Regular readers of Geeky Hobbies will probably already know that the original Ticket to Ride is my favorite board game of all time. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. They will claim one of the coast-to-coast bonus cards which will count as a completed ticket at the end of the game. As the game only relies on completing tickets there is no way to offset the luck from the ticket cards by claiming longer routes or having the longest overall route. Eventually, and hopefully, kids will want to move on to a tougher challenge, and this can open the door to a wealth of other games. If a player wants to claim a route they will have to play cards from their hand that match the color of the route. The game simplifies the original game where kids as young as five or six should be able to play the game without any troubles. First Journey (Europe) goes to show that theres a Ticket To Ride game out there for everyone. The first player to complete six destination tickets wins. Youll need to collect sets of same-coloured train cards to claim routes between cities. While I have never been a huge fan of cutthroat games, one of the best things about Ticket to Ride is the tense feeling as you wait to see if another player is going to mess up your plans before you are able to claim a route. Honestly most children around the age of eight or so shouldnt really have any troubles with the original game. When I think of games that helped launch this Renaissance Age of board gaming, I have to include Ticket to Ride on that list. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Ticket to Ride: Europe: First Journey Board Game, undefined out of 5 stars with undefined reviews, The classic gameplay of Ticket To Ride, scaled to suit a younger audience, Travel between the major cities of Europe on a new map, Players must collect train cards to build more routes and expand their train Network. You could end up drawing cards at the end of the game that you have already completed as you have already connected the two cities. If you have the same quantity of matching cards that match a route, you claim it and place down your trains! Instantly, that became the rule in the game. Eventually, you pushed to connect the two cities on card drawn destination tickets which would score you bonus points if completed (or subtract points if you failed). It seems hardly worth including in the game, yet alone worth mentioning, but Days of Wonders typical attention to detail is shown in the inclusion of a golden ticket for the winner. Hi, This is great. This choice is eliminated from Ticket to Ride First Journey though as you can only draw from the face down pile. Unfortunately, theres no magic bullet for those lessons, and as far as I can tell, theres no shortcut to the top of that mountain. The game is fun but there really is no reason to play it over the clearly superior original game. This is a simple change, but its a great one for kids. Destination cities are highlighted to help you find them to complete tickets. Cities glow to show which ones need to be completed for destination tickets, and there are also less cities to clutter the map, both of which are fantastic additions to make it very easy for children to navigate. Can't say better than that. Ticket to Ride First Journey is a great game for families with younger children, but it doesnt reach the levels of the original game due to the reliance on luck. Good selection, great prices, fast delivery. This is basically a more simplified version of the longest route mechanic from the original game. So climb aboard and embark on your very own railway adventure! Your performance in the game can unlock animated extras, icons that are added to the map. The player who has completed the most tickets wins the game. The player who has completed the most tickets wins. They dont add to game play, but they are an achievement that some may want to strive to collect. Not for children under 3 yrs. There is also a special cross-continent card that can be claimed for connecting a city from one side of the map, to a city of the other side! Instead players draw cards from the top of the pile. Locomotive cards (multi-color cards) can be played as any color. They dont have to choose how many theyll go for and risk taking negative points. Thanks! I ultimately think the biggest problem with Ticket to Ride First Journey is that by simplifying the game for younger children it loses quite a bit of what made it great in the first place. With adults, you can play a game in as little as 10 minutes. Picking the best destination ticket for you or selecting from upturned train cards gives you options. I slammed the ticket down on the table and loudly announced "TICKET," trying to be funny and annoying at the same time. I remember teaching it to a family member some years back, explaining and re-explaining the rules, and having her say after wed finished playing, I like that, but thats about as complex a game as I can handle. And it reallyiskind of complex when you first approach it: you have to plan ahead, think on your feet, gather the right resources, and spend those resources at the right time. So players who dont get good tickets cant find another way to win the game. Ticket To Ride: First Journey (Europe) is a fun-filled adventure for younger train fans! Wonderful usability upgrades for young players A player