{"id":293669,"date":"2023-12-31T07:59:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T13:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/?post_type=reviews&#038;p=293669"},"modified":"2024-05-02T10:11:29","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T15:11:29","slug":"1880-china-game-review","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1880-china-game-review\/","title":{"rendered":"1880: China Game Review"},"content":{"rendered":"    <div class=\"amzn-ad amzn-enhanced-links-small\">\n        <div>\n            <div class=\"amzn-product\">\n                <span class=\"amzn-product-image-container\">\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-image-holder\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41m4dzb7keL._SL300_.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41m4dzb7keL._SL300_.jpg\"><\/noscript>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/span>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-title-container\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" class=\"amzn-product-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0BPF33QK1?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-title-text\" title=\"1800 China Board Game (Revised Edition) | Train Network Route Building Strategy Game | Family Game for Kids and Adults | Ages 13+ | 3-7 Players | Average Playtime 300+ Minutes | Made by Lookout Games\">1800 China Board Game (Revised Edition) | Train Network Route Building Strategy Game | Family Game for Kids and Adults | Ages 13+ | 3-7 Players | Average Playtime 300+ Minutes | Made by Lookout Games<\/span>\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-price\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-offer-price\">$57.51<\/span>\n                                                    <span class=\"amzn-sprite amzn-product-prime\"><\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link-box\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0BPF33QK1?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link\">\n                        Buy Now\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<p>On a whim\u2014which is saying something, because I don\u2019t typically buy things \u201con a whim\u201d\u2014I picked up a copy of last year\u2019s reprint of <i>1880: China<\/i> during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/justin-goes-to-spiel-22\/\">SPIEL 2022<\/a>. Based on the 2010 game of the same name, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/publishers\/lookout-games\/\">Lookout Games<\/a> produced an updated version with a better-looking map, box and components.<\/p>\n<p>But Lookout doesn\u2019t do much in the 18xx space; in fact, <i>1830: Railways and Robber Barons<\/i> is the only other major 18xx game that they currently publish. So, it was curious to see <i>1880: China<\/i> under the Lookout banner at the show. I laid down some cash and quickly proceeded to get the game home and\u2026not play it in any form for six months.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, when I began using the fantastic site <a href=\"https:\/\/18xx.games\/\">18xx.games<\/a>, I learned <i>1880: China<\/i> in the virtual space. That way, I could take more time to learn the systems and what made the game unique. Around this same time, I began to read reviews about <i>1880: China<\/i> and 18xx loyalists seemed to be very excited about it.<\/p>\n<p>Now I see why. Across 17 total plays online and in person, this is the best version of the original 18xx system I have played. <i>1880: China<\/i> is a beast because so many of the game\u2019s rules are different from <i>1829<\/i>, the first 18xx game designed by Francis Tresham. <i>1880: China<\/i> is a massive piece of chicken, between the map and sheer volume of private companies, minor corporations and public companies available for players.<\/p>\n<p>I will try to scratch the surface of many of these differences here. Just know that once you have gotten your feet wet with other 18xx games, you need to try <i>1880: China<\/i> stat!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293671 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"293671\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"293671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-6.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2>There Are a Few Similarities<\/h2>\n<p><i>1880<\/i>, designed by Leonhard \u201cLonny\u201d Orgler and Helmut Ohley (longtime train game designers who also designed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/russian-railroads\/\"><i>Russian Railroads<\/i><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1848-australia\/\"><i>1848: Australia<\/i><\/a>), is a 3-7 player economic game that plays in\u2026well, uh, a very long playtime.<\/p>\n<p>In the wrong hands, in-person games of <i>1880 <\/i>could take 6-8 hours. For that reason alone, I only played <i>1880 <\/i>once in person. I just don\u2019t have that kind of time on most weekends to knock out a large game of anything, really. Online, though, you can do games of <i>1880 <\/i>with friends or complete strangers that play out over an asynchronous turn structure that might take a month or two. While I would rather play <i>1880 <\/i>in person, it takes a special group of folks to commit to having a weekly or monthly group that can stomach poker chips and yellow track tiles for such a long session.<\/p>\n<p>So, <i>1880 <\/i>is long, but so are many other 18xx titles. And like other games that use the 18xx system, there are some similarities between those and <i>1880<\/i>. There are stock rounds and operating rounds; a map of China represents the play area where corporations will build track, run routes, and collect revenues. A private company draft kicks off each game, with players having the chance to bid on eight different privates. <i>1880 <\/i>features all of the same track other 18xx games have, running from yellow to green to brown to gray, with city and town tiles included.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293676 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293676\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-1-1200x900-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>But during my first pass at the rulebook, things began to change. Adapt, maybe. And that\u2019s when I realized that <i>1880 <\/i>would become my favorite 18xx game because it turns so many standards on their heads.<\/p>\n<p>That starts early in each game, with the Foreign Investors. On the massive map of <i>1880<\/i>, there are seven starting locations for each of the seven Foreign Investors. These Investors operate like the minor companies in a game like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1846-the-race-for-the-midwest\/\"><i>1846: The Race for the Midwest<\/i><\/a> or <i>1861: Railways of the Russian Empire<\/i>, in that they accumulate small amounts of revenues each operating round and their treasuries can later be absorbed into major companies. But unlike those other games, Foreign Investors never own any trains. They take an imaginary train from the pool of the current train phase, and the owner runs the best possible route for the Investor.