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Days of Wonder DOW 7202

Days of Wonder DOW 7202

The TTR series finds a way to achieve playability with the family (very easy to learn the basics, ~1 hour play time, suitable for children and adults, colorful and durable) while making the games attractive to advanced and/or competitive style players. this flexibility to me is a monumental achievement itself, but to top it off it is a very fun game as well.

I personally enjoy games which tax strategic and tactical skills when playing with people my own age, such as dominion, settlers of catan, puerto rico, race for the galaxy, and the like. I can say that this game, though simple, still gives me a lot of satisfaction with my own routing and timing skills against those of my friends. so don't worry if you think it will be too easy, as it is wholly dependent upon who you are playing against.

Of the north american, europe, and marklin (germany) versions, I prefer this europe map the most. the map itself covers a nice dynamic range of city densities and route sizes, along with some good route options. the most crucial unique feature of the europe edition is the train stations which allow you to piggy-back another player's adjacent segment up to 3 times for a victory point fee; great for grabbing those just-out-of-reach destinations or for getting past someone who cut you off.

the one drawback I've found is that there are only 6 "long" route cards of which each player is initially given one, and they make it easier to predict an opponents general path flow, which can be strategically fun but also feels stale after a while. but what LUCK! the 1912 card expansion is available to add more long routes and perfect this game to a true gem. I look forward to playing this with my own children when they are out of the card-chewing train-swallowing and board-kicking toddler years. It'll sure beat sitting them in front of a TV or video game...

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7 Responses to “Train Truck”

  • Natasha Little says:

    Ticket to Ride Europe adds the great European cities of the 1800 to the game and throws in several addition to make a good game even better.

    STATIONS: The use of the stations ends the frustration of blocked routes but at a price of 4 points, Personally I think a 6 point fine would be better but that's something individual players can decide for themselves

    Tunnels: The need to match cards when digging tunnels is a great twist and simulates the risk involved for the investor.

    Locomotive lays: Various lays needed wildcards adds to the flavor.

    This is a game that appeals to me as a big game player and appeals to my non-gaming family for it's fun. Like the old Pirates and Traveler and Game of the states it is a nice sneak geography class.

    Buy it for Christmas (or even better don't wait that long).

  • Adrian Todd says:

    I got this game for my dad as he loves trains. My mother bought the Ticket to Ride Nordic version first and we loved it. It is challenging as all the cities are in their original non-English spelling. I like that as it forces you to really study the destinations card and learn about where everything is. I also bought the Ticket to Ride game that is of the United States. We love all the versions. Each version of the game comes with its own rules and scoring bonuses. We have introduced the game to some friends and they fell in love with the game after playing it once.

    I would recommend playing the game twice in one night so that the rules are easier to remember. Buy this game if you love learning geography and having fun at the same time. I am thinking about getting all the versions of this game for all kinds of fun. It is soooo much fun you actually forget you are learning while you play.

  • Troy Wooten says:

    When I first read the rules for this game, I worried that it would be too complex, but the gameplay really isn't that hard to master, and it quickly becomes an addictive playing experience. The beautiful board is a great opportunity to teach European geography - and languages! - to kids and a wonderful conversation starter with adult players about places they have been or would like to go. The pace is quick, and the little train pieces are fun to play with. Even our four year old will sit quietly to watch us play if we give her a few train pieces.

    I'm now eager to play more games by the Days of Wonder line because I enjoy Ticket to Ride Europe so much!

  • Florence Vazquez says:

    The TTR series finds a way to achieve playability with the family (very easy to learn the basics, ~1 hour play time, suitable for children and adults, colorful and durable) while making the games attractive to advanced and/or competitive style players. this flexibility to me is a monumental achievement itself, but to top it off it is a very fun game as well.

    I personally enjoy games which tax strategic and tactical skills when playing with people my own age, such as dominion, settlers of catan, puerto rico, race for the galaxy, and the like. I can say that this game, though simple, still gives me a lot of satisfaction with my own routing and timing skills against those of my friends. so don't worry if you think it will be too easy, as it is wholly dependent upon who you are playing against.

    Of the north american, europe, and marklin (germany) versions, I prefer this europe map the most. the map itself covers a nice dynamic range of city densities and route sizes, along with some good route options. the most crucial unique feature of the europe edition is the train stations which allow you to piggy-back another player's adjacent segment up to 3 times for a victory point fee; great for grabbing those just-out-of-reach destinations or for getting past someone who cut you off.

    the one drawback I've found is that there are only 6 "long" route cards of which each player is initially given one, and they make it easier to predict an opponents general path flow, which can be strategically fun but also feels stale after a while. but what LUCK! the 1912 card expansion is available to add more long routes and perfect this game to a true gem. I look forward to playing this with my own children when they are out of the card-chewing train-swallowing and board-kicking toddler years. It'll sure beat sitting them in front of a TV or video game...

