1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons
2–6 players • Avalon Hill • 1986
- Publisher
- Avalon Hill
- First published
- 1986
- Players
- 2–6 players
How it plays
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons plays 2–6 players.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons was designed by Francis Tresham and released by Avalon Hill in 1986. It stands as a pivotal entry in the 18xx series, a genre of board games centered on railway development, stock market manipulation, and corporate finance. Tresham sought to strip away the luck-heavy mechanics common in the wargame-dominated landscape of the time, opting instead for a rigorous economic simulation where players act as both railroad executives and private investors.
The game is renowned for its steep learning curve and unforgiving mechanical depth, which emphasizes the ruthless acquisition of wealth over historical simulation. Its design aesthetic reflects the utilitarian, information-dense style of late-twentieth-century strategy games. While it initially occupied a niche segment within the hobby, its legacy is immense, having heavily influenced generations of modern economic games and solidified the 18xx format as a staple for dedicated board game enthusiasts.
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Who's collecting this
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About 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons is a game in the Board Games catalog on collecto.rs. 2–6 players • Avalon Hill • 1986. Catalog data is sourced from Wikidata. No public games collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
How do you play 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons?
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons is a board game for 2–6 players. collecto.rs catalogues the game, not its rules — for the full rulebook, use the copy in the box or the publisher's own site.
How many players is 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons for?
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons is built for 2–6 players. That count comes from this catalog entry alone — nothing from an expansion or a spin-off is folded into it.
Who publishes 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons?
1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons is published by Avalon Hill. The catalog gives its publication year as 1986.
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Where does the 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons catalog entry come from?
The catalog entry for 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons is sourced from Wikidata. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.
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