that can get ticket cards that can utilize routes that the player has already acquired will have a much better chance of winning the game. In the original game you would have some choice over what train cards that you could take on your turn. This is a solid introductory game that kids will enjoy. As they have connected the two cities they have completed the ticket. When a player completes a continuous line between the two cities listed on one of their ticket cards they will tell the other players and flip over the card. The game somewhat offsets this by adding more wild cards to the game. Simple rules streamline the original game while keeping the spark of the original As for gameplay, if youve played Ticket to Ride, you know most of how it feels to play First Journey: youre collecting cards to place trains to complete routes and hopefully claim the track you need before your competition. The artwork is quite good on the gameboard and cards. Each turn, a player can either pick up two train cards from the pile, or discard train cards of the same colour to claim a route - thus allowing them to complete the tickets that they have in their hand. By simplifying the game in First Journey it is even easier to play which is a plus for younger children. Learn how your comment data is processed. Ticket to Ride First Journey is a good/great game, but its biggest fault is that is is clearly inferior to the original game. Players are trying to connect cities on the board with their trains to claim destination tickets. Arrived on day of release in perfect condition. Cheers Zatu! During the game, players will collect train cards, claim routes on the map of Europe, and try to connect the cities shown on their tickets. If you arent lucky when you draw train cards you are going to have a hard time winning the game. Ticket to Ride First Journey uses a lot of routes that only require one or two train cards in order to complete. Brilliant service. When a player has two or fewer trains left in their stock, each player (including the player who just placed trains) takes one more turn. Place the gameboard in the middle of the table. In fact, if both of your tickets get blocked, First Journey allows players to spend their turn swapping the dud tickets for two new ones. Ticket cards also become more important as you can only win by completing them. That alone makes makes First Journey worth the price on Android and iOS, where $1.99 is a great deal. Ticket to Ride: First Journey is a fantastic game to introduce your children to the world of board games. I like that. The game is still fun but it will never compare to the original game. In either case, it can be excruciating as you watch the minute handtick, tickever so slowly make its way around the clock, finally pronouncing either the end of the game or bedtime, a mercy in either case. In the goal to make the original game easier to play I think it does a good job. The original game works because it does a perfect job balancing simplicity and strategy. Really pleased with prices as well. The blue player has successfully created a path of routes that connect Miami to San Francisco. The routes on this map are between one to three trains in length, so set collection is a little kinder. For those young ones just starting out, it may be best to open with just one or two opponents. First, players only have to contend with two tickets at a time. Excellent games and editor's choices. Ticket to Ride is arguably my favorite board game of all time because it does a fantastic job balancing between accessibility and strategy. In recent years there has been a drive towards creating kids versions of classic designer board games. What makes Ticket to Ride: First Journey succeed is the way it streamlines the original game. The player with the best strategy will likely win the game. Ticket To Ride: First Journey (Europe) takes its younger audience into mind with some rule changes. Ticket To Ride: First Journey takes the gameplay of the ticket to ride series and scales it for a younger audience. Luck also comes from the ticket cards. And Ticket to Ride: First Journey is a good one. Instead players are competing to complete six different tickets. After claiming the route the player will place their color trains on the spaces to mark that they control that route. The game eliminates the traditional scoring entirely. The game is not as engaging as the original, but it is a considerably better option than most games made for younger children. The problem is this simplicity eliminates a lot of the strategy from the original game. Outside of having to waste your next turn drawing new ticket cards there is no punishment for failing to complete one. The good news is that unlike the original game you dont get penalized from failing to complete tickets, and you can easily discard them for new ticket cards. Like most Days of Wonder games I think the component quality for Ticket to Ride First Journey is quite good. Ticket to Ride: First Journey brings the massively popular railroad game to the younger generation, in a scaled down version suitable for the younger audience. There is no longer a set of face up train cards that you can pick from. You can have fun with the game as it is a good game. Ive played First Journey primarily with my four- and six-year-old kids. Pretty much all of the tickets in the game only