Video game:1830: Railroads & Robber Barons

Based on the Avalon Hill board game of the same name, 1830: Railroads and Robber Barons is a multiplayer game in which players aim to build a fortune through the creation of a railroad empire. Players must outsmart and out-strategize up to five human or computer opponents in order to become the president of a railroad corporation and the greatest and wealthiest railroad entrepreneur. The game is won and lost through careful speculation and investing in the stock market. The competition is fierce. Historical robber barons and speculators such as John Fisk, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and George Westinghouse attempt ruthless takeovers by buying out stock. Players must plan their moves carefully or risk being ousted as CEO. The game ends when the bank or a baron declares bankruptcy. At this point assets are added up and the player with the most personal wealth wins. Unlike other popular railroad games, 1830 is more about managing a railroad company than planning routes and laying tracks. The game focuses on decision making at the macro-level, introducing players to the realities of the ruthless competition that characterized 19th century railroad empires.