This website explores how the second edition of the board game 1830: Railways and Robber Barons, published by Mayfair Games in 2011, represents the founding and early years of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. This is done through close analyses of several of the game's components, each of which includes a description of the relevant game rules.
Being powered by Omeka, content on the site is divided into "Items." Each item either corresponds to one component of the game, such as the board, or a section of text such as one might find in a typical scholarly article.
As a result, this site is decidely non-linear. I recommend starting with the introduction to learn more about the theory informing this work. If you are interested in how this site was constructed and why, I discuss these topics in the methods section.
For more about 1830, I recommend the BoardGameGeek entry or the Mayfair Games page.
- Jason Begy, 2012.
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Introduction
In his chapter Simulation, History and Computer Games, media scholar William Uricchio posits a continuum on which “historical games” can be placed: at…
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Methods
In addition to being a study of how games represent history, this site is also an experiment in method. The goal was to see how a digital tool like…
History and Game Design in 1830: Railways and Robber Barons
When implementing historical representations into games there is a constant tension between fidelity and decision. Sid Meier has famously described…
1830: Railways and Robber Barons B&O Charter Board
This small board is used in 1830 by the president of the Baltimore & Ohio; there is one such board for each public company. Its purpose is to…
1830: Railways and Robber Barons Stock Certificates
A, if not the, key aspect of 1830: Railways and Robber Barons is the stock market. During the game players buy and sell shares in publicly-traded…
Works Cited
Fogu, Claudio. Digitalizing Historical Consciousness. In History and Theory, Theme Issue 47. May 2009, pg. 103 – 121. MPS Labs. Sid…
Introduction
In his chapter Simulation, History and Computer Games, media scholar William Uricchio posits a continuum on which “historical games” can be placed: at…
1830: Railways and Robber Barons Train Cards
In 1830: Railways and Robber Barons, trains serve several purposes. First, they are purchased by publicly-held companies (such as the Baltimore &…
1830: Railways and Robber Barons Game Board
This snapshot is of the 1830: Railways and Robber Barons game board, specifically the South-Eastern most area. 1830 is a game wherein the players act…