18NW is a game of the 18xx family that is set in the US State of Washington and the Canadian Province of British Columbia. Players are attempting to have the greatest net worth at the end of the game. They do this by buying and selling stock in railroad companies that then operating those companies, hopefully for a profit. The game contains 11 companies that can be floated as either 5 or 10 share companies. There are a number of private companies with some randomization in setup. The map has numerous terrain costs. The game also includes loans that cannot be repaid. Multiple players can go bankrupt.