1880: China

About this board game

1880: China is a classic 18xx railway game for 3–7 players, with an average play time of 300 minutes. Based on Francis Tresham’s 1829, it casts players as railway barons competing to become the richest while experiencing China’s railway history.

Players buy and sell shares in China’s historical railway companies, build and expand railway networks, and operate trains across those networks. Successful companies become more valuable, making their shares increasingly important to a player’s final fortune.

The game is designed to represent related historical events as accurately as possible within its own mechanisms. As companies develop and trains travel across the growing railway network, players must manage their investments and pursue opportunities that can increase their wealth.

1880: China introduces distinctive changes to the familiar 18xx structure:

• Fixed company turn order: A company’s operating order does not change with evolving stock prices. Instead, it is established when a player opens the company, together with its par price.
• Player-influenced round balance: Players manipulate the ratio of stock rounds to operating rounds. A new stock round can occur when the last train of a particular type is purchased.

Throughout the game, the value of successful companies and the shares held by players shape the race for victory. At the end, each player combines their cash and shares, and the player with the highest total wealth wins.