18West: Rails to the Pacific

About this board game

18West: Rails to the Pacific is an 18xx board game for 2–6 players, with an approximate playing time of 360 minutes. Designed by David G. D. Hecht and published by Deep Thought Games in October 2007, it brings several distinct mechanisms to the 18xx framework.

The game features three different types of companies: Granger roads, land grant companies, and public companies. These company categories form a central part of 18West’s design, giving the game a structure that goes beyond a single company type.

Track laying is shaped by a subsidy system. Subsidized track laying is one of the mechanisms incorporated into the game, adding a specific feature to the way railway routes are developed within its 18xx setting.

Mergers are another important part of the design. Public companies can acquire Granger roads, creating interactions between these two company types as the game progresses.

• 18xx design by David G. D. Hecht
• Three company types: Granger roads, land grant companies, and public companies
• Subsidized track laying
• Mergers in which public companies can acquire Granger roads

With its combination of company categories, track-laying subsidies, and acquisition-based mergers, 18West offers a distinctive take on the 18xx framework. Its 2007 publication by Deep Thought Games makes it a notable entry in the genre for groups seeking a long-form railway game for 2–6 players.