require 1-3 routes to complete them. On a players turn they will be able to take one of three actions: After a player has taken one of these actions play will pass to the next player clockwise. Quicker gameplay also ensures that your children will remain engaged and enjoy the entirety of the game. Youll only be wondering where can I lay trains down with the cards I have available to help connect the cities on my tickets. If you are looking for a good game to play with younger children I think Ticket to Ride First Journey would be a great choice. With adults, you can play a game in as little as 10 minutes. Each player starts with four colored train cards in hand and two tickets; each ticket shows two cities, and you're trying to connect those two cities with a contiguous path of your trains in order to complete the ticket. You also have no control over which destination tickets you get; you must take whatever is drawn. Basically the game only requires children to recognize colors, have basic counting skills, and be able to spot the cities on their tickets and create a path between them. Once again designed by Alan R. Moon, First Journey tweaks the much-loved Ticket To Ride to accommodate children aged six and up. But can you get there faster than your friends? While the rules are simplified in this edition, First Journey feels a lot like adult Ticket to Ride. Payment MethodsPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions, Copyright 2014-2019 Playtonic Family Board Games | Melbourne Victoria |, Ticket to Ride USA - classic family board game, Ticket to Ride Europe - classic family board game, Ticket to Ride First Journey USA - great for younger players, Ticket to Ride First Journey Europe Great for younger players, Website and graphic design by Frontline Design. Ticket to Ride First Journey can end in one of two ways. This is somewhat offset by the game having considerably more double routes than the original game. Highly recommended. Ticket to Ride First Journey also seems to play quite a bit quicker than the original game. Pre-order, cheapest I could find online. Again, I know it can be hard for hobbyists to understand, but Ticket to Ride isnt quite as simple as we take it for. Can be difficult for children to keep their hand secret perhaps the insert could have included a slot to stand cards up in behind the lid. Each player receives four train cards and two tickets and play begins. What is this big tower?, 4 Bonus Ticket Cards & 1 Golden Ticket Card. Highly recommended. Guide to Gaming: Ameritrash vs. EurostyleWhats the Difference? A couple of lessxwell known games bought as a wedding gift, Zatu were competitively priced & delivery was quick & well packaged! Players compete to try and build rail route on a map of Europe, linking cities. Or, if you complete the tickets that are in your hand and draw new ones, must you wait until the next turn to complete those, even if you have the routes already completed? The rest of the train cards will be placed facedown to form the train deck. The player who gets the most ticket cards that work together will probably win the game. For the rest of us, Ticket to Ride: First Journey is just the game weve been looking forsimple enough that kids can understand it, beautiful enough to hold their attention, and interesting enough that their parents arent slowly dying inside. June 2017 Video Game Release Date Calendar, Tonights Complete TV Listings: January 27, 2022 TV Schedule, Tonights Complete TV Listings: August 6, 2021 TV Schedule, Tonights Complete TV Listings: October 17, 2021 TV Schedule, Tonights Complete TV Listings: December 22, 2018 TV Schedule, Dead Mans Draw Card Game Review and Rules, Pass the Trash Board Game Review and Rules, Tonights Complete TV Listings: January 2, 2022 TV Schedule, Todays Complete TV and Streaming Listings: July 30, 2022 TV Schedule, Jingle All the Way: Its Turbo Time! They'll also want to come back and play it time and time again. Drawing the right train cards relies entirely on luck as you can no longer choose from the face up cards. With kids, it may take 20-30 minutes, but even 4 and 5 year olds can enjoy the game with some supervision. With the same gameplay as the Ticket To Ride: First Journey game, but now featuring a map of Europe, this game is perfect for any young conductors. If a player places their last train onto the gameboard the game will end immediately. So the result was extremely satisfying. 3rd order I've placed, no problems with any of them. See our price match guarantee. You have no upturned train cards from which to choose, so you are at the mercy of your card draw each turn. Player Count: 2-4 Players Time: 15-30 minutes Age: 6+. They might be thinking of Willy Wonka or The Polar Express or any number of things that are promised by this small piece of faux-shiny cardboard. This was because uncompleted tickets would count as negative points. There are a few tense situations in the game, but First Journey never reaches the same levels of the original game. Here, you draw cards and play them as you get the right ones you need for where you are going. I have to give credit to Board Game Geek for the answer I am about to give as there was a discussion about this exact question. I was wondering how the main gameplay would be altered in order to appeal to even younger children. It isnt necessary for me to step in and place