In the years before the Civil War, Ohio exploded with railroad fever. At the crossroads between the East Coast and the newly opened lands to the west, Ohio was a magnet for speculators and promoters. Between 1832, when the first railroad was chartered in Ohio, and the Civil War, hundreds of companies were chartered in the state. The 25 companies in the game represent but a small portion of those companies.
While many giants imprinted their name on the period, the early railroad era was beset with recessions, panics, and bursting bubbles. 18OH puts players in the role of railroad entrepreneurs trying to amass fortunes during those heady times. As a budding mogul you open new companies, buy and sell stock in your own and other players’ companies, and operate your company for--hopefully!--immense profits. The winner is the player with the highest net worth (cash and stock) at the end of the game.
18OH is a member of the 18xx family of railroad-related economic games.
During its development the game was named 18io.