18EU as published by Deep Thought Games | |
| Players | 2–6 |
|---|---|
| Setup time | 10 minutes |
| Playing time | 4–6 hours |
| Chance | None |
| Age range | 12+ |
| Skills | Strategy |
18EU is a railroad operations and share trading board game in the 18xx series, published by Deep Thought Games in 2004. The game was designed by David G.D. Hecht, and is set in the heart of Europe, reaching from Paris and London to Rome, Budapest and Warsaw. 18EU is a compact game, played on four map panels. Unlike most 18XX games, there are no private companies, and share companies may only be started indirectly. When the game starts, fifteen minor companies (similar to the "forerunner" companies in 1835, 1837 and 1824) are auctioned off. These companies represent regional or private-sector rail companies. There are eight possible share companies, and at least one minor company must be merged into a share company to form it.
18EU is the first game to be published which uses the simplified green and brown plain track tiles originally developed by Chris Lawson for use in his (as yet unpublished) "monster game" 1848, set in the Western United States on eight map panels. These tiles eliminate much of the intricate track-related strategies beloved of some players, but simplify track upgrading and route calculating considerably.
18EU also features Pullman cars (similar to 1848's Palace cars) and bonuses for running from one off-map area to another (similar to 1851's "red-to-red" bonuses). The key game decisions include: when to merge lucrative but fragile minor companies and form a new share corporation, and when to monetize the company's capital in anticipation of the onset of permanent trains.
18EU is a game of moderate complexity (comparable to 1830 and 1856), and can be played in 4-6 hours by 2-6 experienced players.
Railroad Companies Represented
Minor Companies
- Chemin de Fer du Nord - Northern Railway (France)
- État Belge - Belgian State Railway
- Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée - Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Railroad
- Leipzig-Dresdner-Bahn - Leipzig-Dresden Railway
- Ferrovia Adriatica - Adriatic Railway
- Kaiser-Ferdinand-Nordbhan - Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway
- Berlin-Potsdamer-Bahn - Berlin-Potsdam Railway
- Ungarische Staatsbahn - Hungarian State Railway
- Berlin-Stettiner-Bahn - Berlin-Stettin Railway
- Strade Ferrate Alta Italia - Upper Italy Railway
- Südbahn - Southern Railway (Austria)
- Hollandsche Maatschappij - Holland Company
- Ludwigsbahn - Ludwig's Railway
- Ligne Strasbourg-Bâle - Strasbourg-Basel Line
- Grand Central - Great Central Railway (France)
Major Companies
- Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) - French National Railways
- Deutsche Reichsbahn - German State Railways
- Königlich-Bayerische Staatseisenbahn - Royal Bavarian State Railway
- Königlich-Preussische Eisenbahn-Verwaltung - Royal Prussian Railway Administration
- Kaiserlich-Königliche Österreichische Staatsbahn - Austrian Imperial Royal State Railways
- Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges - Belgian National Railways Corporation
- Nederlandsche Spoorwegen - Dutch Railways
- Ferrovie dello Stato - Italian State Railways
Pictures
| Minor companies (to be added) | ||