Roughly 48% of the Wausau gamers I know are fans of “train games.” While each board game has the same subject matter, we’ll see how a base idea can be separated by game play, style and complexity. So this goes out to all the Railfans.
Ticket to Ride (TTR, aka TTR USA or TTR Original) from Days of Wonder is one of the simpler, quicker train games. The board is a map of the United States with various cities connected by different colored routes (see picture 2). Each player starts with four Train Cards and draws three Destination Cards, keeping at least one of the three. The color-coded Train Cards are used to claim routes. A five spot orange route requires five orange cards, while a two spot gray route requires a pair of any color. Plastic train pieces are used to mark players’ routes. Destination cards list the two cities to be connected, say Seattle and New York, and the point value of completion. When a player has two or less train pieces the game enters its final round. The goal is to score the most points.
There are three ways to score points. Claiming a route requires gives you points based off the length. Connecting the two cities on your Destination Card is worth the listed points, but unconnected card subtract each card’s point value from the final score. Finally, there’s a 10-point bonus for having the longest line. Players have to balance current needs with long-term possibility. For example there’s only three tracks into Miami; once those are filled everyone else is “locked out” and has no hope of filling destinations involving the Magic City. Double lines can only be used in 4+ player games; note that TTR plays best with four or five.
Once play begins it makes sense, but it takes awhile to get used to the different options, figure out what works, and watch the other players. There are spin-offs, such as Ticket to Ride Europe, with their own unique charms. The game supports two to five players and retails for $49.99. The online game requires registration, but it’s an option.
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