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18Svea

Designer: Jonas Jones

A Swedish micro 18xx with just ten hexes, playable in under two hours.

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18Svea Contents

How it works

Setup
  • 2 or 3 players: 240 kr split among them (120 or 80 each)
  • 5 companies with five 20% shares ([CEO] + 4)
  • The 12 strategy cards are shuffled and 6 are dealt [DSC]
  • The round marker covers the whole game: 4 stock rounds and 7 operating rounds
Stock round ×4 in total
  • Order by initiative: the sum of each player's cards
  • Taxes: 10/20/30 kr for holding 3/4/5 shares of a company
  • Turns: sell as many shares as you like and buy one
  • Buying the [CEO] share starts the company (price 25-40 kr)
  • At the end, companies with all shares in players' hands go up a row
Operating round ×7 in total
  • Unused strategy cards pay income
  • Each company, highest share price first:
  • 1. Sell treasury shares (optional)
  • 2. Buy trains (must own one)
  • 3. One yellow tile or one upgrade
  • 4. Second station (10 kr)
  • 5. Run trains
  • 6. Pay out (right) or withhold (left)
Card auction (SCA) ×1, between OR3 and OR4
  • All cards are returned and 6 are removed at random
  • The other 6 are auctioned one by one with sealed bids
  • Each player can win 3 (2 players) or 2 (3 players)
↻ Repeats until the end
End
  • At the end of operating round 7
  • Or at the end of the operating round in which a share reaches the blue space top right
  • Or at once, if a player goes bankrupt
  • Most cash plus shares wins (a bankrupt player scores 0)

Components

Players
  • Cash (all public)
  • Shares: max. 12 (2 players) or 8 (3 players)
  • Strategy cards: income, initiative and a power
Companies
  • Stockholm, Göteborg, Norrköping, Jönköping, Örebro
  • Incremental capitalisation: each share sold from the charter pays the treasury
  • Treasury shares earn dividends and can be sold
  • Up to 3 trains and 2 stations
Bank and open market
  • Unlimited bank (at least 2,000 kr)
  • New trains and an open market for shares and trains
  • Taxes and auction bids
Map
  • Just 10 hexes of Svealand
  • Cities: 5 kr tile; each station adds +5
  • Crossing water: 5 kr
  • Off-board connections that rise in value with the phases
Strategy cards
  • 12 cards instead of privates
  • Once used they flip over: they stop paying and their initiative drops
  • Some must be assigned to a company

Where the money goes

  • Players Companies Buying shares from the charter: the price goes to the treasury
  • Players Bank and open market Buying from the open market, taxes and auction bids
  • Bank and open market Players Dividends, card income, share sales
  • Companies Bank and open market Trains, tiles, water and stations
  • Bank and open market Companies Withheld revenue, dividends on its own shares, sale of its own shares
  • Players Companies The [CEO] pays the train shortfall (exactly) or a tile at double price

Phases

2
Start
2 · 45 kr (4)
Yellow tiles
3
1st 3-train
3 · 75 kr (3)
Green
4
1st 4-train
4 · 110 kr (2)
Brown; 2-trains rust
6
1st 6-train
6 · 145 kr (2)
Grey; 3-trains rust. There's no 5-train
6+S
1st 6+S train
6+S · 190 kr (5)
The black tile. A 4-train can be traded for a 6+S by paying 110 kr
  • Using a card gives you an edge now but costs you initiative in the next stock round.
  • A 10-hex map: every tile and every station changes everyone's routes.

A round, step by step

Illustrative example with the real rules, 2 players (120 kr each). We follow [P1] and the company they start, Stockholm, from the card deal to the end of the first operating round. Stop values are approximate.

  1. Before starting Three strategy cards Phase 2

    With 2 players, each gets 3 cards. [P1] draws Raising Funds (initiative 8), Infrastructure Push (14) and Ferry Contract (12.5): a total of 34.5. [P2] has Central Station (15), Political Influence (13) and Tax Haven (8.5): a total of 36.5.

