18Korea Big Box

18Korea is a stock and railway board game for 2–5 players, set against the turbulent backdrop of Korean history.

In 1897, the first railway line was built in the Korean Empire. Over the next century, railway development on the Korean Peninsula advanced rapidly, leading all the way to the KTX of the present day in 2026.

But that progress also came with deep pain.
The flourishing railway industry of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century was torn apart by the tragedy of division during the Korean War in 1950.

After the devastation of the war, South Korea rose through the Miracle on the Han River and entered the ranks of advanced nations.

18Korea is a stock and railway board game inspired by these historical events.

In 18Korea, players become powerful capitalists in the stock market. They operate companies, build railway routes, buy and sell shares of other companies, and seek profits through rising stock prices.

Promises between company presidents may be worth their weight in gold—but at times, they may be cast aside like an old pair of shoes.

You are the main players in this cold and ruthless stock market.

Are you ready to step into the market?

When creating 18Korea, our goal was to lower the barrier to entry as much as possible and invite more players into the world of the 18xx series.

Traditional 18xx games can be difficult to approach compared to typical strategy board games, largely because of their very long playtimes, heavy themes, and rules that can appear complex and intimidating. To address this, 18Korea provides players with significant income from the early stages of the game and minimizes late-game operating rounds that might otherwise drag on unnecessarily. We also streamlined the rules as much as possible to reduce elements that could feel complicated or difficult.

At the same time, we wanted to incorporate the historical flow of the Korean Peninsula into the game as much as possible.

During the Japanese colonial period, the Government-General of Korea pursued a policy often summarized as “agriculture in the South, industry in the North.” Because of this, North Korea possessed a stronger industrial foundation, and until the 1970s, its economy was ahead of South Korea’s. We reflected this by maximizing early-game profits in the northern region before the division of Korea.

After liberation, Korea was divided by the Soviet Union and the United States. Soon afterward, the Korean War broke out when communist North Korea launched a sudden invasion of the South. In the early stages of the war, South Korea was pushed back to the Nakdong River line within just one month, with around 90% of the Korean Peninsula occupied. After three years of war, an armistice was signed along the border that remains today—the DMZ.

The long war devastated Korea, destroying what little infrastructure remained and leaving the entire country in ruins. We wanted to express how difficult the postwar situation was for South Korea, as well as the history of how it overcame those hardships and achieved the rapid economic growth known as the Miracle on the Han River.

However, while we wanted to reflect this history, we did not want to create a game that simply reproduces the same historical path every time. To avoid that, we designed a large number of asset cards so that each game unfolds differently.

In reality, Korea’s railways were developed mainly through state-owned railway companies. But to create more strategic possibilities, we added 24 fictional city railways that players can establish as companies. Combined with asset cards that vary from game to game and different starting city railways, this creates countless possible opening setups and greatly increases replayability.

Through these many elements, we wanted to deliver a game that does not end after a single play, but becomes more enjoyable the more you play it.

18Korea is back — now in English, with more content than ever before.

Originally released in Korea, 18Korea is now coming to Kickstarter as 18Korea Big Box, a new English-language edition designed for both returning players and those discovering the game for the first time.

This edition includes:

Full English Edition
The entire game has been prepared in English, making 18Korea accessible to players around the world.

Two Expansions Included
Along with the existing Travel and Train expansion, this edition introduces a brand-new expansion: Destination and City. Together, these expansions add more variety, replayability, and strategic possibilities to the game.

The Complete 18Korea Experience
The base game and both expansions are brought together in one box, offering the most complete version of 18Korea yet.

More Replayability
With new content, variable setups, and expanded strategic options, each game can unfold in a different way.

Shipping & Fulfillment

Shipping will be charged separately after the Kickstarter campaign through the Pledge Manager, based on the actual shipping costs for each destination.

Shipping fees are not included in your pledge and may vary depending on your country or region, the number of copies ordered, and the final fulfillment costs at the time of delivery.

We are working with GamesQuest, an experienced international fulfillment partner, to deliver 18KOREA Big Box to backers around the world as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Games will first be shipped in bulk to regional fulfillment centers and then delivered to individual backers.

Estimated Shipping

The following rates are estimated shipping costs for 1 copy of 18Korea Big Box.

• $16: UK
• $18: China, Hong Kong
• $20–30: Continental US, Most European Countries, Australia, New Zealand
• $30+: Canada, Alaska & Hawaii, Asia*
• $50+: Rest of the World

* Asia: Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand

VAT, GST, customs duties, and other applicable taxes or fees are not included in the shipping rates above.

Final shipping fees may vary depending on the destination, package weight, and international shipping conditions.

Shipping availability and costs may vary by destination, and certain countries or regions may be excluded if delivery is not commercially or legally feasible at the time of fulfillment.

All shipping dates and costs are estimates and are subject to change.