I had never heard of the game but after the great reviews here I bought the European version for our family. We were up until 1 am learning the game last night. My 81 y/o mother-in-law hung in there and really learned how to play also!! Can’t wait to learn more strategy. Thanks!
It’s a great game. The original U.S. version is easier because some of the subtleties (tunnels and ferries and one or two other things) aren’t included. But both versions are very interesting. And even I can play them. My daughter (the president of the board games club at her graduate program) and her boyfriend (who is even better at board games) were able to teach me to play with minimal frustration in a couple of hours.
I played it for the first time this past summer and also enjoyed it. I think the gang here played it twice over this break and there was lots of talk of alliances and tricky moves.
Based on a CC recommendation, I got the original for S1 last year. We all enjoyed it and played again this Christmas break.
I may have been a recommender. We played it at Thanksgiving. After many years of not playing games, we are getting back to them.
If I didn’t recommend it, I would have! Between us, my son’s godfather and I have every version. (Most of hem are his, though. 
He also bought a special set of wooden trains, which we often use.) This week we played the new UK version, Nordic Countries, and one of the others (can’t recall) numerous times each.
This past spring I taught my great nephew (9) and his mother to play. He became totally addicted, as did his parents, and they introduced it to other families they know. We played over Thanksgiving. I also gave it to my midwestern family last year, and heard that people were playing it at Christmas.
Biggest hit here since Settlers of Cataan.
The latest thing amond my kids and nieces and nephews are playing board games together. It is fascinating to see the resuurrgence and see what games they enjoy. S gave D an interesting castle game which involves building castles. It’s pretty involved with lots of pieces and rules, but they played it and semed to enjoy it. D is found of German castles so she was touched that S bought her something that she was interested in. A nephew gave his brother an “epidemic” game because he’s premed. It involves a lot of planning and collaboration, but is a very complicated game (from what I could hear). Sadly the game and board beat them, despite strong efforts by them to work as a team, but they enjoyed it and called it a night at midnight!
The “epidemic” game is Pandemic, which is tons of fun and, as board games go, not that complicated. It’s a cooperative game where the players work together to defeat four diseases ravaging the world. (In our family, the four diseases have nicknames: black is Ebola, red is SARS, yellow is yellow fever and blue is the sniffles.) All four diseases must be eradicated before one of them takes over the world. Players have to jet around the world, suppressing outbreaks and finding cures. Just when a disease is snuffed out in one area, it starts breaking out in another, so players have to cooperate to make sure their efforts are directed in the most efficient way. It’s a great game.
Those who like cooperative games might also enjoy Forbidden Island, a game where players are trying to loot a small island of its archeological treasures before it sinks into the sea.
CF, you’re right. It was cool listening to them try to figure out a strategy. I’m sure it wasn’t as complicated a game as it sounded but I came in at the last 15 minutes and listened to them try to figure out how to keep from losing.
I wish we’d played more games while company was here. We are headed to a family get together in Gettysburg later this week. I’m going to suggest we bring Ticket to Ride and Pandemic. I think Pandemic may not be a hit with this crowd, but you never know.
I was not a big fan of Pandemic. The problem with cooperative games IMO is that if you don’t get engaged its too easy to just let other people tell you what to do. We had one cooperative game that worked pretty well except the game play lasted way too long, it’s called Shadows over Camelot. We’ve also been playing a lot of Dominion which we all like a lot. It’s a deck-building game with lots of expansions. You play with different sets of random cards each time, and depending on what types of cards are available strategy can vary a lot.
I like Bananagrams–quick, portable and easy to play at all levels. We let everyone finish up their letters at the end if they can, especially because we sometimes find “creative words” which aren’t in any dictionary so the 2nd banana may actually become the winner, 1st banana. It helps pass the time when the others are playing a longish, involved game and some present really aren’t interested but want to be with everyone.
It’s tough when so many of the players are VERY competitive and HATE losing.
Not to take away from the “Ticket To Ride” thread theme, we had a board game day with my brother, SIL and their two kids 14 and 11 yesterday. We enjoyed 2 new games to us - Wits and Wagers (more of a quiet game) and PIT - loud and wild! SOOO much fun!
@abasket, always good to have other suggestions. Thanks.
If you like Magic: The Gathering you’ll like Dominion. It uses the same skill set.
I never played Magic, but my boys did.
Mr. Fang and I played Magic before Fang Jr did. We put the first Magic cards in his chubby hands while he was in preschool, before he could even read. He now plays Magic at a semi-pro level. I don’t enjoy playing Dominion with him, just because he’s so good I don’t have even a tiny chance.
A friend’s S has been in many international Magic tournaments. Sometimes he’s won travel or small Ed scholarships for his playing. He loves it! He’s now in mid-20s and has serious GF, plus taking grad courses and helping design curriculum.
Fang Jr’s best result was winning a trip to Japan to play in a Magic tournament there. He’s won money at a few other tournaments too.
We played a card game called Anomia at my D’s for Christmas. It’s basically a word retrieval game. The young-uns retrieved in circles around me. I’m like “uh uh uh uh” while they took all my cards.