
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,716
- BGG rating
- 8.1
1822: The Railways of Great Britain
- 3–7 players
- 300–420 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 2016

2018
Rules assistance for 1822CA
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
1822CA is a board game released in 2018 for 3–7 players, 360–540 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Simon Cutforth and Robert Lecuyer and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Network and Route Building.
1822CA is an 18xx game that covers Canada from coast to coast and reimplements the 1822 system. The board is 33 percent larger than 1822, has 30 private companies, and 30 minor companies. The game has 10 public companies including the Canadian Pacific Railway that starts on both the east and west sides of the board. The game consists of an alternating series of stock rounds and operating rounds. Initially, there is one operating round between each stock round, and then once the first 2-train is bought, two operating rounds between each stock round. The final set of operating rounds has three rounds. In stock rounds, players act as investors, buying and selling shares in the various companies. The player with the most shares in each company is the company’s director and decides all actions that the company takes in the operating round. In operating rounds, players, as company directors, run the various companies that they control. They choose whether to build track, place station tokens, which trains to run on which routes, whether to pay or withhold dividends and whether to invest in more trains, etc. The game ends as soon as one of the following conditions is met: Immediately, if the first stock round ends with nothing sold. At the end of the operating round in which a company’s stock market value reaches the game end value of the stock market. At the end of the first operating round following a stock round in which a major company’s stock market value reaches the game end value of the stock market. At the end of the first operating round following a stock round in which the bank runs out of money. The game still ends at that point even if the bank later becomes solvent. The bank continues to pay demands due of it even when broken; players should record these, or each lend the bank some money. When the bank runs out of money in an OR, complete the pair of ORs and then run one additional OR (for a total of 3 ORs in the final set). The game still ends at that point even if the bank later becomes solvent. The bank continues to pay demands due of it even when broken; players should record these, or each lend the bank some money. Each player’s total wealth is the value of their stock, at current prices, plus cash on hand. Concession certificates, if they are still open and held by players, count face value. Private company certificates and company assets count for nothing. The richest player wins.
1822CA supports 3–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 1822CA is 360–540 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 1822CA for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
1822CA has a complexity rating of 4.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
1822CA belongs to these categories: Economic, Trains, and Transportation. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Network and Route Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 1822CA are: Simon Cutforth and Robert Lecuyer. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 1822CA as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.