Squid Games: Ticket to Ride

via Amazon

Ticket to Ride has been the go-to game for my wife and me for many years now.  I reviewed the Africa variant in this post but have yet to give the base game its proper due.  Created by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder since 2004, Ticket to Ride has won many industry awards, spawned numerous variants and been translated into at least 19 languages.  One competes with one's opponent(s) to complete railroad routes across early 20th century USA.  I love it for three simple reasons:

1. Maps!  I adore maps and have since about age 6.  Real world maps are best.
2. Everyone is in it until the end.  I don't like games in which players are eliminated.
3. I have fun win or lose.  I prefer to finish all of my routes but even if I don't, I enjoy building stuff.

We play with the 10th Anniversary special edition set which features a larger board, larger cards and larger, specially designed cars.  In truth, the larger cards are the best benefit over the original.  

Generally speaking, I won most of the time over the years.  But recently, my wife has been kicking my ass - final scores over 200 points not unusual.  Clearly, she has sorted out a strategic wrinkle I have not.  In most games, I believe in playing the board rather than the opponent but with Ticket to Ride in particular, I have found the best approach is to beat the opponent - whether human or computer - at their own game.  Of course, that means sorting out what they're doing and that's the tricky bit.  I think I've figured out her way, or at least a way that keeps me competitive.  I won our most recent tilt.

We own several variants and enjoy them but the original board always draws us back.