Ticket To Ride Game Review

Ticket To Ride Game Review: There’s a reason Ticket to Ride has been a fan favorite for more than ten years; it’s easily one of the most peaceful tabletop experiences you can have. I get that a board game about railroads could seem dry. It’s one of the best board games available right now and a must-have. It’s thoughtful, laid-back, and utterly mellow.

In Ticket to Ride, players compete against one another in a race to build train routes across the continent, so you’ve got to find your inner travel tycoon. There are fewer tracks to construct on, but some routes give you more points. Since all the best lines will be taken, you’ll need to act swiftly if you want to ensure a good payout at the end of the game.

Route cards give this another depth. These provide a nice bonus if your route crosses multiple designated cities. But if you fail, your final score is reduced by those points. Because of this, managing them is a dangerous balancing act, especially when an adversary can claim a section of track that you need first. Then you’ll have to make a long detour.

Ticket To Ride Tactical Depth

Players now have numerous (literal) avenues for success. Should you prioritize speedier but less worthwhile routes in order to gain points more quickly? Or is it preferable to concentrate on longer, more lucrative lines with the potential for problems?

There is no correct response, giving Ticket to Ride a lot of tactical nuance beneath its serene exterior. More specifically, despite that carefree attitude, there’s a strategic undertone keeping everything in place.

However, that conflict of wills is far more relaxed and less cutthroat than something like Disney Villainous or as frantic as the board game Pandemic. Even while it can be annoying when someone jumps in and takes the route you need first, friendships won’t be ruined by it. Additionally, you can usually always find a substitute to help you succeed.

Train Cards

Being spiteful while playing this game is also not a simple task. Because laying down track requires using train cards with specified colors (routes are color-coded), and because these cards are drawn a handful at a time for everyone to choose from, the pace of play is naturally slowed down. You won’t be able to finish a route until you have a lot of good luck, so you’ll have to be patient and gather up enough cards.

Even when it’s not your time, you’ll still be able to keep tabs (pardon the pun) on what the other players are doing thanks to this feature. Are they amassing a significant number of blue cards? That almost certainly indicates that they are pursuing a blue route. After that, you’ll be able to start figuring out which one they’re gunning for and whether or not you need to get there first.

Which Version Of Ticket To Ride You Should Get?

Ticket to Ride is available in a multitude of iterations, the most well-known of which is the one that takes place on the continent of North America. However, the game also comes in a wide variety of other iterations, revolving around topics such as individual cities and even maritime transport.

Therefore, which of them should you purchase? If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, my advice would be to play either the “original” version of the game in the United States (opens in a new tab) or the similar version in Europe (opens in a new tab). These are the greatest place to start playing Ticket to Ride because they showcase everything the game has to offer. Ticket to Ride: First Journey is a simplified version of the game that younger players should focus on playing instead (opens in a new tab).

It is also important to take into consideration the unique Ticket to Ride Europe 15th Anniversary Deluxe Edition if you have the opportunity to purchase it (opens in a new tab). In spite of the fact that it is more expensive (and perhaps too steep for anyone who isn’t already a fan), you get what you pay for: each player receives one-of-a-kind miniatures to use in the game, and these miniatures are all stored within magnificent collectors’ tins that feature an original design.

In addition, the board and cards have been given a facelift that makes them look more detailed, bright, and overall more attractive. It is the definitive iteration of Ticket to Ride in every conceivable aspect, and it is a wonderful way to pay homage to such a well-liked board game.