Ticket to Ride Review

Trains seem to be incredibly popular amongst board gamers. Many examples of train games can be found, although there is some slightly odd discussion as to what can be called a train game and what can’t be called a train game. Many gamers believe that to be called a train game, a game must feature some sort of economic simulation as well as the ability to create railway lines from scratch. Others think that if a game simply features trains, then it is obviously a train game.

As far as I’m concerned, I fall into the latter camp. Ticket to Ride has trains, therefore it’s a train game. I do think it’s a silly argument to have, but gamers are a strange bunch sometimes. Not only is it confusing for non-gamers to see Ticket to Ride and be told it isn’t a train game, it also makes those arguing against its fairly obvious standing as a train game (i.e. a game with a train theme) look a little silly to outsiders. The reason that this is pretty important is because Ticket to Ride is an excellent game to introduce new players to, featuring pleasing aesthetics, easy to learn gameplay and brilliant mechanics.

To summarise, players are dealt ticket cards at the beginning of the game, and these each feature a route across the board – which is basically a large map of train lines across North America – and a point value. The idea of the game is basically to score more points than any other player, which is achieved by claiming routes across the map: points are scored by laying trains on routes as well as by completing routes featured on tickets. When tickets are revealed at the end of the game, players score points for routes they have completed, or deduct points from their total for incomplete routes. In addition, at the end of the game the player with the longest continuous route across the board is given 10 bonus points at the end of the game.

Ticket to Ride is very easy to get into, and players soon find themselves agonising over what to do every turn – as only one action can be taken from several options (drawing more train cards, claiming a route, drawing more destination tickets), it becomes increasingly tough to balance greed against necessity. Do you hang on to claim a route and try and draw more cards to ensure that you can complete even more of your route later on? Do you draw more tickets even though it is the end of the game is drawing near and you may not be able to finish it? These questions and more will be racing through your head during every turn, which creates a tense and enjoyable atmosphere to the game.

It can be frustrating though – as most routes can be owned by only one player, it can be very annoying to see your plans of completing a route be thwarted by a player claiming a route that you need, with no chance to go around it. Some routes do have another path next to them, but these double routes are few and far between, and only used in games with 4+ players. This frustration is also one thing that can be a turn-off for new players – despite the fact that sometimes other players don’t know that they’re messing up your elaborate, clandestine plans, it still feels quite personal!

As Ticket to Ride is one of those games that forces players to choose something to do from what appear to be several viable and equally important options, it means that there never seems to be enough time to do everything that you want to do before the game ends. This means that play progresses quickly and games always seem incredibly eventful, even when play has finished and scoring is calculated. With tickets revealed at the end of the game and points added or deducted according to what the players have achieved, it’s exciting to watch scores inflate and deflate, with the outcome never fully certain until the last ticket is scored.

As a game that can be learned and enjoyed in minutes by even reluctant relatives who are adamantly not interested in gaming, Ticket to Ride is a fantastic choice for family gatherings. What is also great about Ticket to Ride is that it stands up to repeated plays with gamers who have played it dozens of times, and the swift, tension-filled gameplay just never seem to grow tiresome. Highly recommended, but be careful who is listening in if you’re planning on referring to it as a train game.

Summary

Presentation: Days of Wonder have a highly deserved reputation for excellent components and attractive aesthetics – Ticket to Ride is no exception. 9.3/10

Clarity of Rules: The rulebook is longer than you would expect given the simplicity of the gameplay, but they are incredibly well written. The numerous clarifications on slightly awkward rules mean that if rules questions come up during play, there’s an answer that can be easily found within the rulebook. 9.5/10

Game Length: Always too short for what players need to do - which is a good thing, as it adds a great deal of tension and difficult decision making to the game. 9.4/10


Value: With literally hundreds of plastic trains included, as well as excellently produced cards and a nicely sturdy board, Ticket to Ride contains a lot of physical items that provide great value for money. Replay value is also high due to the simple, quick and addictive nature of the gameplay. Very tough to fault. 9.7/10


Overall: Despite the frustration felt when routes are lost to another player, Ticket to Ride is a game that is an incredible amount of fun, with easily digestable rules and well thought out game mechanics. A brilliantly fun experience for gamers and non-gamers alike. 9.4/10(not an average)

Review by Jason M. Brown