Ticket To Ride (5 stars)

The basic version of TTR has been one of the more frequently played games of late for the following reasons:

(1) quick set-up (2 minutes)

(2) clean, simple design (only 3 types of parts)

(3) limited rules and as a result easy to learn (15 minutes)

(4) relatively fast game (30-60 minutes)

(5) varied strategies

(6) multi player (2-5)

The game includes a map with a set of cities connected by routes. Different segments of the routes are made of different colors, and some adjacent segments are connected with two colors. You start by picking some destination cards that you are to fulfill without revealing them to your opponents. You use partly randomly drawn train cards to complete different segments. Partly randomly because you can choose from 5 open cards, or blindly from the face down ones. The advantage to the blind ones is that they could contain jokers that can be universally used. The destinations may be far apart of nearby, and the points you get depend on that. In addition, some other may be competing for some parts of your route, and there are only so many cards of each color. The routes do not have to be direct or shortest, so there is a wide latitude in choosing your configuration. For each segment you get points increasing somewhat like Fibonacci sequence. If you finish your destinations (or even otherwise) you can draw more (and you have to keep at least one during each turn). You lose points for each destination card that is not complete. The aim is to maximize your points.

Sum of destinations can typically range from 20-50, routes from 40-80. There are 10,15 points for max cards done, and longest route. Its difficult to go negative, and competitive totals are typically between 110 and 140. I have crossed 170 twice in 5-player games, highest being 185. Theoretically it is possible to get 290 in a 2-person game. Thus there is a wide range possible depending on the draw as well as your opponents.

It is not as chanceless a game as Puerto Rico is, nor are the chances based on probabilities as in the case of Settlers of Catan. But one can try to optimize despite the draw of cards. What does affect ones performance somewhat is the order of players. If you come after an aggressive player, life can be a bit difficult. On the other hand if the player before you is fully self-engrossed, you have to worry less.

A completed TTR board

Some possible strategies include:

(1) keep the most related cards and try to do them together.

(2) keep the least valued cards, do them quickly, or even ignore them, and go for longer routes and draw more cards.

(3) Keep taking top cards up to an extent and then play your cards

(4) Block some of the short key routes early.

(5) Finish the game early by putting as many as possible if your do not have specific targets to complete.

With 2 and 3 players you can not use the parallel routes. The game is thus most competitive (and fun) with 3 or 5 players. There are extensions but I am not a big fan of those. Also, some of them need the original set also, so be aware before buying.  If you are not in to boardgames yet, this may be a good first game.