If you choo-choo choose to play Ticket to Ride, you won’t be disappointed! Considered one of the world’s most popular board games, Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect and play matching cards to claim railway routes that connect cities. Dubbed as Rummy on Rails and presented as a nostalgic tale of eccentric adventurers, the game is perfect for games night!

Imagine this: it is October 2nd, 1900 and it is 28 years to the day that noted London eccentric, Phileas Fogg, accepted and then won a £20,000 bet that he could travel around the world in 80 days. Now at the dawn of the century it is time for a new impossible journey. Some old friends have gathered to celebrate Fogg’s impetuous and lucrative gamble, and to propose a new wager of their own. The stakes: $1 Million in a winner-takes-all competition. The objective: to see which of them can travel by rail to the most cities in North America in just 7 days. The journey begins immediately on the Ticket to Ride board.

Filled with adventure and travel, Ticket to Ride stimulates the imagination. “Ticket to Ride brings nostalgia and adventurous spirit to the table. It is easy to see why it is considered a gateway game into the hobby. Cleverly incorporating many of the elements that keep us hooked on board games – the rules are easy to understand, the game has depth, the whole family can play and it requires a combination of strategy and luck to win.

“It also presents just enough tension and tough decision-making to keep things exciting for seasoned fans and it is simple enough for new players to enjoy from round one,” mentions Philip Galliford, spokesperson for Solarpop – distributor for Ticket to Ride.

Alan R. Moon – the Creator of Ticket to Ride

In an interview with Eurogamer.net, Alan R. Moon - the creator of Ticket to Ride explained: "People will tell you my games are all about transportation and moving from place to place. Well, that's my joy in life. I love trains, I love geography, I love travelling. I love model railroads too.”

Moon’s journey to famous game designer began as a child when he discovered the joy of playing board games with his family. In college he was appointed editor of the official magazine of Avalon Hill's games. While editor, he gravitated to game prototyping and this is how his career and his craft grew.

For Moon, how a game feels to play is important, so too is simplicity. In the process of designing Ticket to Ride, he took out all the extraneous elements and limited the choices per turn so that players knew quickly if decisions made were the right ones. This makes for much more exciting gameplay that doesn’t feel slow and that doesn’t stagnate. As such, the game has longevity and doesn’t lose its lustre. It’s no wonder that over 10 million copies have been sold.

Ticket to Ride has become an icon of tabletop gaming and has introduced hundreds of thousands of people to the hobby. Thanks to Moon’s design, the game is extremely fun and very addictive, with numerous other versions now on shelves worldwide.

The game was released in 2004 with a board depicting North America and Canada. Since then, other editions have been published including Europe and Europe First Journey.

The game has won numerous accolades - the 2004 Spiel des Jahres, the Origins Award for Best Board Game of 2004, the 2005 Diana Jones award, the 2005 As d'Or Jeu de l'année, and second place in the Schweizer Spielepreis for Family Games. Ticket to Ride: Europe won the 2005 International Gamers Award.

Rummy on Rails

There are similarities between Ticket to Ride and traditional card games like Gin and Rummy; players collect cards and play them in coloured sets to score points. The bones of Ticket to Ride work in that way, but there is a lot more to gameplay.

Players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities. The longer the routes, the more points earned. Those who fulfil their destination tickets by connecting specific cities earn more points, as do players who build the longest continuous railway. An option of three choices per turn makes the game satisfyingly unpredictable.

2-5 PlayersAge 8+30-60 minutes

Available from Takealot, Toy Kingdom, Hamleys . RRP: R1049.99

For more information go to: https://www.solarpop.co.za/Ticket-to-Ride-range/Ticket-to-Ride.html