Ticket to Ride
Gameplay
Ticket to Ride is all about claiming routes between cities. In the end, whoever has the most points wins. The longer the route you claim, the more points you get. The further the cities are from each other on the destination tickets, the more points you’ll get by connecting them.
You start with a set amount of “destination tickets” that tell you which cities you will want to connect to, and how many points you’ll gain by doing so. The board is a map of the United States, with various cities connected by train routes of 2 to 6 spaces. Claiming routes is done by collecting train cards that match the color of the routes on the board. When you have the right amount of matching cards, you turn those in and place your trains on the route, claiming it as yours!
A route cannot be claimed by multiple people (though some connections do have two available routes), and each player has a limited amount of trains, so you have to watch where the other players are going, and try your best to make sure they don’t claim routes that you need before you do, otherwise it will take more time connecting your destinations. Note that the game gets more competitive and difficult with more players. I’ve found that in a 2 player game you rarely ever compete over routes, but with 4 or 5 players you’re definitely going to feel the tension in the air.
It’s the anticipation and competition that makes this game so fun, along with the satisfaction and relief you get each time you claim a route, especially when that route completes one of your destination tickets.
Theme
Set in the early 1900’s, you take the role of travelers with the goal of claiming the most valuable routes between cities in the United States. The train theme is very appealing because there is something nostalgic about traveling by train.
Components
The board is a good size, and has a convenient scoring system printed around the edge that you can place tokens on and see your progress through the game, though I’ve found that it is fun to wait until the game ends and then total up your points. The pieces you use to claim your routes are plastic trains, which is a lot more fun than having chips or cubes. My one gripe about this game is that the cards are so small (around 1.75”x2.75”). They’re a pain to shuffle. This can all be remedied with the Ticket to Ride: 1910 expansion. Let me just say that along with new destination tickets and game variations, it replaces the original cards with a new set that is regular sized. To end on a positive note, everything fits nicely into a plastic insert that has spots for your cards, trains, point tokens and board.
Learning Curve
If you’ve never played, the rule book is a quick read, and you’ll be up and running in less than 30 minutes. If reading rule books isn’t your thing, Days of Wonder has made a video tutorial that will have you playing in under 7 minutes! The age range on the box says 8 and above, but I’ve seen younger children play and enjoy the game!
Who would enjoy this?
GAME LINKS
Play it online!
If you’ve never played, I highly recommend watching the video to learn how to play online. In fact this video is great even if you just want to learn how to play. visit site
Video tutorial
Here is another good video that will teach you how to play the game. watch video
Add a Review for "Ticket to Ride"
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- Themes
Trains - Mechanics
Card Drafting, Hand Management, Route/Network Building, Set Collection - Gamer Types
Avid Gamer, Casual Gamer, Family Gamer, Power Gamer, Social Gamer, Strategy Gamer - Designers
Alan R. Moon - Game Families
Ticket to Ride - Official Game Site
🔍 Ticket to Ride - Rulebook
🔍 See official rulebook - Price (MSRP)
$50.00
I’m going to echo most of the sentiments so far:
a) It is an excellent game to play with new gamers of all ages
b) It is a fun game for the family gaming genre
but
c) It is really not that social
To me, a really good game has a lot more interaction between the players than TtR does. Oh sure, there are some times when you might have built where someone else wanted to build, or taken a card that someone else needed, but other than that…it’s pretty much “oh well, I guess I’ll move on”.
TtR accomplishes a) and b) very admirably. I have busted out the set many a time when my sons want to play something with mommy and daddy or when friends come over who aren’t into painting miniatures or collecting cards in booster packs.
So, as a game, does it fail? Heck no! Mr. Moon made a great game here, for what it is. It’s just not my personal favourite. I would *MUCH* prefer to play his Elfenland – many more critical decisions to make strategically and tactically, all wrapped up in a nice fantasy theme (Come on…ELFENBIKES!! TROLLKARTS!!!)
So, bottomline for me – games are like tools: choose the appropriate ones to play with the appropriate people or at the appropriate time. TtR is one of those games that will appeal to a great many people.
Just not to me, if the choice was mine (but it often isn’t – so it’s in my collection).