pieces for them; they can handle this themselves, and I like that First Journey feels like a step toward future board game autonomy. Competitive prices, vast selection and speedy delivery. This puts me in a unique situation as far as recommendations are concerned. Both the North American and European maps are adorned with icons that represent each city. Unlike the original game though there are no other ways of scoring points outside of completing tickets. I could even see some kids that are slightly younger being able to play the game. They decided to discard their old tickets to draw two new tickets. But thats being very picky. I would think most people would just prefer to play the original game, but people who are looking for a shorter game may be interested in Ticket to Ride First Journey. Not suitable for young children or people who like putting things in their mouth. The answer given in Ticket to Ride First Journey is, of course, by train. In First Journey you play exactly the same way: You collect cards, lay trains, connect cities, and score points. The first player to six points wins the game. The game has a recommended age of 6+ and I think that is probably pretty accurate as most six year olds should be able to play the game without any issues. A couple rules must be followed while claiming routes: Throughout the game players are trying to connect the cities on their ticket cards. Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store & online. If there is a tie for the most ticket cards completed all of the tied players will win the game. Each player chooses a color and takes 20 trains of the corresponding color. The cards that are played are added to the discard pile. What I do know is that the golden ticket serves as a tangible promise of future glory, a reminder of why were playing the game in the first place. This leads to the game not being quite as satisfying. Thats not to say that Ticket to Ride: First Journey will make gamers out of your kids, or that it will keep them from squabbling, or that magically, when a golden ticket is on the line, your kids will become good winners and good losers. The original game isnt even that complicated as kids as young as eight or so shouldnt have too much trouble with the game. There is no thinking in this game. The strategy is otherwise replaced by the reliance on luck. This doesnt offset the amount of luck that was added due to the elimination of face up cards though. If you dont have younger children to play the game with there really is no reason to own the game as you are better off playing the original as it is significantly better. As most people are probably already familiar with Ticket to Ride I am not going to waste a lot of time going over my thoughts of the original game. george paul he teammates In the original game you couldnt get rid of tickets you chose to keep even if you couldnt finish them. Grandma! Each player can only claim one of these cards. You still have some impact but it feels like your fate relies more on whether you are lucky than whether you made good decisions. Most of the luck comes from the cards that you end up drawing. The game is close to perfect where I am always up for a game. (Additionally, in place of a turn, a player may place their two tickets on the bottom of the destination deck to draw two new ones.). You need to connect the cities on your tickets in such a way not just to completethosetickets but to put you in a position to draw more tickets that might benefit you (without making you go in the hole), all while possibly trying to create the longest contiguous rail segment. The blue player wants to claim the route between Chicago and Atlanta. We were just introduced to the Europe version a couple of days ago and really enjoy the game but our kids range in age from 3-13 so this could be the go for us. There are less stations and you need less cards to acquire each route. The strategy is a lot easier for younger minds to parse, and the components are tailored to children. If a player completes a continuous route from one of the east coast cities (New York, Washington, Miami) to one of the west coast cities (Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles) the player has completed a coast-to-coast route. That is saying a lot as I have played around 800 different board games. The presentation is fantastic, and it takes no time for kids to hop right into the action with minimal instruction. When it was first announced that Ticket to Ride Junior would be released, the prevailing opinion on Board Game Geek was a smug, Isnt the regular board game Ticket to Ride Junior? My response to that is, yes: maybe if your kids are playing Agricola in diapers, Ticket to Ride might be simple enough for your kids to play at a young age. Children younger than that will probably not understand the game while kids older than that will probably prefer the original game as it is simple enough and clearly better. My four-year-old can read a little, but unfamiliar place names would be a challenge for her. One of the new tickets has the player connecting Calgary to Chicago. You better hope you get lucky and draw the color cards you need or you will have a hard time claiming the routes you need. Like the original game it is quite good and it is fun to play. In a rational, adult universe, yes, this is unnecessary, but its hard to