  • Rosa Flynn says:

    To anyone considering this game that hasn't played the original Ticket To Ride, I'd recommend checking out the US version's reviews first. The short version of pretty much all the reviews is: the game is wonderful, you won't be disapointed.

    Compared to the original, this game isn't quite as fun. Not much has changed in this version. The map is very different, there are now tunnels and express ways (or something like that) that limit how you can claim your routes, and there are the addition of the train stations, but ultimately these new additions do not add to the experience significantly, and the tighter board makes for a somewhat more stressful experience. This should not deter anyone interested in another ticket to ride though: this game is still very fun.

    If you're getting this game for a younger kid(say, 8 or younger), I'd recommend getting the original first, as the train station rules can confuse adults as well as kids.

  • Erik Blanchard says:

    For those who liked Ticket To Ride, Ticket to Ride - Europe adds an extra layer of strategy and competition. Although the original is great when you can get four people together, it can be a bit boring with only two, since there are times when you are working on opposite sides of the map and there is no player interaction. TTR - Europe is great for two folks, as the map is smaller, there are more single line tracks, and the tunnels/ferries/stations feature really make you try different strategies for each route. I also like the fact you have to complete at least one long route since it forces you to use all the mechanics of the game. The station feature is great and can be translated to other versions of TTR.

    Pros:
    - Smaller map, more interaction during two-player games
    - Station feature allows you to use other players' line to complete your tickets; or save to score bonus points at the end
    - Tunnels/ferries add additional strategy to the game

    Cons:
    - Game may become frustrating and cut-throat with more than three players.
    - If you are not familiar with 1900 European cities, it can be a bit of a learning curve.
    - It may be easier to learn the game with the original (Ticket To Ride) and then try this one.

  • April Alston says:

    Ticket to Ride Europe is an improved follow-up to the original Ticket to Ride. It improves upon the original by coming with standard-sized cards, by adding ferry and tunnel routes, and by adding train stations. It is a stand-alone spin off, so the original TTR is not required to play.

    Much like the original TTR, TTR:Europe involves claiming train routes to complete city-to-city destinations on destination tickets. On each turn, players have take one out of three possible actions:
    -- collect train cards (which are used to claim routes)
    -- claim a route (by spending train cards). The routes score points as they are claimed, and their point value grows progressively with length: 1 length = 1 point, 2 length = 2 points, 3 length = 4 points, 4 length = 7 points, 6 length = 15 points, 8 length = 21 points).
    -- take destination tickets (which give bonus points if you are able to complete the destination by the end of the game, but COST points if you are not able to complete). The player takes 3 destination cards and must keep at least one card, but has the option to reject up to two. The makes it a bit of a gamble - the player may get destination tickets they already have completed, or they may get destinations that are difficult to impossible to complete. The destinations can be close city connections worth a few points or cross continent connections worth 20 points.

    Since each turn involves only one of three possible actions, the turns move very quickly and keep everyone engaged in the game. If you take your turn and get up to get a drink, it will usually be your next turn before you get back to the table. The scoring is fairly well balanced, and since you don't know what destinations other players have or haven't completed, the score can change dramatically at the end of the game.

    Unlike the original TTR, there are two new route types that add a twist to the game. The first is the 'ferry' route. These are all 'any color' routes, but they take one or two locomotive (wild) cards to claim. The second is the 'tunnel' route. These are either a specific color or 'any color'. When a player wishes to claim a tunnel route, they state their intention and three train cards are drawn from the top of the deck. For each card that is the same color as the route, the player must add that many cards to complete the route, so it could cost anywhere from zero to three extra cards to build. If the player is unable to add enough cards to claim the route, the turn is over.

    The other addition to the TTR:Europe that is not in TTR:USA are the train stations. The train stations allow a player to use the route of another player in order to complete a destination ticket. These can prove very useful when the right cards aren't coming your way, or if a section of the board get clogged by other players. They come with a cost: 1 card to place the 1st, 2 cards to place the second, 3 cards to place the 3rd, and a 4 point penalty for each station placed at the end of the game. However, if the station helps to complete a route, the 4 point penalty is usually a worthwhile tradeoff.

    TTR:Europe even has bit of educational value. The city names are in their local names, so Moskow=Moskva, Munich=Munchen, Rome=Roma, Vienna=Wien, etc.

    If you are looking for a game to add to your game nights, consider Ticket to Ride Europe. If you are on the fence between the USA version and the Europe version, you'll be happier with the Europe version.

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