    The other 6 cards are set aside until the auction between [OR3] and [OR4].

    [P1] cash
    120 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    —
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  2. Stock round 1 Who goes first Phase 2

    Whoever has the higher initiative total goes first: [P2], with 36.5. Nobody holds 3 shares of any company, so no taxes are paid. [P2] starts Göteborg at 35 kr.

    In most 18xx the order is set by who passes first. Here the cards decide it.

    [P1] cash
    120 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    —
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  3. Stock round 1 Starting Stockholm Phase 2

    [P1] picks the highest par price (40 kr) and buys Stockholm's [CEO] share. The 40 kr goes to the treasury. The company is now in play and will operate in the next operating round.

    No minimum share sales are needed to float: the [CEO] share alone, just 20%, is enough.

    [P1] cash
    80 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    40 kr
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  4. Stock round 1 A second share Phase 2

    [P2] buys a Göteborg share from the charter. [P1] buys another Stockholm share from the charter for 40 kr, which also goes to the treasury.

    Only one share per turn, but you can sell as much as you like before buying.

    [P1] cash
    40 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    80 kr
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  5. Stock round 1 A foot in Göteborg Phase 2

    [P1] buys a Göteborg share from the charter for 35 kr and, with 5 kr left, can't do anything else. Both pass in a row and the round ends. No company is sold out, so share prices don't move.

    A third Stockholm share would have cost 10 kr in taxes every stock round.

    [P1] cash
    5 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    80 kr
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  6. Operating round 1 Card income Phase 2

    Unused cards pay first: Infrastructure Push and Ferry Contract give 5 kr each; Raising Funds, nothing. Then Stockholm operates, having the higher share price (40 against 35).

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    80 kr
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    34.5
  7. Operating round 1 Raising Funds Phase 2

    [P1] assigns Raising Funds to Stockholm and uses it straight away: the bank pays the company 25 kr. The card flips over and its initiative drops from 8 to 0.

    Dealt at the start [DSC] it's worth 25 kr and must be used before the end of [OR3]; from the auction it's worth 40.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    105 kr
    Stockholm trains
    —
    [P1] initiative
    26.5
  8. Operating round 1 Buying the train before building Phase 2

    In this game trains are bought before laying track. Stockholm buys a 2-train for 45 kr. By the end of this step it must own at least one train.

    If it couldn't afford it, it would first sell treasury shares and then the [CEO] would put in the exact difference.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    60 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    26.5
  9. Operating round 1 A tile at home Phase 2

    Stockholm lays a yellow city tile on its home hex. City tiles cost 5 kr.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    55 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    26.5
  10. Operating round 1 An extra tile, across the water Phase 2

    [P1] assigns Infrastructure Push and Ferry Contract to Stockholm. With the first it lays a second tile that crosses water: it pays 5 kr, but the Ferry Contract earns it 15 kr from the bank. Both cards flip: Infrastructure Push goes from 14 to 5 and Ferry Contract from 12.5 to 8.

    The Ferry Contract pays for every new water crossing, whoever builds it.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    65 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13
  11. Operating round 1 No second station Phase 2

    The second station would cost 10 kr. [P1] would rather save for the 3-train and doesn't place it.

    Each station adds +5 kr to the city's value for every company passing through.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    65 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13
  12. Operating round 1 The 2-train runs Phase 2

    The 2-train runs from Stockholm (5 for the tile + 5 for the station) to the blue off-board connection, worth 10 in phase 2: total 20 kr.

    [P1] cash
    15 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    65 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13
  13. Operating round 1 Paying out Phase 2

    Stockholm pays out: 4 kr per 20% share. [P1] holds 2 and collects 8 kr. The 3 still on the charter earn for the company: 12 kr. Since 20 kr is less than double the share price, it moves one space right.

    With double the share price or more, it would move two spaces. Withholding would move it one to the left.