Don’t get me wrong, Ticket to Ride is a great game. It is even a game that has its place. I will tell you what it is, and then what it is not.
What it is:
It is a game that is perfect for people that have been drinking back a few beverages of the variety that inhibit your learning abilities. It is a great gateway game for bringing in people who thought that they did not like board games.
What it is not:
It is not a game for people that like in depth strategy. It is not a game with enough depth for great replayability. That being said, for replaying with casual beer and pretzel moments, it is high on the list.
That one confusing moment:
When people (especially with a few of the aformentioned beverages) start out with this game, they will sometimes get confused by the color of their train cars and the color of the trains on the cards. Make this distinction early.
The Good: I try to use this game to get new comers to feel comfortable with something other then scrabble. I try to tell them its like candy land for adults. If you get the right color, you move to this space kinda thinking. Its very entry level and anyone can play it. It take little strategy, but strategy will help you win.
The Bad: Umm… babies can eat the pieces??? I’m not sure what is bad about this game. Its so awesome they have made about a dozen expansions for it.
The Awesome: Last time I played this my sister had her route taken a few times and she was out of it. In turn she just started placing in random routes and taking them from others. Everyone was scared where she would go next. We all had a good time with this, at least I did, I won.
Side Note: As I said earlier, the pieces are small enough to fit in the mouths of infants. They are also very light in weight. Knocking the table around can move the pieces. I wouldn’t say this is a con, but one time playing with a friend with a short fuse, his route is taken toward the end of the game. He slams his fist on the table in anger, in slow mo all the pieces life from the table and crash down all over. Also, very funny.
Ticket to Ride is a fantastic game because it is simple, while requiring meaningful decisions. My favorite part of Ticket to Ride is building up a hand of cards that I can play in succession to build my route. However, what is wonderful about the game is the timing. Players will be faced with difficult, but simple decisions such as when to lay down track or whether to pick random or revealed cards. Sure, one decision may be a safer bet, but what if the other ended up being more rewarding, or what if someone takes your route before you claim it. The timing to these decision adds tension that builds, as when people use their trains they are making the end of the game closer which puts pressure on all the other players to be more efficient.
At the same time, the game makes for an excellent gateway or family experience. Due to players only being required to choose between 3 types of actions, new players are not overwhelmed with choice. Rather, new players will easily catch on in a couple of turns. By the end of the game will likely be ready to play again.
However, the one problem I have with the base game is the size of the cards. Compared to all the expansions and other versions, original Ticket to Ride still comes with extremely small cards. The problem is that these cards are harder to pick up and more easily slide around. Fortunately, the 1910 expansion fixes this major flaw, but this should have never been a problem in the first place.
Overall, Ticket to Ride will make a great addition to any game night, as it is a simple game to start the game for returning gamers and a great introduction game for your family and friends who are not gamers. 10/10
This is a great family game. It is easy to learn for any type of gamer.
The fun challenge of the game is figuring out how to complete all of your “routes”. The extra challenge is figuring out how to complete all your routes while making one continuous path to win the Longest Route at the end of the game. This game has a high replay value since there are so many combinations of routes in the game.
Another dynamic of the game is the strategy of blocking your opponents from completing their routes. For players who are very competitive, this can be a fun part of the game. For playing with not so competitive players, you can also choose to play “nice”. So, there is an option for any type of player. How ever you decide to play, you will still have fun.
I’ve found there are a couple of downsides to this game. One is that it does not play very well with 2 or 3 people. It plays much better with 4 or 5. That seems to be very limiting in deciding on a game on any given game night. The second is that it is very difficult to interact and have any “blocking your opponent” strategy except by chance that they are wanting to build a route on the same path as you.
Overall though, it is a fun family game for occasional play. It should be in your game closet!
A real crowd pleaser.
You get your secret destination tickets, and use different types of train cars to seize routes & complete as many tickets as you can to maximize your score.
*Very* easy to understand for people coming over from Monopoly/ Risk/ whatever, this is often my first recommendation to people looking to expand their game collections to include some of the good stuff.
Plays well from 2 to 5 players from the kids to the grandparents.
