Ticket to Ride

2004

Experience the excitement of railway journeys with Ticket to Ride! Collect cards, claim routes, and connect cities in this easy-to-learn and highly engaging board game.

60
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

Ticket to Ride is a captivating board game that takes you on an immersive journey across the continental United States. The game is set against the backdrop of the turn of the 20th century when steam locomotives were the primary mode of transportation. This period, known as the “Golden Age of Railways,” is beautifully captured in the vintage-style artwork and design of the game components.

The core mechanic of Ticket to Ride involves collecting and playing matching train cards to claim railway routes on a map. But this isn’t as simple as it sounds! The game requires strategic planning and decision-making, as you decide which routes to claim and which to leave for your opponents.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Ticket to Ride is an engaging board game with various components that contribute to its unique gameplay. Below are the game elements and a description of each:

1. Game Board

The game board is a map of North America, with cities connected by colored train routes. The board is the primary playing area where players place their train cars to claim routes and score points.

2. Train Car Cards

Ticket to Ride includes a deck of Train Car Cards, each of which corresponds to one of the eight colors of routes on the game board. These cards are collected and used by players to claim the routes.

3. Train Car Pieces

There are 225 colored train car pieces, 45 each of five different colors. Each player chooses a color and uses these pieces to claim routes on the board.

4. Destination Tickets

These cards represent specific routes that players aim to connect using their train cars. Successfully connecting the cities on a Destination Ticket earns the player additional points.

5. Long Route Card

This card awards bonus points to the player who has the longest continuous route at the end of the game.

6. Scoring Markers

There are five scoring markers, one for each player. They are used to track players’ scores on the scoring track that runs around the edge of the game board.

Interaction with the game:

At the start of the game, each player receives a set of Train Car Pieces, a matching scoring marker, and a starting hand of Train Car Cards and Destination Tickets. Players take turns drawing more Train Car Cards, claiming routes, and completing Destination Tickets. The game ends when one player has only two or fewer Train Car Pieces left, triggering the final round. After that, scores are calculated based on completed routes, Destination Tickets, and the Long Route Card bonus. The player with the most points wins.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Ticket to Ride is a popular board game that encourages strategic thinking and planning. Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up the game:

1. Player Roles:

In Ticket to Ride, each participant plays as a train company attempting to build the longest and most efficient routes across the map. Each player’s role is identical, and all players will have the same opportunities to lay tracks and earn points throughout the game.

2. Board Placement:

Place the game board in the center of the playing area where all players can easily reach it. The board represents a map, with cities connected by potential rail routes. Each route is color-coded to match the train cards that players will collect and use to claim that route.

3. Initial Resources:

Each player receives 45 colored train cars and matching score-marking token. The token is placed on the ‘start’ space of the scoring track that runs along the border of the game board. Each player also receives 4 train car cards and 3 destination ticket cards from the deck.

4. Destination Ticket Cards:

Each player looks at their 3 destination ticket cards, each of which shows two cities on the map and a point value. Players must keep at least two of these cards and try to connect those cities on the board with their trains. They can return the third to the bottom of the deck.

5. Train Car Cards:

The rest of the train car cards are placed face down next to the board as a draw pile. The top 5 cards of the pile are turned face up and placed beside the draw pile.

6. Random Elements:

After the initial setup, players start the game by drawing additional train car cards or destination ticket cards, attempting to claim routes, or taking other special actions. The randomness of the card draws and the strategic decisions made by the players create a unique gameplay experience each time.

Game flow Round and round we go

Ticket to Ride is a highly engaging board game that involves building train routes across a map. The game is played in rounds until one player has used almost all of their train cars, signaling the last round of the game. Each round includes player turns where they perform actions such as drawing Train Car Cards, claiming a Route, or drawing Destination Tickets.

Starting the Game:

Each player is given 45 colored train cars, 4 Train Car cards, and 3 Destination Ticket cards.
Players decide which Destination Ticket cards to keep (minimum of two) and the rest are returned to the bottom of the deck.
The youngest player starts, and then play proceeds clockwise.