<\/p>\n<p>After privates are acquired, and Foreign Investors are selected (for free), players par a major corporation with a starting share price ranging between 70, 80, 90, and 100 yuan per share. However, unlike the other 18xx games I have tried, <i>1880 <\/i>does something different\u2014players get to choose the size of their Director\u2019s Certificate.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293673 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293673\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293673\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-4.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>This is based on two factors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When a player wants to build track: phases A, B, C, or D.<\/li>\n<li>How much they want to plop down to have access to those phases: 20% of the total company value (to build in three different phases), 30% (two phases), or 40% (one phase).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This choice is more fascinating than it sounds, and it certainly is more interesting when players start a second or third company, and not their first. That\u2019s because this affects the number of certificates (pieces of stock paper) a player can hold. Whether they choose 20%, 30% or 40%, that only counts as one certificate. That means a player who feels good enough to start two companies at 40%, and another at 20%, has only used three of their certificate spots to start corporations, and can spend the rest to grow that corporation or invest in other corporations.<\/p>\n<p>But wait, there\u2019s more! When starting one of the 14 major companies (FOURTEEN COMPANIES!!!), players have to choose a starting par price, and that par price\u2014not the current market price of a corporation\u2014marks when that corporation will take their turn during the operating round. Games of <i>1880 <\/i>end three rounds after the purchase of the final 8 train, starting with the last company to buy a train. Because of this, going as early as possible in turn order is vital.<\/p>\n<p>The float rules are different, too. Depending on the game phase, a player needs anywhere from 20-60% of a company\u2019s shares to be bought by the director to begin operations. Players get half of their operating capital (five times the par price of that company) when the company has floated, and the other half comes when five shares are owned during any point in any future stock round. If a player is starting their first company, the player gets a number of shares equal to their investment in the Director\u2019s Certificate, and their Foreign Investor also gets one share.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it is the goal of that player to connect the routes between the major company and the Foreign Investor\u2019s minor company operation. And then the first of at least two, maybe three, separate games begins\u2014how do I operate a great major company, while also spreading out across the map to ensure I connect with my Investor\u2019s company? Because when that connection happens, I get all of the money in the Investor\u2019s treasury plus a 50-yuan bonus.<\/p>\n<p>I would argue that this initial game, connecting your Foreign Investor to your first major, is interesting enough to be its own game, another reason why I love playing <i>1880 <\/i>so much. But there are a couple more games to be played!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293674 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293674\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-3.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2>There\u2019s So Much Here!!<\/h2>\n<p>While players are working to connect their first railroad line to their Investor line\u2014a process that might take one round, or many more\u2014they are working to maximum shareholder value, like they would in every 18xx game.<\/p>\n<p>But a few other things are different here. Trains, for one. There are 12 different train types. Like other games in the 18xx systems, trains are numbered and valued based on how many revenue centers they can hit. There are towns all over the map of <i>1880<\/i>, but towns pay more than other 18xx games\u201420 yuan, instead of 10. A 2 train can hit two locations of any type, but a 2+2 train can hit two cities and two towns on its route.<\/p>\n<p>Finding ways to maximize the cash made on routes is always important. But in <i>1880<\/i>, it is fun to build routes that take advantage of your \u201cplus\u201d trains versus your regular trains. Trains rust in <i>1880<\/i>, but players must worry about both players and the game\u2019s train system working against them. If a certain type of train isn\u2019t bought for a full cycle (meaning every company has taken at least one operating turn), the rest of that train type are immediately removed from play.<\/p>\n<p>And, this is the only way that stock rounds start. Yes\u2014stock rounds are not arranged in the same way they are in every other 18xx game I have played. That means operating rounds could last for a while, if someone buys a train here and there, but doesn\u2019t exhaust that type of train in the pool. This also means that finding the right balance of running trains to earn revenues, and withholding to prep for future train purchases, is tougher here. When stock rounds occur, I have found it imperative to have cash to buy a share or two every chance I get.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of the stock market\u2014in <i>1880<\/i>, when someone buys the first 4 train, the entire market freezes thanks to the Communist Takeover. (In the game\u2019s lore, 1949 signifies the beginning of Mao Zedong\u2019s Communist Party rule, but it\u2019s really just a chance for the game to change a bunch of minor rules.)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293675 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"293675\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 768px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 768\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"293675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-225x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 225w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2.jpg?size=528x704&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-600x800.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-768x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2-990x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-2.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Routes still earn revenue for shareholders, but the company\u2019s share price doesn\u2019t move until the first 6 train purchase. This ultimately becomes the best, and maybe only, time for players to safely withhold revenues to get ready to buy permanent trains when the Communist Takeover ends (when the Shanghai Stock Exchange opens, which in real life was 1990). Every time I\u2019ve done well in <i>1880<\/i>, I\u2019ve managed this portion of the game well, and every time I\u2019ve blown it (usually by miscalculating how many corporations in front of my company will buy a permanent train), it has had dire consequences.