Ticket to Fun

Published August 8, 2008

Published by Playful Entertainment and based on the award winning board game of the same name, Ticket to Ride coasts onto Xbox LIVE® Arcade in much the same way as fellow board/card games Catan and Carcassonne. Even more than those, this railroad-inspired game can be understood at a glance and yet still demands countless fun-filled hours if you hope to master its subtleties.

To block or not to block?

Railroad Foundation
Like the railroad tycoons of legend, use industry and strategy to build the most powerful, expansive, and efficient railroad service in the country. You begin with forty-five railroad cars and a pair of destination cards.

Use the railroad cars in conjunction with the different-colored train cards you draw from the deck to build and claim your routes, earning points with each one you establish. Building routes that connect each of the cities on your destination cards will earn you much-needed bonus points.

Much of the delicate strategy of Ticket to Ride is found in selecting each turn's single action. You may draw train cards, destination cards, or claim a route, but only one of these options on any given turn. Add to that the necessity of tracking and deciphering your opponent's movements and Ticket to Ride requires a constant, internal juggling of countless variables as you determine which step to take next.

Sweet!

Ticket to Victory
Like any great board game, Ticket to Ride rewards all manner of subtle tricks and creative strategies, but consider the following if you're looking for a few basic pointers to get you building in the right direction.

• Save Up, Build Big: Avoid building your routes bit by bit if you can help it. Rather, save your cards up and build big chunks at a time, only establishing smaller routes when necessary to keep opponents from blocking your intended routes. This tactic also keeps your competitors wondering where you're headed.
• Destination Early: If you plan on investing in extra destination cards, do so early on in the match, well before the board gets cluttered with established routes. Consider your current cards carefully before deciding on any new destination cards. If possible, you want your new destination cards to flow naturally from your current destinations.
• Block with Junk: Recognizing a competitor's intended route and blocking it with trains of your own can prove fruitful, but don't sacrifice train cards you need just to thwart an opponent. Rather, lay down blocking routes only with junk cards you have no immediate use for.
• Gray Selection: When selecting cards to build routes on the gray tracks, select a color you don't need but already have in your hand. This has a two-pronged effect. First, you'll protect the colored train cards necessary to complete your destination cards. Secondly, you may very well cause an opponent to think you need that particular color, forcing them to alter their strategy unnecessarily.
• Tracking Cars: Never forget to keep a sharp eye on how many railroad cars your opponents have remaining. The first player with only two remaining cars triggers the last round of play, and if you're cut unaware with incomplete destination cards you'll lose points equal to the value of your remaining destination cards.

It fills up quick.

Xbox Benefits
Ticket to Rideas a board game is outstanding, award-winning fun, but with the move to Xbox LIVE Arcade comes extra benefits for the Xbox 360® faithful. Foremost is the ability to connect immediately to the Ticket to Ride community and play matches instantly over Xbox LIVE without having to gather your friends together in one location. These matches guarantee swift play as a timer counts down each player's turn, ensuring that no one disgruntled opponent can hold up play.

Of course, you'll also have access to leaderboards, two-hundred Gamerscore worth of achievements to unlock, and an instruction manual accessible right from the main menu. Best of all, publisher Playful Entertainment has already promised Ticket to Ride Europe and Ticket to Ride: USA 1910 in the form of downloadable content coming soon. Not only do these expansions offer up numerous new routes and, in the case of Europe, a whole new map, but also new bonus cards and even tweaks to the standard rules.

Ticket to Ridefor Xbox 360 brings to virtual life yet another classic board game. The translation to Xbox LIVE Arcade adds welcome features and accessibility to an already heralded game, not the least of which is the option to download the Ticket to Ride trial version for free. Grab hold of your wits, send out a few invites and get ready to embrace your inner railroad tycoon!

Article by Ryan Treit