During Each Turn:

On each turn, a player performs one of the following actions:

Drawing Train Car Cards: The player draws two Train Car cards. They may pick from the five face-up cards or the draw pile. If a Locomotive card (wild card) is drawn from the face-up cards, they can’t draw another card.
Claiming a Route: The player claims a route on the board by playing a set of Train Car cards that match the color and length of the route and places their colored trains on the route. They then score points based on the length of the route.
Drawing Destination Tickets: The player draws three Destination Tickets from the top of the deck and must keep at least one. These tickets represent route goals that if completed, add to the player’s point total at the end of the game. If not completed, the points are subtracted from their total.

Ending the Game:

The game ends when any player’s stock of colored train cars gets down to 2 or less at the end of that player’s turn. Each player, including that player, gets one final turn. After that, players reveal their Destination Tickets and add (or subtract) points depending on whether they successfully completed the routes on the tickets. The player with the longest continuous path of trains gets the ‘Longest Path’ bonus. The player with the highest total score wins the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Ticket to Ride is a board game where players aim to build railway routes across a map. The game is turn-based, and on each turn, players have a range of actions they can choose from. These actions all contribute to their overall strategy for the game and can greatly affect gameplay.

A player’s turn in Ticket to Ride can consist of the following possible actions:

Drawing Train Car Cards: The player can choose to draw two Train Car cards. These cards are used to claim routes on the board. This can be from the five face-up cards or from the top of the deck. If a Locomotive (wild card) is drawn face-up, the player can only draw one card instead of two. Drawing strategically, considering the routes you plan to claim, can greatly affect your gameplay.
Claiming a Route: The player can choose to claim a route on the board by spending a number of Train Car cards that match the color and length of the route. Claiming routes helps in achieving Destination Tickets, which score points at the end of the game. The longer the route, the more points it’s worth. However, players must be careful not to overstretch their resources and get blocked by others.
Drawing Destination Tickets: The player can choose to draw three Destination Tickets, of which they must keep at least one. These tickets provide goals for the player, indicating two cities that they must connect. Successfully connecting these cities will give the player extra points at the end of the game. But failing to connect them will result in a deduction of the ticket’s value from the player’s score. Therefore, it’s important to plan routes wisely and not take on too many tickets that you cannot complete.

Strategic choices and their impact on gameplay:

Choosing Routes: The game’s strategy often revolves around choosing which routes to claim. Players must balance between claiming longer, more valuable routes and shorter routes that may be key to completing their Destination Tickets.
Blocking Opponents: Players may also choose to claim routes that they know their opponents want, in order to block them. This can be a risky strategy as it may use up resources needed for their own routes.
Timing of Actions: The timing of when to draw cards, claim routes, or take on new Destination Tickets can also be crucial. For example, if a player waits too long to claim key routes, they might be taken by others. On the other hand, claiming routes too early may reveal the player’s plans to their opponents.

In conclusion, each turn in Ticket to Ride offers a range of strategic choices that can greatly impact the outcome of the game. The player must balance their resources, plan their routes, anticipate their opponents’ actions, and adapt their strategy as the game progresses.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Ticket to Ride is a strategy game where players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes on the map. The ultimate aim is to connect as many cities as possible and score the highest points.

The game ends when a player is left with two or fewer trains at the end of their turn. Once this condition is met, every player, including the one who triggered the end game, gets one final turn. This final round allows players to complete their last routes or score additional points before final scoring.

Victory Conditions:

Highest Points: The player with the highest total points from the routes, destination tickets, and bonuses is declared the winner. Points are calculated based on the length of the routes claimed by each player, the destination tickets completed, and any bonuses earned.
Longest Continuous Path: An additional bonus is given to the player who has the longest continuous path of routes. This is known as the ‘Longest Route’ bonus and grants the player an extra 10 points.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Play Remaining Cards: Players may play any remaining train cards in their hand to claim a route, provided they have enough matching cards and trains.
Complete Destination Tickets: Players may try to complete any remaining destination tickets in their hand. A destination ticket is completed when a player has a continuous path of their own trains connecting the two cities on the ticket.
Calculate Longest Route: Each player calculates their longest continuous path of trains. The player with the longest route receives the ‘Longest Route’ bonus.