overstate how excited my kids get when they see what theyre playing fora golden ticket! See how a store is chosen for you. All rights reserved. The game is heavily luck based which may discourage some, and theres not a real challenge to be had with its gameplay. Players should keep these cards hidden from the other players. The map of the United States is designed to be kid-friendly. Still, on an Android or iOS device, the price to introduce kids into a world of gaming is worth it. However, Steams $4.99 tag may not be worth it for a game with questionable longevity. The game may be a little more difficult than your typical mainstream game, but you can generally teach the game to new players within ten or so minutes. This game isnt about earning the most points (like the original). Once again designed by Alan R. Moon, First Journey tweaks the much-loved Ticket To Ride to accommodate children aged six and up. See below for our list of partners and affiliates: One of the longest running independent gaming news, reviews and culture sites on the web. This makes the game easier to play, but it also makes things more competitive if multiple players need the same route. They will take the golden ticket to celebrate their victory. If a player doesnt think they will be able to complete the tickets in their hand, they may use their turn to draw new ticket cards. change covid florida should during august around nigeria never beach site living being Today, Google Stadia announced that it will bring the Kids & Family genre to Nick grew up with games like Axis & Allies, Fortress America, Samurai Swords, and Statis Pro Football. Yes, some of the strategy points elude them, and I sometimes offer strategic advice, but this is the kind of game they can play now and grow into the more they play. The original game is so elegant as it finds the perfect mix between being accessible while still having enough strategy to keep people interested. The gameboard is simplified. See your ad here: Contact Us for pricing! The original Ticket to Ride isnt a complicated game, so you may find that the shelf life of First Journey is limited. Buy 5, get 5% off - use code ZATU5, Ticket To Ride: First Journey (Europe) is a fun-filled adventure for younger train fans! When the idea was proposed, I was not sure if I could make Ticket to Ride simple enough to be a children's game. As soon as the game is over, you know who the winner is. Basically the key to winning in Ticket to Ride First Journey is to get ticket cards with cities that are near one another. ticket countries ride nordic bundle sleeve card This player completed six tickets so they have won the game. They may either draw two train cards from the top of the train deck or play a number of train cards matching the color and length of a track segment on the board, placing their trains on that segment. If a player completes their sixth ticket card they will automatically win the game. Unless you have young children though there is no real reason to play it over one of the other versions of the game. I'll try anything once, but my favorite games are generally middleweight Euros. A Game of Thrones: Mother of Dragons #UpliftAndrew, Complete Listing (temporarily unavailable), Review: The Road to Canterbury (2021 Edition), Ruels Rundown, September 23, 2020: Three Games Ive Enjoyed, The Complete Terraforming Mars Buyer's Guide - Geeks Under Grace, Review: Cities: Skylines The Board Game, Whats really important is the friends we made along the way and the monsters we slayed with them. With fewer cities on the map, the game can get quite crowded in the later stages with four players vying for space. The fact that the game retains as much Ticket to Ride feeling as it does is a triumph for parents who are tired of Uno. If the item details above arent accurate or complete, we want to know about it. The board is placed in the center of the table, and the decks of train cards and destination tickets are shuffled. Fast despatch and next day delivery. It comes through consistent practice, play, and modeling good behavior. There are still decisions to make, but they are usually really obvious where you dont really need to form a strategy. Designed to suit a younger audience who play by traveling between the major cities of Europe. The player will discard the two ticket cards from their hand and draw two new cards. What about from Madrid to Vienna? The big aim is to complete tickets, which require you to connect two cities across Europe. In either case, you may find yourself with completely wasted turns, which is a major setback in this faster playing version. Because of the landmarks, she can easily identify where she needs to go on her tickets. So Im grateful for childrens games that dont make me dislike my children or time spent with them. Instead, the winner is the first player to complete six tickets. The trains are still made of plastic but they show quite a bit of detail. Learn more about Ticket to Ride San Francisco! WARNING: choking hazard - small parts. The components are probably not quite as good as the original game but they should appeal to younger children. The game also becomes a little less cutthroat due to there being no punishment for failing to complete a ticket. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to see you product reviewed on Geeky Hobbies, check out our contact us page.