Terrific Toys - Ticket to Ride

I LOVE this game!

Our first purchase was the Ticket to Ride Europe (which is the 2nd installment in the Ticket to Ride Series of games). A couple of years ago, I was looking for a Christmas present for a boy who has too many books, videogames, nerf guns, LEGOs, board games, etc. Too many of everything. 

More importantly, I wanted to find a toy or a game that will encourage more family time when I came across this game in a local Target store.

The online description of the game states "From the craggy hillsides of Edinburgh to the sunlit docks of Constantinople, from the dusty alleys of Pamplona to a windswept station in Berlin, Ticket to Ride Europe takes you on an exciting train adventure through the great cities of turn-of-the-century Europe."

And the goal of the game is collect cards of various types of train cars that allow the players to claim railway routes connecting cities in various countries around the world. At the end of the game, extra 10 points are awarded to the player with:

1. The longest railway route.
2. The most number of routes completed.

BUT it's so much more.

Although the game is recommended for 8+, it's quite reasonable for younger kids, 6+ kids, to play with the rest of the family. The best thing about this game is that it's fun for all ages, adults, and kids. Quite often, when I find a game that's fun for the kids, it's not as engaging for the adults. This game will keep everyone engaged and competing until the very end.

This game supposedly takes between 30 - 60 minutes, but we usually take about 90 min to finish because, we've changed the rules, a bit. BUT, you can stop at any time. If you don't like long games, just set a time limit, and stop. Then just tally up the points and declare a winner. 

Did I mention that it's VERY strategic game? And the unexpected strategies your children come up with to win the game could floor you, too. This game allows room for all kinds of creative strategies. 

As seen on the top of the blog, I've added to my Ticket to Ride collection, and each of them add another element to the game. I'll blog about them in the future.