)

Emergency sell

Matches 1830's order for major corporations — treasury, then the president's personal cash, then a forced sale of the president's shares. Minor corporations work differently: a trainless minor that can't afford one doesn't trigger any of that cascade at all — instead, it's simply closed and removed from the game outright.

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and map
1830 covers the northeastern USA with a large map and many cities. 18NewEngland is set in southern New England, from Massachusetts down to New York, covering the routes of companies such as the New York, New Haven & Hartford and the Boston & Maine. The map is more compact and the game is played with 3 to 5 players.

2. No auction and no privates: minors reserved in snake order
In 1830 privates go up for auction with open bidding. In 18NewEngland there are no privates and no auction: the game opens with a snake-order reservation where each player directly picks which "minor" company to found and at what par price, with no bidding mechanism or direct conflict.

3. Two-tier structure: single-share minors that merge into majors
In 1830 every company is equal from the start: 10 shares, full capitalization. In 18NewEngland there are two clearly distinct company types: 15 possible "minors," each with a single share (100%), serving as the entry point; and 8 "majors" with 10 shares, which have no fixed home and only come into existence when players merge one or more minors into them during a dedicated Merger Round, available from phase 3 onward. This "merging up" system has no equivalent in 1830.

4. Majors float with just 20% sold, not 60%
In 1830 a company needs 60% of its shares sold to float and receive capital. In 18NewEngland majors do so with just 20% (2 shares), a much lower threshold that speeds up big companies' access to capital.

5. Express trains that multiply revenue instead of running separately
In 1830 each train a corporation owns runs its own route independently. In 18NewEngland, starting with the type-5 train ("express," marked with an E), if a corporation owns more than one, instead of each running separately, the route's revenue is multiplied by the total number of express trains it holds. It's a revenue-stacking mechanism with no counterpart in 1830.

6. No privates in the base game
In 1830 privates are central to the opening phase: they generate revenue, trigger synergies, and set the pace of the first stock round. In 18NewEngland the game does away with privates entirely: each player's first action is directly reserving a minor and setting its par price, which greatly reduces initial complexity.

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