My one complaint, and it’s a little thing: The cards representing the types of trains are pretty small. I’ve gotten used to them, but with the USA 1910 expansion it turns out I never had to; it includes replacement full sized cards.
I’ve never had a ton of luck introducing people to many board games. Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and even King of Tokyo haven’t appealed to “everyone”, most appealing to few I’ve encountered. Everyone I have talked to who games, seems to know Ticket to Ride, and everyone I’ve played this with has enjoyed the experience. Others I have talked to have had similar experiences. I started with the iPod app, and tried that on my wife. She had no interest, until sitting down with the board game. Immediately after her first experience with the physical version, she requested a copy and wants to introduce it to her friends. It is easy to learn, fun to play. Can’t go wrong with that!
There is an online version to try too, but it (like the apps) don’t do the physical game justice imo. They are more there for established players who want the experience “anytime, anywhere”. But if you want to see the game, and try to get an idea of what it is beforehand, there is at least a free trial option on Days of Wonder’s website, where you can do a solo run vs bots, and then play 3 games for free (10 dollars afterwards). But again, the physical board and having the social interaction and experience with people directly in front of you, just adds even more to an already fun game.
If you are new to board games, or gaming with young children, this is a great game to start with. It was the first game we bought that wasn’t a big box store type game. We enjoyed it then, when our kids were young, and after playing it tonight with our adult son and teenage daughter, I can say it has stood the test of time! We had a wonderful time collecting cards,completing destinations, and trying to keep others from completing their objectives. Is it a heavily strategic game? No, but it is quick, fun, and well worth the time we spent enjoying each other’s company! I will keep it in our collection to share with young friends who might visit, and maybe, someday, grandchildren.
Ticket to ride is a great game. It’s as simple as any game could be. It will actually take you longer to set the game up than it will to teach someone how to play. The game is simple you have to take some colored cards and use them to play your trains on different routes that are printed on your ticket cards. I used this game to introduce my wife to tabletop gaming and She absolutely loves it. Thanks to this game she has been willing to try out other games that I have gotten into my collection. What makes this game stand out to me is the fact that it is so simple in design, beautiful to look at and easy to play. This is a great game to get the whole family together, sit down, play, and have a great time. This is also an awesome game to get your non gamer friends to try out some tabletop gaming. I highly recommend that anyone that has someone in their household that they would like to get them into their hobby pick this one up. This will sit rather nicely next to your other games and will get picked up often.
Ticket to Ride (TTR) is an excellent game to introduce people to the wide world of hobby gaming. It is quick to learn and understand, and first-time players can be competive from their first playthrough, which cannot be said about most hobby games. The importance of that factor cannot be understressed: first-time players can easily be turned off if they get completely shut out their first game. Alan Moon really got it just right with this one. No, this is not a game that hits my table too often. But i have lots of fond memories playing this one with my wife and her mother, and sometimes her uncle. If you want to convinve your family to play games with you, it is hard to go wrong with this one. It is is beautifully illustrated and well-balanced.
Pros:
-New and casual players love “the train game”.
-Pretty board. Plastic trains are well made. Cards are small but are good quality.
-Simple rules, yet enough depth to keep my interest
-Quick turns
Cons:
-Not deep enough for tons of relays with advanced gamers
-Card hoarding can be a bit of a problem sometimes
-Only 4 players. The game doesn’t feel right with only three, and if you have a bigger group you need to play something else or split the group.
Summary:
This is the game I suggest to all new board gamers. I still enjoy playing it. My only issue really is the four player requirement.
My expectations for TtR were lowered by the explanation of the concept (ie Rummy w/ trains) and the fact that it was a Days of Wonder game (infamous locally for their combination of poorly written, yet simple rules sets).
By the time I finally played this, however, the game was able to shine for what it is: a gateway game for Rummy fans. The simplistic route development was made interesting by the push-your-luck element of the tickets and the search for the proper cards to claim a given route.
While I certainly won’t be recommending this as a train game, I will be recommending it as a light introduction to hobby gaming.
This is a great game that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. It’s VERY easy to learn, yet there is enough strategy and competition to keep it exciting time after time. My kids often request to play this game. And the really young ones seem to have fun just playing with the trains while everyone else plays the game.
