Chicago 1875: City of the Big Shoulders

Boom! Here it is, the third anticipated game of the year: trains without trains, a would-be usurper to Arkwright’s throne, an investor’s delight, and the small monster we had been waiting for for more than two years. Our first game was a very pleasant experience and gave us material for a huge discussion the next day, mostly about choices and strategies. I simply was not ready to call it a “great game” yet, because a few things seemed a little broken.

At its core, you manage companies and factories, with managers playing a crucial role in the benefits you collect. The operating procedure for manned factories matters: you operate the first one, gain the benefits from the manager in that factory, and then move on to the next factories. This order is not merely procedural detail; it is exactly the kind of rule that can change the value of a choice.

We discovered that in the most practical way possible, by making a small but not especially obvious mistake when reading the rules. The manager who provides two resources is much better than he first appears, precisely because his benefit applies within that operating sequence. Beyond that, interaction comes mainly through the choices and strategies surrounding the companies, rather than through any easy safety net: a bad calculation can take you out of the running.

So the first game left me cautious about certain tiles that appeared excessively strong. In the second game, we corrected our small mistakes and used all 15 companies as well. The picture improved noticeably: the tiles that had previously seemed absurdly powerful were not actually so frightening once the full variety of companies was on the table.

The result was an absolutely delightful game, one that forgives almost no mistake. It has no meaningful catch-up, so a wrong calculation can throw you permanently out of the victory race. I do not consider that a negative. As with 18XX games, I play for the experience and the whole occasion, not to count whether I made four kopecks more than the player beside me.

My only suspicion is that, after enough plays, experienced groups may play the final round almost on autopilot, as happens with many 18XX games. Even so, for me it is a must-buy for every fan of economic games.

Updated session

The second game clearly changed my initial impression for the better. With the rules corrected and all 15 companies in play, the apparent imbalance receded, and Chicago 1875 showed how enjoyable, strict, and demanding it really is.