18CZ

About this board game

18CZ is an 18xx railway stock game for 2–6 players, with sessions lasting about 250 minutes. Set in the Czech Republic, it challenges players to become wealthier than their rivals through careful investment, company management, and railway development.

Players buy and sell stock certificates in up to fifteen railroad companies. Whoever holds the most stock in a company becomes its president, taking responsibility for its key decisions. These include laying track, placing the railheads required for train runs, selecting routes, and acquiring trains.

When a company runs its trains, it earns money. That revenue can be distributed among shareholders or retained in the company treasury for future investments, such as purchasing better trains or constructing additional track. The choice affects the value of the company’s shares, creating an ongoing balance between immediate income and long-term growth.

One of 18CZ’s defining features is its use of three distinct corporation sizes. The companies are divided into five small, five medium, and five big corporations, each with its own share structure and train set.

• Small companies: five companies with 50%-25%-25% share distributions.
• Medium companies: five companies with 40%-20%-20%-20% share distributions.
• Big companies: five companies with the usual 20%-10%-10%-10%-10%-10%-10%-10%-10% distribution.

The central strategic focus is that larger companies can absorb smaller companies, allowing the corporate landscape to change as the game develops. In 18CZ, success does not belong simply to the player with the most stock in one company or the most impressive track network. The winner is the player with the greatest overall wealth in cash and shares.