1822CA

A month that opens with a train game is a good month, and 1822CA confirmed that in the most demanding way possible. It is a heavy game, with additional peculiarities compared with 1822, but I liked it a great deal.

The heart of the experience, at least as I felt it, is the auctions. If you enjoy watching what everyone else is pursuing, weighing your own options, and getting involved in the bidding, you will have a good time here. The interaction is not decorative: other players’ decisions at the table directly affect what remains available and what is worth chasing.

However, 1822CA does not seem suited to a relaxed first encounter. Its flow asks you to already have a grounding in 1822, because the Canadian peculiarities add complexity rather than working as a simple variation. This is not the sort of game you open, explain quickly, and see where it goes; it needs a group willing to engage with it and keep close track of what is happening.

If auctions are not your thing, the most honest response is, “I have a christening to attend” — as one well-known member of our group did, famous for his fondness for yellow and for the legion that was humiliated in Horus Heresy. But if you are the right audience, 1822CA is excellent. I would simply recommend playing 1822 first, then tackling the Canadian Alps.