2005 BGG rank #7924

1824: Austria-Hungary

3–6 players 300 min Ages 14+ 3.8/5 complexity 5.6/10 rating

About this game

1824 Austria-Hungary is a railway building and share dealing game for 3-6 players. It is based on Francis Tresham's game 1829 and on Leonhard Orgler's game 1837. Historical realities have, as far as possible, been taken into account. In other places the history should and must be written anew. The player who has the greatest wealth in cash and shares at the end of the game is the winner. A set of simple mechanisms form the basis of 1824 Austria-Hungary. You use the yellow, green, brown and grey tiles to create a rail network on the map. Just as in a real railway business, the track in the game connects railway stations to each other. The trains (train cards) make notional journeys from one station to the next and thereby earn money. The (imaginary) passengers pay for their journeys. The more numerous and the more important the stations on a train's journey are, the more money it earns for the company and its shareholders. In the game you and your fellow players can own up to 6 Mountain Railways, 4 Coal Railways, 7 forerunners of the National Railways, as well as shares in 3 National Railways and 5 Regional Railways. The Major Companies (the National and Regional Railways) belong to their shareholders. The player with the most shares in the company is the Director of that company and decides how the company will act.

What it feels like

Network and Route Building Tile Placement Auction / Bidding Stock Holding Economic Trains

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Setup

1. Determine player count (3–6 players). 2. Set the bank size to $12,000 for all player counts. 3. Distribute starting money: 3 players = $820 each; 4 players = $680 each; 5 players = $560 each; 6 players = $460 each. 4. Set the certificate limit: 3 players = 21 certs; 4 players = 16 certs; 5 players = 13 certs; 6 players = 11 certs. 5. Determine which minor companies are in play: 3 players = minors 1–4; 4 players = minors 1–6; 5 players = minors 1–6; 6 players = minors 1–4. 6. Conduct private company sales using a reverse snake draft order. 7. Note: Privates may NOT be re-sold once purchased. Unsold privates are removed from the game. Privates do NOT count toward the certificate limit.

Turn flow

The game alternates between Stock Rounds (SR) and sets of Operating Rounds (OR). In a Stock Round, players in turn order may sell then buy one share each. In Operating Rounds, companies operate in a fixed sequence: Mountain Railways pay out first, then Coal Railways run (using G trains only), then Pre-State Railways run, then Major Railways run. Each operating company may: (1) lay or upgrade one tile, (2) lay one station token (home tokens are free and don't count), (3) run trains for revenue, (4) pay a dividend (none or full), and (5) purchase trains. At the end of each set of ORs, the Foreign Transfer removes one normal train from the game. The number of ORs per set is determined by the current phase.

Scoring and victory

The player with the highest combined total of cash on hand plus the current market value of all held shares at game end wins. Scoring sources: Cash on hand at game end, Market value of shares held at game end

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Restriction

Private companies may not be re-sold once purchased.

Once a private company has been purchased by a player, it cannot be sold to another player or back to the bank. It is held permanently by the purchasing player until it is exchanged or closed.

Setup

Private companies are sold using a reverse snake draft order.

During initial setup, private companies are distributed using a reverse snake draft: players pick in order 1 to N, then N back to 1, repeating until all privates are sold or removed.

Setup

Unsold private companies are removed from the game.

Any private company that remains unsold after the draft process is permanently removed from the game and has no further effect.

Restriction

Private companies do NOT count toward the certificate limit.

Private company certificates are not counted when checking a player's certificate limit. Players may hold any number of privates without affecting their ability to hold shares in railway companies.

Setup

The bank is $12,000 for all player counts.

Regardless of the number of players (3–6), the bank is always set to $12,000.

Setup

Starting money varies by player count: $820 (3p), $680 (4p), $560 (5p), $460 (6p).

Each player receives starting cash based on player count: 3 players = $820 each; 4 players = $680 each; 5 players = $560 each; 6 players = $460 each.

Restriction

Certificate limits by player count: 21 (3p), 16 (4p), 13 (5p), 11 (6p).

Each player may hold a maximum number of certificates (shares) based on player count: 3 players = 21; 4 players = 16; 5 players = 13; 6 players = 11. Private companies do not count toward this limit.

Setup

Minor companies in play depend on player count.

The minor companies included in the game depend on player count: 3 players = minors 1–4; 4 players = minors 1–6; 5 players = minors 1–6; 6 players = minors 1–4.