Variants and Micro Games
The Micro Games for 2 and 3 players and every optional rule of the base rulebook.
The rulebook offers these as options to mix and match (rulebook pp. 4, 20–23). Agree on them before setup; none is part of the standard game. The solo game has its own page.
Micro games
A short mode for 2 or 3 players and a good way to learn: every normal action is in, and you will see one rust and one phase change, stock moves, track laying and a merger. Both use 225 starting capital each, 4 cycles and no train export (rulebook pp. 22–23).
| 3-player Micro | 2-player Micro | |
|---|---|---|
| Map tiles | Return tile 26 and one Capital project tile to the box. Split the rest into two piles, each with 1 Distant Destination tile, 6 Minor home tiles, 1 Capital project tile and an equal share of the others | Split the tiles into three piles, each with 1 Distant Destination tile, 4 Minor home tiles, 1 Capital project tile and an equal share of the others |
| Map | Shuffle one pile and build it with the normal map rules | The same, with one of the three piles |
| Minors | The 6 whose homes are on the map, in two columns of three | The 4 whose homes are on the map, in two columns of two |
| Trains | Five 2-trains, four 3-trains, four 4-trains | Three each of 2-, 3- and 4-trains |
Map tile 21 stands for Adaptive Company’s home here, though Adaptive does not have to start on it. The rulebook prints a suggested split of the tile numbers for each pile; random piles are fine.
[Landmarks] With the expansion, add 1 Landmark project tile to a Micro Game; the Metropolitan is not used (Landmarks setup).
Cut-throat options
Two rule changes for groups that like a harsher game (rulebook p. 4):
- No local routes — a route needs at least two stops, as in most 18xx games, so a company can be cut off completely.
- Stock drops per share — every share sold moves the price down one step, instead of one step per sale.
Different Distant Destinations
Each Distant Destination gets its own revenue card. Shuffle the revenue cards face down before map building; whenever a Distant Destination tile comes up, pair the top card with it and keep the card next to that tile.
Short Game with randomized Minors
Instead of removing the fixed Short Game Minors, shuffle all 12 Minor home tiles and remove four unseen (tile 21 stands for Adaptive). Also remove one of each map tile 12–14, map tile 26 and one Capital project tile. Set up as normal, using only the Minors whose homes are on the map.
Hostile mergers
Mergers are decided by a share vote instead of both presidents agreeing:
- In the Merger Round, players — not companies — act from the priority player clockwise: propose a merger or pass, until everyone passes in a row. The priority marker does not move.
- Anyone with at least one share of either Minor may propose; the companies must still be connected.
- Each share of both Minors is one vote for its owner. Bank-pool shares vote for the merger if their price would rise, against if it would fall, and abstain if it would stay; treasury shares abstain. A majority of the votes cast wins; a tie fails.
- A passed merger happens at once. A failed one cannot be proposed again this round.
Headquarters
A Major Corporation may build one headquarters: a Major hub stacked on a hub from each of its Minors. It can replace a Minor hub during the merger, or wait on the charter and be placed later under the normal hub rules. At the start of each of the Corporation’s Operating Round turns, it pays half its city’s printed value into the treasury (bonuses do not count). When placed, the president chooses one effect:
| Effect | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tax Break | 80 into the treasury. |
| Land Grant | Lay up to four yellow tiles, one by one, under the normal rules. |
| Commercial Zoning | Upgrade up to two different tiles on or next to the HQ tile — no track connection needed, and they may run ahead of the phase. |
Bank break
The classic ending: the game stops when the bank runs out instead of after a set number of cycles.
- Make a bank of 8,000 (remove the 2,000s and five 500s); keep the rest aside for when the bank is empty. When it empties, finish the current set of Operating Rounds with the reserve, then score as normal.
- Otherwise set up the Long Game.
- Certificate limit: 16 with three players, 12 with four, 10 with five. You may not buy over it; if a merger or presidency change puts you over, sell down at your first Stock Round chance.
- Any bankruptcy ends the game immediately.
[Landmarks] The Events module builds a larger event stack for Bank Break (Events setup).
Custom and pre-made maps
Skip the random map: place every tile where you want, copy real geography, or use the introductory maps sheet that comes in the box. Extra single hexes (blank/mountain, blank/water, blank/city) give more freedom.