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1862: Railway Mania in the Eastern Counties
- 1–8 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2013
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- BGG rating
- 8.4
18USA
2017
Rules assistance for 18USA
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–7 players
- 420–540 min
- 16+
- Complexity 4.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for 18USA
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
18USA is a board game released in 2017 for 2–7 players, 420–540 minutes per game, and ages 16 and up. It was designed by Mark Hendrickson, Shawn Fox, and Edward Reece and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Ownership, and Tile Placement.
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About the game
18USA is a member of the 18xx family of railroad games. The game uses most of the rules from 1817 and requires a copy of 1817 to play. The primary differences from 1817 are that 18USA adds randomization during initial setup, modifies the train manifest and train exporting rules, and provides a completely new set of private companies. The financial complexity of mergers, loans, and shorting from 1817 is thus combined with randomization of the map and private companies during setup to present players with a different scenario every game. Game Features: Uses a map of the contiguous United States Follows 1817 rules for loans, mergers, and shorting The value of each off-map area is randomized during setup A subset of 15 out of the 30 private companies is used each game City subsidies provide incentives to start companies in otherwise inferior locations Only 3 of the 6 most valuable cities are in play each game
Mechanics
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- All-Aboard Games
Questions and answers
18USA supports 2–7 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 18USA is 420–540 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 18USA for ages 16 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.
18USA has a complexity rating of 4.6 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.
18USA belongs to these categories: Economic and Trains. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Ownership, and Tile Placement. 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 18USA are: Mark Hendrickson, Shawn Fox, and Edward Reece. 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 18USA 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.