The 18xx genre has a reputation: spreadsheets in cardboard form, glorious to some and terrifying to most. So a version set in a city of steam-powered, top-hatted animals is a delightful idea, and 18ZOO by Aleph Game Studio is doing exactly that, live on Kickstarter right now.
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Find events near youThe premise leans into the silliness. In ZooCity, the inventor squirrels have discovered steam, and the Great Families of anthropomorphic animals are racing to lay down the iron road (RailsOnBoards). Underneath the whimsy is a proper 18xx for two to five players, aiming for a friendlier 90 to 120 minutes rather than the all-day marathons the genre is famous for.
Funding is comfortably there. The campaign has raised 14,722 EUR (around 12,600 GBP) from 320 backers, against a goal of just 9,000 EUR (around 7,700 GBP), putting it near 164% funded (Kickstarter). It launched on 9 June 2026 and runs until 27 June 2026, with a game pledge sitting at 49 EUR (around 42 GBP).
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See how it worksThis is no first-timer. 18ZOO is Aleph Game Studio's third 18xx title, following 1883: Building Railroads in Northern Italy and 1947: Railways of India (RailsOnBoards). That 1883 currently holds a respectable 7.4 average on BoardGameGeek (Board Game Oracle), so this is a studio with form in a notoriously demanding niche.
If you have ever fancied dipping a toe into 18xx without committing a whole Saturday, a zoo full of squabbling railway barons might be the gentlest possible on-ramp. It closes on 27 June.
Sources: 18ZOO on Kickstarter | RailsOnBoards | Board Game Oracle
