1883: Building Railroads in Northern Italy

About this board game

1883: Building Railroads in Northern Italy is an 18xx train game for 2–4 players, with a playing time of approximately 300 minutes. Designed by Manlio Manzini, co-designer of 1841, it is set in Northern Italy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The game uses an incremental-cap financial system. Corporations receive money in their treasuries when players buy their shares or when the corporations issue shares to the Bank Pool at almost market price. Share prices follow a distinctive rule: only a dividend payout greater than or equal to a corporation’s current share price moves that share price to the right on the market.

Corporate development is shaped by more than railway operations. Random Events can affect corporations, although they may mitigate them by purchasing political support. Government Concessions provide bonuses for making certain connections, creating another reason to consider where networks are built.

• A bus company offers shares to players and operates its own network on the board.
• A co-operative corporation is run by players in turn and may be stolen from.
• Two corporations can merge when their presidents agree.
• Gravity trains cost only L.20, can use track already used by normal trains, and add to company income.

Gravity trains do not count against a company’s train limit, but their low cost comes with uncertainty. A die roll determines whether one breaks down and earns no income or is lost altogether.

With its specialized corporate structures, political considerations, concessions, and unusual train technology, 1883 offers a detailed take on the 18xx family for players seeking a long-form railway investment and management game.