    [P1] cash
    23 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    77 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13
  14. Operating round 1 Göteborg pays too Phase 2

    Then Göteborg, [P2]'s company, operates. It makes 20 kr and pays out: [P1] collects 4 kr for their share.

    [P1] cash
    27 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    77 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13
  15. Towards the next round The price of the cards Phase 2

    Stockholm got good value from the cards, but [P1] has dropped to 13 initiative while [P2] keeps 36.5: in the next stock round [P2] will pick first again. The two flipped cards won't pay any more income either.

    At the auction between [OR3] and [OR4] all cards are returned and initiative is redistributed.

    [P1] cash
    27 kr
    Stockholm treasury
    77 kr
    Stockholm trains
    2
    [P1] initiative
    13

18Svea — Summary

Capitalization type

  • Incremental capitalization: when a company is founded, its treasury only receives the payment for the CEO's share (not all five shares at once); every time an additional share is bought directly from the company's treasury, the treasury receives that payment too.

Floating percentage and per-player share limits

  • A company doesn't "float" in the classic sense: it's founded the moment its CEO share (one of five 20% shares, i.e. just 20% of the company) is bought, and it begins operating the very next operating round
  • There is no fixed cap on how much of a single company one player may hold (a player could buy all five shares, i.e. 100%); however, holding 3 or more shares of the same company triggers a tax every stock round (10/20/30 kr for 3/4/5 shares)
  • Overall share limit per player (called "share limit" in the rulebook, counting all companies combined, not per corporation): 2 players — 12 shares; 3 players — 8 shares (the only player counts the game supports)

Starting cash by player count

  • 2 players: 120 kr starting cash per player (240 kr split between both)
  • 3 players: 80 kr starting cash per player (240 kr split between the three)
  • The game is designed only for 2 or 3 players; the bank has no fixed size, but a minimum of 2,000 kr is recommended

End game triggers

  • Ends at the completion of the seventh operating round (OR7)
  • Ends immediately at the end of any operating round in which a share price token reaches the blue top-right space of the stock market
  • Ends immediately if a player goes bankrupt during emergency money raising

Number of phases

  • 5 phases, named after the latest train type purchased: Phase 2, Phase 3, Phase 4, Phase 6, and Phase 6+S
  • Quirk: there is no 5-train at all; Phase 4 is followed directly by Phase 6
  • Each phase unlocks a new tile color (yellow, green, brown, gray, and finally black in phase 6+S)

Train list and prices

  • 2-train — 45 kr (4 copies) — never rusts on its own
  • 3-train — 75 kr (3 copies)
  • 4-train — 110 kr (2 copies) — buying the first one rusts all 2-trains
  • 6-train — 145 kr (2 copies) — buying the first 6-train or 6+S-train rusts all 3-trains
  • 6+S-train — 190 kr (5 copies) — can also be obtained by exchanging a 4-train for 110 kr; counts the revenue of its first or last stop twice
  • Each company may own a maximum of 3 trains at any time

List of private companies

  • 18Svea has no private companies: instead it uses 12 "strategy cards," which combine passive income, a one-time special action, or a permanent effect, and determine stock round turn order (via initiative). They're distributed in two waves: six dealt for free during setup (DSC), and the other six, plus any leftovers, sold in a blind auction between OR3 and OR4 (SCA).
  • Blue Off-Board Contract — income 5 kr, initiative 10/3 — +10 kr bonus per stop at a blue off-board connection
  • Central Station — income 5 kr, initiative 15/6 — special token that doubles the station bonus or adds an extra one
  • City Station Owner — income 5 kr, initiative 14.5/2.5 — charges 5 kr per train to other companies passing through a randomly chosen city
  • Delayed Permit — income 5 kr, initiative 1/8 — delays a company's start, or lets you swap the card at the auction
  • Ferry Contract — income 5 kr, initiative 12.5/8 — earns 15 kr for every new water connection built by any company
  • Financial Planning — income 5 kr, initiative 12/1 — allows a one-time partial dividend payout
  • Infrastructure Push — income 5 kr, initiative 14/5 — allows one extra tile lay, once
  • New Railroad Connection — income 5 kr, initiative 9/7 — creates a permanent new connection at one of the map's three dead ends
  • Political Influence — income 10 kr, initiative 13/2 — direct purchase of a share from the Open Market, or exemption from water crossing costs
  • Raising Funds — income 0 kr, initiative 8/0 — one-time payment of 25 kr (DSC) or 40 kr (SCA) to the treasury
  • Tax Haven — income 5 kr, initiative 8.5/0 — reduces a tax payment once for holding many shares of a company
  • Yellow Off-Board Contract — income 5 kr, initiative 11/4 — +10 kr bonus per stop at a yellow off-board connection

