All Aboard for Game Time!

Well, folks, it's time for another board game review from (probably) one of the biggest board game nerds you know! But hey, being obsessed with board games is an alright thing to be: it's safe, it's fun, it works those brain muscles, and pretty much everyone in the family who can eat and dress themselves can play. Always a plus.

This time, I'm coming at you with a 2-for-1 deal, presenting Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride: Europe. These games are made by the same company and are fairly similar in play mechanics, so I figured I could review them together (though I'm just posting pictures from the Europe version). There are actually 5 different versions of Ticket to Ride, with 4 expansion packs and a card game, too. So, if you try this game and love it, you're in luck! Josh and I own the original version, while my sister and brother-in-law own the Europe version. (This comes in handy for trips to Seattle, as packing games for cross-country trips can be a big cumbersome, especially since you have to pay this way and that to bring bags on airplanes anymore.)
When we were in Seattle this summer, Ticket to Ride: Europe was a big hit because it's easy to learn, doesn't take too long, and can have up to 5 players. While the replay value isn't as great as some other games (like Agricola, Pandemic, or Dominion), it's still definitely a new game each time you play, as you receive different destination cards you're trying to fulfill. Here are the quick stats:

Players: 2-5
Type: Competitive
Time: 1 hour
Ages: 8+
Company: Days of Wonder
Website: Ticket to Ride (USA) http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/; Ticket to Ride: Europe http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/index/europe/

Quick summary: Ticket to Ride is a train-traveling adventure where you compete to collect and connect train routes, fulfilling your destination tickets along the way. You want to not only reach all the destinations on your ticket (before someone else does), but you're also trying to build the longest train route in the process. However, if you wait too long to make your move, someone else might take the routes first, and you'll be stuck taking the long way around and potentially even losing points in the end!


So, to start, the rules are pretty simple. It's definitely one of the easiest board games ever to explain. The goal of the game is to build train routes that help complete and connect your Destination Ticket cards. Each turn you either draw more train cards, claim a route, and take additional Destination Tickets. Doesn't sound too complicated, does it? Let's break it down a bit.

At the start of the game you are given a certain number of Destination Tickets (pictured below). You can choose to keep some, or all of your cards, but -- be warned! Any destination cards you DON'T complete at game's end will count as points against you. So instead of gaining 12 points for Berlin-Moskva, you'd lose 12 points.

Once you have your Destination Tickets settled, it's time to start the game. Since you're trying to complete your routes, you need to gather together train cards. To "claim a route", you need to have a certain number of train cards that are all the same color, and match the color on the board. Take a look below and you can see red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black, and white sections on the board.

If you need a route that is 4 blue train tracks long, you need to collect 4 blue train cards. If it's 3 red tracks long, you need 3 red. You get the idea. For grey tracks, you don't need any specific color, but you will still need that number. So, a grey track with 5 train spots will need 5 train cards of one color (sorry, no combinations). There are also very valuable wild cards thrown into the mix, which, if you play with my sister and brother-in-law, you will know immediately when they pick one up due to the huge grin. Seeing as how cards are what help you claim routes and fulfill your Destination Tickets, a large part of the game is spent collecting them:

Once you get cards you need, then you can "claim" your route. You play the train cards you need and put down your color of train pieces on the board. Once they're down, they can't be removed. That also means if someone else gets what you need first, you might be in trouble! Pretty soon the board starts filling up, people start trying to get the longest connected track, and if you complete your Destination Tickets, you can choose to take more for more possible points...

But watch out! Once any player gets down to 3 or fewer train pieces, each player gets one last turn, then the game is over. Any Destination Tickets you don't fulfill, and any leftover train pieces count against your final score. There is a point track around the outside edge of the board game, and that is where all your points are added up. Josh and I usually play by adding the points as you gain them (you receive points for each route you claim, with smaller routes being a just few points but bigger routes giving up to 15-20), then counting your Destination Tickets at the end. However, Airika & Gerald like to play by adding it up at the end and having it all be a surprise. Your choice!

That said, Ticket to Ride and its variations are a fun favorite, and definitely great to play with younger friends and when you don't want to spend a long time explaining rules. It's competitive and fairly fast-paced, full of "You just stole my route!" and "Oooo, I'm gonna get you!", and it's great for all of your "non-gamer" friends, too! You can find it in game stores for around $50, or online for about $35 plus shipping. Happy traveling!