Review: Ticket to Ride, First Journey

Ticket to ride first journey gameTICKET TO RIDE First Journey

Our next game as part of the Blogger Board Game Club is Ticket to Ride, First Journey by Days of Wonder.

Players: 2-4

Age: 6+

 

What’s in the Box?

Ticket to Ride box contents

  • 1 Game Board
  • 80 Plastic Trains (4 colours)
  • 72 Train Cards
  • 32 Ticket Cards
  • 4 Coast-to-Coast Bonus Ticket Cards
  • 1 Golden Ticket
How to Play

The aim of the game is to be the first player to complete 6 tickets.

Ticket to ride cards

You start the game with 4 train cards and 2 tickets. On each ticket you have two cities and it is those 2 cities you are trying to connect to complete the ticket. On each turn you can either get two more train cards or discard the train cards to claim a route. You can only claim a route if you have the exact colour and number of cards for that route. If you can’t connect the route you need as it is blocked then you can use your turn to discard both your ticket cards and draw 2 new ones. Once you have claimed a route you reveal your ticket and pick a new ticket. If you connect an East Coast city to a West Coast city then you claim a coast to coast ticket. This counts as one of the 6 you need to win the game. The game ends when someone completes all 6 tickets OR if someone has placed all their trains on the board then the one with the most tickets wins. The winner then receives the golden ticket as a reward!

What did we think?

The game is for 6+ but Bee attempted to play it with us (she is 5). She loved the whole concept of trains but did need help with her strategy and with my help she did win! I think she was just happy placing the trains where I told her to.

If the children are young and still struggle to read the cities names then the board and tickets make it easy to plan their routes with pictures of the cities.

The game is fun and involves using strategy to work out which is the best route to get to the destinations quickly. So it does make the players stop and think. The girls did seem to enjoy playing it. It takes around 15-30 minutes to finish a game, so not too long and should keep the younger children’s attention.

Ticket to ride Trains

 

Disclaimer: We were sent Ticket to Ride for the purposes of review as part of the Blogger Board Game Club. All thoughts and opinions are our own. 

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