Pros: I enjoy the competition, and the occasional fights that occur over a stolen route.
Ticket to Ride is the game I have waited for since I started the gaming hobby. Its fast, simple to learn, and the theme is (at least mildly) interesting to everyone. While there are better games out there, there are few that non-gamers or social gamers can share as many times with hard-core gamers. The replay value is very high, especially when you consider that the expansions open up many new possibilities in the game. Whenever I am teaching people their first real gamery game, I teach them ticket to ride. Its fun, its easy, readily replayable, and it opens the doors to more complex games.
Good game to play when you don’t have a lot of time, or when your companions are not only dedicated gamers. We usually play it at the end of the game night if there is some time left or before getting into more serious games. It’s fun that even while is quite easy, you always get different challenge cards so you still need to strategize a bit – hide your intents while trying to reach as many destinations as you can.
Why oh why does a game like this get such wonderful reviews? Is it because it’s an already established good seller family game and because folks are not willing to be honest with this game?
Yes, it’s easy to learn.
Yes, it’s a quick introductory game for new board gamers. But how introductory is it really?
With the massive amount of app games, most people with access to the Internet and a smart phone are not new to games, so why do we treat TtR as an introductory game?
It’s randomness on randomness with timing of car placement. That’s really it.
A game like Powergrid at least introduces a supply/demand and market timing element, bidding that can be used to prevent others from surpassing your abilities etc..
Ticket to ride is so light on substantial decision making.
Boardgames for the most part should be more about socialization, interaction or at least competition or collaboration with another human’s mind. Ticket to ride is so light on interaction via the game other than, “Oh, you totally screwed me with that track placement.” and so dependent on luck that I don’t feel it is a good representation of the beauties of “analog” face-to-face gaming.
It may still serve as a decent ligh family game, but honestly, this doesn’t make it one of the better games out there.
All aboard……… Ticket to Ride is a classic Table Top. Create your empire by laying train tracks around a nation. This easy to learn game is great for both avid and social gamers alike. Ticket to Ride was the first board game I taught my son how to play with little to no reading and a simple understanding of matching colors to build your track. Points are scored on finishing tracks and routes with the player scoring the highest as winner. The board has a nice little score board build around it and a point chart printed right on the board to easily figure out how many points are scored for a finished track. This is a great game to play both with the family and with your table top friends
Ticket To Ride was a surprisingly large amount of fun.
We’re big Eurorails fans in my gaming circles, but we often don’t have time (or we accidentally invite people who want to be social, or something silly like that) — and Ticket To Ride is a nice, quick substitute when you’re jonesing for Rails games, but can’t find that sweet spot of your life where you can actually play one.
It’s also a game I’d use when introducing people who answer “Do you play board games?” with “Sure, I’ve played Monopolgy a few times!” to what a board game is.
My husband and I LOVE to play all the Ticket to Ride games, but this is the one that started it all. It is so easy to learn and play that every time we are introduced to new people who want to play games with us, this is the game we play to teach them how much fun board games can be. We have probably introduced over 50 people and now they all love it as much as we do! We even gave one bride and groom the game as a wedding present. They tell us it was the BEST gift they received. Ticket to Ride is perfect for young or old, never-played-a-game-ever or serious gamers. The game mechanics are just super easy to grasp. The only real challenge in teaching the game: a few first-timers have thought that the only routes they can claim are the actual color of their train pieces (if they have yellow train pieces, they think they can only claim yellow routes). So we always make it a point to tell new players that this is not the case. If you have never tried the game I would highly recommend it!
I may be overrating TtR, seeing as though it is the game that reintroduced me to boardgaming in general, but I honestly feel that it is one of the most perfect games on the market, regardless of your level of interest in the hobby.
It’s simple enough to learn and teach, that it works as a good family game, a fun semi-filler for a board game day/weekend/gathering, or even the central game of a fun night with you and a few friends.
It’s quick enough that it won’t run the risk of boring people who are not as into gaming as others may be, unlike some of the more “mainstream” games out there.
And, let’s face it, it’s fun enough that it will never be consigned to the “one and done” area of your library – TtR is one of those games that will always (for the forseeable future) get table time, or very solid consideration.