18 India: The Railways of India

1. Different lineage: comes from 1829 Mainline, not directly from 1830
18 India (GMT Games, 2022) is not derived from 1830, but from Francis Tresham's 1829 Mainline, with influences from 18Africa. It's for 2-5 players, and games typically last about 3 hours — noticeably shorter than a typical 1830 game.

2. Trains never rust — they are permanent
The most drastic difference from 1830: in 18 India, trains are never retired for obsolescence. Each company can only own a maximum of 2 trains at a time, and the pressure doesn't come from losing old trains, but from the "train rush" to get better trains before your opponents do.

3. There is never a "forced" train purchase
In 1830, if a company can't afford a mandatory train, the president has to cover the gap with personal funds. In 18 India this doesn't exist: no company is ever required to own a train, and the president or manager never contributes personal money to the company's treasury.

4. "Managed" companies with no president's certificate
In 1830, every public company always has a president from the moment it's founded. In 18 India, a company can operate as a "Managed Company" (with no Director's Certificate in play at all) simply once at least three 10% certificates are held, with no need for anyone to hold a majority.

5. Fixed initial certificate distribution, not an auction
1830 begins with an auction of private companies. 18 India deals hands of certificates to players (who keep some and discard the rest) and then runs a draft on the discards: all the uncertainty is in the initial deal, not in randomness during play.

6. No 60% ownership limit per shareholder
A key and somewhat counter-intuitive difference: in 18 India there is no limit at all on the percentage of a company a single player may control. In 1830 the limit is strictly 60% (6 certificates).

7. You can only sell once per stock round
In 1830, you can freely buy and sell in any order during your stock round turn. In 18 India, each stock round begins with a single "Selling Turn" per player (in priority order); once that's done, only purchases are allowed for the rest of the round.

8. Track gauge changes
The map has dashed lines marking gauge-change points. Crossing one counts as a zero-value stop for the train. This mechanic, which doesn't exist in 1830, reflects the real historical diversity of railway gauges in India.

9. Guaranty companies and the Great Indian Peninsula Railway
Three companies receive a British government "Guaranty" ensuring a minimum 5% dividend if they fail to pay one. In addition, the GIPR is a tenth company that is always "managed" (no president) and can grow up to 200% in play through convertible Royal Bonds. None of this exists in 1830.

10. Final value includes company assets, not just market price
At the end of the game, each share's value in 18 India is increased by 10% of the company's assets (trains, treasury, bonds and certificates it owns). In 1830, a share's value at final settlement is simply its market price.

18 India — Schematic summary (vs 1830)

SETTING

• Lineage from 1829 Mainline (not 1830); 2-5 players, ~3 hour games

TRAINS AND COMPANIES

• Permanent trains (never rust), max 2 per company → "train rush" instead of obsolescence
• No forced purchases, no personal contributions from the president
• "Managed" companies can operate with no president (director's certificate not in play)
• No 60% ownership limit per shareholder

STOCK MARKET

• Fixed initial deal of certificate hands + draft of discards (no auction)
• A single Selling Turn at the start of each stock round; purchases only afterward

MAP AND SCORING

• Track gauge changes (zero-value stop)
• Guaranty companies (minimum 5% dividend) and GIPR with convertible Royal Bonds
• Final share value = market price + 10% of the company's assets