Components

Days of Wonder did an excellent job on the components of this game with one exception. The card stock is thick, the board is large and beautiful, and the plastic miniatures have no imperfections.

The one thing that bothered me about the components is that the cards are super-tiny. They were made for tiny-handed babies! Not such a huge issue that the game becomes unplayable but still a major annoyance. There is an expansion out there (the 1910 expansion) which included normal-sized cards, but you are going to have to shell out some dough in addition to buying this medium-priced game.

Game Play

The objective of the game is to amass the most victory points. You do this by collecting cards of the same colour and then laying down your trains on the corresponding track. You get a certain amount of points for each set of trains you lay down and you gain or lose bonus points at the end of the game for connecting the two cities on your destination cards or not, respectively. Simple as pie.

What I Think

The game is great for beginners and is good for when you have a small group of friends over that are not as addicted to board games as you are. With that said, I simply do not like to play it. There are so many better games out there. Why waste time with this one?

My issue with this game: It is BORING! Literally 95% of what you do is draw cards. The strategic decisions feel as they are all set for you: If you have the 5 green cards you need, place your trains on the green. If you do not, draw some more cards. Once or twice per game, draw some more ticket cards if you think you can finish them. Ticket to Ride ends up being a more expensive version of Gin. The components are worth it, it is great for beginners, but if you like any kind of thinking in the games you play, look elsewhere.

Rating: 3 stars