Game review for non-gamers: Ticket to Ride

[franceslievens]

Ever since the first iPad came out people have been playing multiplayer games on them. Especially board-to-pad-games have been extremely popular. Some translations have been very well done (e.g. Carcassone), while others are rather mediocre. Ticket to Ride from Days of Wonder is yet another game that claims to be the best adaptation of a board game onto the iPad. It featured on iTunes' best seller lists and recommendations lists, and it's through that channel I found it*.
The gameplay is very simple: on a railroad map of the U.S.A. you must claim roads to complete your task of getting trains from one city to another. For every claimed road, every completed task and the longest railway you earn points. The person who has the highest score at the end of the game is crowned winner. Playing on the iPad you can choose to either pass & play, play online or play against one or several of the bots.
As a two-player game Ticket to Ride is a quick fix when pausing from more work related things. And it's an easy win. The original U.S.A. map isn't really build to be a two-player-game, and quickly becomes a bore. Adding more than one AI brings the challenge back into the game. You'll really need to think your strategy through to be able to complete your tasks. Still, as a strategy game Ticket to Ride isn't the most challenging game though. Its entertainment factor is high, and the bit of luck you'll need to get the right cards makes for less frustration when you can't seem to win.
To keep you occupied when you might start loosing interest, there are several extra maps you can buy in game: an add-on for the U.S.A. map (0,79€), or a complete set with new rules, Europe (3,99€) or Switzerland (2,99€, designed specifically for two or three players). Especially the last one sounds interesting for two-player families.
All in all Ticket to Ride is a neat little game that's lots of fun to play – alone or with friends.

Rating: ★★★★

* I've come to consider the iTunes store itself quite useful in predicting what I would find interesting, especially when it comes to games. People that bought what you like, probably buy other things you might find interesting. I'm also a sucker for nice graphics, so a developer who shows me what their app looks like gets extra points from me.