A new and rather unusual 18xx title has just launched on Kickstarter: 18ZOO, published by Aleph Game Studio.
Kickstarter campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alephgamestudio/18zoo/description
BoardGameGeek page:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/447882/18zoo
18ZOO takes the familiar mechanics of the 18xx genre and places them in a fictional zoo setting. Designed for 2–4 players (up to 5), the game aims to deliver the full 18xx experience in a much shorter playtime of approximately 100 minutes. Experienced 18xx players will still find plenty of familiar features, including train rusting, tight tile availability, token placement decisions, and incentives to buy and obsolete trains.
One of the main design goals behind 18ZOO is accessibility. Revenues are pre-calculated, eliminating the need for percentage calculations and complex dividend math during the game. This allows players to focus on strategic decisions rather than arithmetic.
The game also introduces several unique mechanisms:
- Powers/Inventions (private companies) that bend the rules in fun and unexpected ways, with 16 different powers appearing throughout the game.
- Companies are opened in a semi-ring order, making company selection and turn order highly dynamic from game to game.
- Train runs must meet an increasing threshold in order to improve stock value.
- Route building focuses on long-term efficiency rather than maximizing a single run.
- Villages and hills are generally not upgradeable, creating a different network puzzle every game.
According to the designer, the objective was to create a game that delivers both the stock market drama and operational decisions that 18xx fans enjoy, while remaining approachable to new players and keeping the game within a 90–120 minute playtime.
If you are looking for a faster and more accessible 18xx experience without sacrificing the genre’s signature train and stock market interactions, 18ZOO may be worth a closer look.
You can learn more and support the project on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alephgamestudio/18zoo/description
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