Days of WonderTicket to Ride
Our verdict · Our top pick for family game night: learn it in five minutes, replay it for years.
Buy it if
Rules explained in about five minutes; no reading-heavy cards
Skip it if
The base US map can feel samey once you've played it a lot
Where to get it
Ticket to Ride
From ~£40
Indicative price at the time of review.
Find a price
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Alan R. Moon's Spiel des Jahres winner is the game we recommend first to almost any family. On your turn you do exactly one of three things: draw two train-car cards, spend matching cards to claim a coloured route between two cities, or take new destination tickets. That is the whole game, and a child can play confidently within a round. The depth comes from the tension between the open routes everyone can see and the secret destination tickets you are quietly racing to connect - and any ticket you fail to complete counts against you at the end. It plays in well under an hour, rarely produces a runaway leader that crushes younger players, and the map looks genuinely inviting spread across the table. If you buy one game on this list, buy this one.
The good & the bad
Pros
- Rules explained in about five minutes; no reading-heavy cards
- Scales cleanly from 2 to 5 players without feeling broken
- Almost no direct conflict, so younger children rarely feel picked on
Cons
- The base US map can feel samey once you've played it a lot
- With two players the board can feel a little empty
How it compares
| Pick | WATTB Score | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Ticket to RideThis pick | 94/100 | From ~£40 (indicative) | overall |
| 2.Azul | 92/100 | From ~£30 (indicative) | mixed ages |
| 3.Carcassonne | 90/100 | From ~£28 (indicative) | value |
| 4.Sushi Go! | 88/100 | From ~£12 (indicative) | budget and travel pick |
| 5.Catan | 86/100 | From ~£40 (indicative) | older families |
Key facts
- Best for
- overall
- Typical cost
- From ~£40 (indicative)
- Players
- 2-5
- Age
- 8+
- Play time
- 30-60 min
- Mechanic
- Set collection / route building
- Awards
- Spiel des Jahres 2004
Insider tip · If your children are younger, look at Ticket to Ride: First Journey (roughly ages 6+) as a gentler stepping stone before the full game.
Researched by WATTB
- Published
- 31 August 2026
- Updated
- 31 August 2026
- Last verified
- 31 August 2026
We research and rank options from public data, official information and published reviews. How we research →
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