1894

About this board game

1894 is a 3–4 player 18xx game set along the border between France and Belgium, with an approximate play time of 240 minutes. Released in 2023, it combines company investment, share management, train upgrades, and a changing network of cities.

Two public companies begin the game already floated, and every player is invested in them. The game uses full capitalization, with shares sold through the IPO paying directly to the company. This creates an active financial foundation from the opening of play.

Share ownership remains distinctive throughout the game thanks to a novel redeeming and reissuing model. Public companies may also be started later, and these companies can choose their home city, adding flexibility to the development of the map.

• Two public companies start floated, with every player invested in them.
• IPO shares pay to the company under a full-capitalization system.
• Later public companies can choose their home city.
• Trains can be upgraded to newer types at a discount.
• Regular green cities can upgrade to OO-like brown cities.

City upgrades can reshape established routes: when a regular green city becomes an OO-like brown city, connections that were previously linked may become disconnected. This gives the evolving network a notable edge and makes development choices matter beyond simple expansion.

With discounted train upgrades and a streamlined game end, 1894 presents a focused set of variations on the 18xx format. Its combination of early shared investment, adaptable company formation, unusual share handling, and potentially changing connections defines the game’s distinctive character.