ticket to ride game review
Alright, let’s talk about this Ticket to Ride game. My grandkids, they love it, and honestly, so do I, even though I ain’t no spring chicken.
So, what’s it all about? Trains, yup, trains! You gotta build train lines all over the map. Sounds boring, huh? Like watchin’ paint dry? Nah, it ain’t like that at all. It’s kinda like a race, see? Everyone’s tryin’ to get their trains goin’ faster and further than yours.
They got this here board, real pretty like, with all sorts of cities on it. And you get these little cards, train cars they call ’em. Different colors, ya know, like red, blue, green, all that jazz. You gotta collect the right colors to claim a track between two cities. Simple enough, right?
- Collectin’ cards: That’s the first thing. Gotta get them train cars, like I said. Sometimes you draw ’em blind, sometimes you pick ’em up from the open. It’s like grabbin’ vegetables at the market, gotta be quick or someone else will snatch ‘em up.
- Claimin’ routes: Once you got enough of the same color, you can put your little plastic trains down on the board. That’s your track, nobody else can use it. It’s like claimin’ your piece of land, you feel me?
- Destination tickets: Now these here are the tricky part. You get these secret tickets with two cities on ’em. You gotta connect those cities with your trains by the end of the game. If you do, you get extra points. If you don’t, well, you lose points. It’s like promisin’ to visit your cousin, gotta keep your word or they’ll get all huffy.
The game, it ain’t hard to learn. Even my old brain figured it out pretty quick. My grandkid, little Timmy, he’s only eight and he plays it like a champ. They say it takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play, but sometimes it feels longer, especially when you’re losin’. Then time just drags on and on.
They say this game came out a long time ago, like back in 2004. A fella named Alan Moon, he made it. Smart fella, I guess. This game is what they call a “classic” now. Means it’s been around a while and folks still like it. Like them old country songs, they never get old.
Now, you can play this game with two to five people. The more the merrier, I say. It’s more fun when you got a bunch of folks competin’. It gets kinda cutthroat, ya know? Everyone’s tryin’ to block each other’s routes, snatchin’ up the cards you need. It’s like a hen house, everyone pecking at each other for the best spot.
They also got this here app for your phone. Timmy, he likes to play it on his tablet. It’s the same game, but it ain’t the same, ya know? The real board game, it’s better. You get to hold the little trains in your hand, put ‘em on the board yourself. It’s just more…real, I guess. Like bakin’ a pie instead of buyin’ one from the store.
The game, they say it’s got strategy and all that. You can be sneaky, blockin’ other folks. You can be bold, goin’ for the long routes. I don’t know much about all that fancy stuff. I just try to get my trains where they need to go. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. It’s all just good fun, that’s what matters.
They got this rating thing, somethin’ about how hard the game is. They give it a 1.83 out of 5. Don’t ask me what that means. All I know is, it ain’t rocket science. Anyone can play it. Even old biddies like me.
One thing though, once you start playin’ a campaign game, you can’t go back and start over. They say it changes the game forever. I ain’t tried that yet, sounds kinda scary to me. I like things the way they are, nice and simple.
So, if you’re lookin’ for a fun game to play with your family, or your friends, or even just by yourself, give Ticket to Ride a try. It’s a good time, I tell ya. It’s better than sittin’ around watchin’ the grass grow, that’s for sure.
And remember, keep your eyes on the prize and don’t let those youngsters outsmart ya. It’s a train eat train world out there!
Tags: Ticket to Ride, board game, family game, strategy game, train game, Alan Moon, Days of Wonder, game review, card game, destination tickets
