I knew from the outset that I wanted people playing 1867 Big Wyoming to feel pressure. I didn’t want players to get comfortable, to bask too long in their short-term successes, to feel like the responsibility of changing the game state was on somebody else—I wanted players to feel like they were running a race, like slowing down was not an option, like there was always some ill-intentioned force waiting for the right moment to strike. In short, I wanted the game to put pressure on players in addition to what pressure naturally comes from their opponents. Some 18xx games are content to let players dictate the pace of a game and drive the game’s action; in fact, in many 18xx games, it’s theoretically possible that, if players behave in certain ways, the game will never end. While I very much appreciate many such games, that’s not what I wanted for 1867 Big Wyoming. There are several reasons for this.

First, I wanted to design a game without periods that felt uneventful, repetitive, or drawn out. This is one of the reasons the game ends the way it does. I wanted the game to feel like there was always something new and interesting happening, like there was always a big change just around the corner. I also wanted a game with a play time in the 3-hour range–something you could play on a weeknight. Additionally, games with built-in sources of pressure are more friendly to novice 18xx players; in games that are wholly player-driven, it’s a real challenge for newer players to internalize the game state and understand when to change things up and when to stay the course. Some might argue that building sources of pressure into a design lowers the ceiling for game mastery and, to a certain extent, they’re probably right; however, I do not believe that intrinsic pressure points and a high ceiling for mastery are mutually exclusive. Lastly, the history of railroad companies in Wyoming would only be well-served by a game that forced players to engage in a struggle for survival.

There are several ways that 1867 Big Wyoming discourages players from ever getting too comfortable. The first is the train acquisition system—at the end of every set of operating rounds, a train is removed from the train bank. This is not a new concept in 18xx but the effect it has in 1867 Big Wyoming is somewhat unique. The game’s roster of trains is not particularly deep, and even permanent trains can be acquired. This might mean that, when the diesel trains arrive, there may only be one 5-train and one 6-train in play and up to 9 railroad companies operating. This puts significant financial pressure on corporations to come up with a way to acquire a permanent train as soon as possible or come up with a plan to shirk their train obligations.

The endgame acquisition system is another pressure point. Companies are made acquisition offers in stock value order, and only one company can accept acquisition each round. Companies that have kept their stock value high (by avoiding withholding, by paying large dividends, by always having a train, by avoiding catastrophic share sales, by having issued fewer shares, etc.) will afford their director much more power over the outcome and pace of company acquisition and will be in a much better position to shuffle their trains favorably prior to that acquisition.

The resource and refinery system also rewards players who control companies that have managed to keep their stock value high. Valuable resources are generated at each deposit every round, but they are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Companies with higher stock values will tend to snatch up those resources first and will use them to either dramatically increase their profits or to influence the future locations of refineries. Companies that operate later in the round may find themselves with access to little or no resources—and, what’s worse, they may be forced to include a resource deposit on their route for no profit whatsoever.

The last source of pressure I want to highlight is the stock market. 1867 Big Wyoming’s stock market is tall, with large fluctuations in value from space to space. Going early in the stock round is incredibly valuable—not only do you get first pick of whatever railroad companies are available, but being able to sell first means that you’ll get a chance to devalue others’ shares before they devalue yours. Additionally, given the importance of stock value noted above, starting companies earlier than others are able to is a big advantage. The stock market encourages players to do whatever they can to achieve double-jumps by paying at least twice their stock value in dividends; however, on such a poor map, this is easier said than done, and doing so often requires players to drop a lot more money on early, perishable trains and expensive track.

These are just a few examples of the game’s pressure points. My hope is that the game presents players with a constant challenge and that navigating its myriad challenges makes for many engaging and memorable sessions.

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Previous Articles:

1867 Big Wyoming: Capturing Wyoming Rail History

1867 Big Wyoming: Deposits, Resources, & Refineries

1867 Big Wyoming: Union Pacific & Burlington Northern Acquisition