<\/p>\n<p>Just another game within the game!<\/p>\n<p>The market is really cool in <i>1880<\/i>. I love the permanent turn order set with the initial share price of each major. I love that as players move to the right on the market chart, their company can earn anywhere from 5-40 yuan per share in bonus cash for strong performance. That means that a route that might pay 300 yuan will pay 400 yuan if it is sitting in the orange section of the market (which grants a 10 yuan per share bonus)\u2026and even if the routes themselves aren\u2019t that special, the feeling that you have a well-run company means bonus cash. Makes sense in real life, and it makes sense in game terms.<\/p>\n<p>More changes abound. Unlike other 18xx games, <i>1880 <\/i>lets players buy every single share of a company they run, not just 60% of it. If I run a great company, I want to own as much as I can, right? Players can\u2019t go bankrupt, so if an emergency train purchase needs to happen, players can sell shares like normal but then spend the rest of their cash then take a loan and stay in the game. The competitive portion of your game is probably going to be over, but at least the game isn\u2019t submarined by a player that had a tough run.<\/p>\n<p>Players can\u2019t dump bad companies onto other players until very late in <i>1880: China<\/i>. As someone who hates the idea that I could ruin someone\u2019s experience in the second operating round of a game by getting rid of an underperforming company, I love that this rule exists.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293672 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293672\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-293672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-wp-pid=\"293672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-74x55.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 74w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-111x83.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 111w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-300x225.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5.jpg?size=528x396&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-600x450.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-768x576.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-990x743.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1024x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1200x900.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5-1320x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1880-China-5.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<h2>Plus, Plus<\/h2>\n<p><i>1880: China<\/i> is one of the best experiences I have had in gaming this year, and maybe beyond 2023. It just feels epic in tone\u2014the way the game\u2019s stages play out, the amount of change that takes place from a blank map to one where players are using express trains to zip around, the train rush, the growth of each player as they move from owning a small business to running something really robust.<\/p>\n<p>However, for players new to the 18xx space, <i>1880 <\/i>is a bad idea. It throws too many new things at someone who has never tried a game like this, and even if you\u2019ve played more traditional games like <i>1830 <\/i>or <i>18Chesapeake<\/i>, going from those directly to <i>1880 <\/i>might be a tough learning curve.<\/p>\n<p>But for 18xx veterans, oh my goodness. I\u2019ve only tried 13 different 18xx games, but this is the most complicated one I have tried and I love everything <i>1880 <\/i>is trying to accomplish. I\u2019m having so much fun exploring what the game can do even in defeat\u2026operating a good business is one thing, but timing how my Foreign Investor cash can inject my first railroad with much-needed capital in the mid-game is a rich decision space. I love the late game, when players realize that they didn\u2019t have enough cash lying around to buy another train when their 4+4 finally rusted when the first 8E train was purchased.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of gameplay, <i>1880 <\/i>is exceptional. As a production, <i>1880 <\/i>is just fine. Everything looks great, the map clearly lays out what you need, and the included paper money is OK if that\u2019s the route you want to take instead of poker chips. But as a production, this is nowhere near the quality of something like the new edition of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/shikoku-1889\/\"><i>Shikoku 1889<\/i><\/a>, which is the gold standard for 18xx productions in terms of quality table presence.<\/p>\n<p>But the gameplay in <i>1880<\/i> is that strong. If you are looking to expand your horizons on the train game front, look no further!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justin continues to travel down the tracks in his review of another 18xx title, 1880: China!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":293677,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":false,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[9231],"coauthors":[6089],"class_list":["post-293669","reviews","type-reviews","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economic-board-games","category-train-board-games","tag-18xx","designers-helmut-ohley","designers-leonhard-lonny-orgler","mechanisms-auction-bidding","mechanisms-network-and-route-building","mechanisms-stock-holding","mechanisms-tile-placement","publishers-double-o-games","publishers-lookout-games","artists-sofia-zhong","release_year-983"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>1880: China Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Justin continues to travel down the tracks in his review of another 18xx title, 1880: China!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1880-china-game-review\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1880-china-game-review\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Board Game Reviews\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"1880: China Game Review\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"1880: China Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain","description":"Justin continues to travel down the tracks in his review of another 18xx title, 1880: China!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1880-china-game-review\/","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/1880-china-game-review\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Board Game Reviews","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"1880: China Game Review"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/293669"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/293669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293669"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=293669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}