Growing Up with Ticket to Ride: Paris

Reflecting on my childhood in the suburbs of Illinois, memories of shuttling my dad to and from the train station to reach his job in bustling Chicago flood back. The release of Ticket to Ride sparked nostalgia for those big-city dreams, intertwining with cherished family moments spent gathered around board games.

Board game nights with family, centered around the Ticket to Ride franchise, have a way of transporting players to different times and places across the globe. The latest addition, Ticket to Ride: Paris, immerses players in the vibrant metropolis of Paris, France, during the Roaring Twenties.

Delving into the Box

Within the compact Ticket to Ride Paris box lies a delightful collection of gaming pieces. The set includes a guidebook introducing a new game element, a small board, four bags of colored bus tokens (plus one spare bag), matching circle colored meeples, destination tickets, and transportation cards adorned with art reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties era. The thoughtful design of the box provides individual compartments for each piece, ensuring effortless cleanup after gameplay.

The board itself is petite, easily fitting into a medium-sized purse or bag. Featuring city routes divided by color, most routes are relatively short. With a perimeter score cap of 50, the board incorporates a mix of double routes, single routes, and varying route lengths to keep players engaged.

Navigating the Rules and Gameplay

Ticket to Ride: Paris proves to be a newcomer-friendly map, making it an ideal choice for introducing the franchise to friends or family. With straightforward mechanics and minimal complexity, players can easily grasp the gameplay dynamics and enjoy a seamless experience.

Designed for two to four players, Ticket to Ride: Paris offers a competitive and engaging gameplay experience. Each player’s choices impact the unfolding strategy, ensuring a dynamic and interactive session.

The gameplay revolves around selecting routes, collecting transportation cards, and strategically placing buses along the board to complete routes. With limited buses at their disposal, players must plan their moves carefully to reach their destinations and outmaneuver opponents.

Strategize with French Flags

An exciting addition to Ticket to Ride: Paris is the incorporation of French flags, offering players additional points for completing routes featuring red, white, and blue sets of transportation cards. By strategically building and completing these flags, players can elevate their gameplay and enhance their overall score.

As players immerse themselves in the game, discussions about travel and transportation ensue, sparking storytelling and connecting players to distant locales. The thematic transportation cards, featuring various modes of travel from the 1920s, evoke shared experiences and inspire wanderlust.

Where to Purchase

Ticket to Ride Paris is affordably priced at $24.99 and can be purchased from Asmodee’s store or Amazon.

Jennifer Stavros is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering everything from comics, games, technology, and nerd culture. Follow her on Twitter or watch her on Twitch under the handle @scandalous.