List of corporations

  • Stockholm — home at Stockholm
  • Göteborg — home at Göteborg
  • Norrköping — home at Norrköping
  • Jönköping — home at Jönköping
  • Örebro — home at Örebro
  • Each company has 5 20% shares (one CEO share and four regular shares); these five companies are the only ones in the game

Game-specific mechanics

  • No private companies: their functions (passive income, special powers, turn order) are handled by the 12 strategy cards
  • Taxes: owning 3 or more shares of the same company costs a fee every stock round (10/20/30 kr for 3/4/5 shares)
  • Emergency money raising that can end in immediate bankruptcy and a sudden game end
  • A more flexible tile-upgrade rule than most 18xx games: a track segment connected at only one end can be redirected when upgrading it
  • Three possible simultaneous end-game triggers: a fixed round (OR7), a share price reaching the top of the market, or a player going bankrupt

Emergency sell

A genuinely different sequence from 1830: the company treasury pays first, and if that's not enough, the company must sell its own treasury shares onto the open market before anyone's personal money comes into play. Only once that's exhausted does the CEO have to contribute personal cash — and only the exact amount needed, no more. If even that falls short, the CEO conducts formal Emergency Money Raising, selling personal shares of any company they choose, in any order, though — unlike 1830 — this specific kind of forced sale can never cost them the presidency of the company trying to buy the train. If the CEO still can't raise enough, they're declared bankrupt, and uniquely, the whole game ends immediately for everyone, not just that one corporation.

Comparison with 1830

1. Tiny map and a Swedish setting
1830 covers the northeastern US with a large map. 18Svea takes place in central Sweden (Svealand) on a board with just five companies — one of the smallest maps in the whole 18xx family.

2. A much shorter game, for small groups
While 1830 shines at its best with 3 or more players (often up to 6), 18Svea is designed only for 2 or 3 players and wraps up in under 2 hours thanks to a fixed length of 7 operating rounds, making it an ideal 18xx "filler" for a weeknight session.

3. Strategy cards instead of privates
1830 distributes six private companies through classic open-bid auctions. 18Svea drops privates entirely: instead, 12 numbered strategy cards provide income, special powers, and determine stock round turn order, dealt out in two waves (six for free at the start, the rest sold in a blind auction around the midpoint of the game).

4. Taxes for holding too many shares
1830 has no penalty for concentrating shares in a single company. In 18Svea, owning 3 or more shares of the same company forces you to pay taxes every stock round, a mechanism absent from the original design.

5. Every decision counts far more given the small size
With such a tiny map, every tile and track-laying decision in 18Svea carries proportionally much more weight than in 1830, where the map's size allows more room for error and recovery.

6. Recognizable 1830 game structure
Despite its size, 18Svea keeps the basic 1830 framework: stock rounds alternating with operating rounds, share and train purchases, and phase progression — a compressed, accessible version of the same system rather than a reinvention.

7. Self-published and very recent design
Unlike 1830, a classic design by Francis Tresham with decades of history, 18Svea is a much more recent creation by Jonas Jones (published by All-Aboard Games), designed from scratch for the modern era of short, direct 18xx games.

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