To conclude, in ‘Ticket to Ride’, the game ends when a player exhausts their train supply, triggering the final round. The player with the highest score, taking into account the route scores, completed destination tickets, and bonus points for the longest route, is declared the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In Ticket to Ride, points are awarded based on the length of the train routes that players claim, the destination tickets they complete, and the bonuses they earn. The scoring system is as follows:

For claimed routes: Players earn points by placing their colored trains on the board to claim a route. The number of points earned depends on the length of the route:
- 1 train: 1 point
- 2 trains: 2 points
- 3 trains: 4 points
- 4 trains: 7 points
- 5 trains: 10 points
- 6 trains: 15 points
For destination tickets: At the beginning of the game, players can choose destination tickets that show two cities on the map. If a player successfully connects the two cities with a continuous path of their trains by the end of the game, they earn the points listed on the destination ticket. However, if they fail, they lose the same number of points.
For bonuses: The player who has the longest continuous path of trains at the end of the game receives an additional 10 points, known as the “Longest Route Bonus”.

After the last round, when one player has two or fewer trains left, each player counts their total points from claimed routes, completed destination tickets and bonuses. The player with the highest total wins the game.

In case of a tie, the game has specific tie-breaking rules. The player among those tied who completed the most destination tickets wins. If there is still a tie, the player among those tied who has the longest continuous path of trains wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Ticket to Ride is a well-loved board game known for its straightforward rules. However, there are some special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that can come into play during the game:

1. Double-Track Routes: In the versions of Ticket to Ride that include double-track routes, such as Europe and Märklin, these routes can be used by two different players during a game. However, in a two or three-player game, once one player has claimed one of the double tracks, the other track becomes unavailable.

2. Stations: In Ticket to Ride: Europe, players can build a station on a city to use one of the routes connected to that city as their own for the purposes of completing destination tickets. However, each player can build only one station per city and a maximum of three stations in the game. It’s important to note that stations unused at the end of the game are worth four points each.

3. Ferries and Tunnels: In Ticket to Ride: Europe, there are also special rules for ferries and tunnels. Ferries are routes that cross a body of water and require one or more locomotive cards to claim, in addition to regular train cards. Tunnels may require extra cards to claim, with the exact number determined by drawing the top three cards from the draw pile and counting how many cards match the colour used to claim the tunnel.

For example, if a player wants to claim a grey tunnel route and uses three blue train cards, and then draws two blue and one red train card from the draw pile, the player must then play two additional blue train cards to claim the tunnel.

4. End of the Game: The game ends when one player’s train count falls to two or fewer trains at the end of their turn. Each player, including the one who ended the game, gets one more turn. After this, players reveal their destination tickets and add or subtract the relevant points. The player with the longest continuous path of trains gets the Longest Path bonus.

It’s worth noting that in the case of a tie for the longest path, all tied players receive the full bonus points.

5. Card Drawing: When drawing cards, if a player chooses to draw from the five face-up cards, and one of them is a Locomotive (wild card), the player can only draw that one card and not a second card. But if the Locomotive is drawn from the face-down deck, the player may still draw a second card.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: At the start of the game, review your destination tickets and plan your routes. Make sure to have a backup plan in case other players block your primary route.
Block Opponents: If you notice a player collecting cards of a specific color, try to claim that route before they can. This can disrupt their plans and give you an advantage.
Collect Train Cards Wisely: Rather than collecting a variety of colored train cards, focus on specific colors that will help you complete your routes.

Beginner Tips:

Start Small: As a beginner, focus on completing shorter routes first. This can help you understand the game mechanics before moving onto more complex strategies.
Balance Between Routes and Train Cards: It’s important to strike a balance between claiming routes and collecting train cards. If you only focus on one, you may fall behind.
Use Stations Wisely: Stations can be used to claim a route that has already been taken by another player. Use them sparingly and strategically.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring Destination Tickets: Players often make the mistake of ignoring their destination tickets and focusing solely on building the longest train. However, completing these tickets can earn you significant points.
Running Out of Trains: Keep an eye on your remaining trains. If you run out of trains too quickly, you may not be able to complete your destination tickets.
Not Adapting to Other Players: It’s crucial to keep an eye on what other players are doing and adapt your strategy accordingly. If you stick rigidly to your initial plan, you may find yourself blocked.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan Your Routes Efficiently: Try to complete multiple destination tickets with a single route. This can save you trains and earn you more points.
Take Advantage of Long Routes: Longer routes earn you more points. If possible, aim to claim these routes before your opponents do.
Avoid Unnecessary Fights: Fighting with other players over routes can waste your resources. Instead, focus on your own tickets and find alternative routes if necessary.