Ticket to Ride is a widely successful and award-winning game set in North America at the turn of the century.
Within the game players ride the rails with Phileas Fogg and some old friends at the turn of the 20th century as they compete for a million dollars. This simple yet rewarding game takes players across the U.S. and Canada as Phileas and his friends race to visit the most cities by rail in seven days.
Ticket to Ride at a Glance
| Game Type Train Theme, Card Drafting, Network and Route Building | Play Time 60 mins | Skill/Complexity (2 - 5) Light to Medium |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Days of Wonder | Published 2004 |
| Categories Family / Strategy | Players 2 - 5 | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 9/10 | Cost $49.99 |
Ticket to Ride is a card drafting, hand management, and network/route building game where players draw train cards and use them to build train routes by exchanging their cards for trains that can be placed on the board.
According to the creator Alan R. Moon, “the rules are simple enough to write on a train ticket – each turn you either draw more cards, claim a route, or get additional Destination Ticket……..the tension comes from being forced to balance greed – adding more cards to your hand, and fear – losing a critical route to a competitor.”
BGG calls this game the “epitome of a ‘gateway game’” because it’s easy to learn and can be taught quickly, but it is stimulating and tense enough to maintain player interest.
This game has excellent replay value and dozens of expansion packs that take you to locations across the globe.
Top 10 Games like Ticket to Ride
In this article we take a look at 10 board games that are similar to Ticket to Ride and compare them to this classic rail themed game.
TransAmerica – Non-Complex rail building game for the Family
TransAmerica is a straightforward rail building game that the whole family can enjoy. Set in the U.S., players race to connect five American cities. This game is less complex than Ticket to Ride and may not provide enough complexity or strategic thinking for the more experienced board game players to enjoy.
TransAmerica at a Glance
| Game Type Train Theme, Connections, Network and Route Building | Play Time 30 mins | Skill/Complexity (1.5 - 5) light |
| Age 8+ | Publisher(s) Winning Moves and others | Published 2001 |
| Categories Family - Ages 8+ | Players 2 - 6 | Cost $30.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8/10 |
TransAmerica is a simple network/route building game that does not require resource management. Players attempt to connect 5 randomly chosen cities, one from each color-coded region, by placing one or two rails on the board each turn. The round is over when a player connects all five of their cities, the other players lose points for not completing their network. At the end of each round points are tallied. After one player’s locomotive crosses the barrier on the linear scoring track, the player with the most points wins.
Due to the lack of resource management mechanics in TransAmerica the complexity level of this game is rated light.
The train theme and network/route building aspects of this game are comparable to Ticket to Ride, but TransAmerica’s simplicity makes it more appropriate for families, children, and casual gamers than Ticket to Ride.
TransAmerica only takes a half hour to play. The ‘Vexation’ expansion adds to the original rules of the game and provides more strategic options.
Terra Mystica – More complex in resource management and network/route Building
Terra Mystica is an incredibly difficult strategy game best suited for experienced board game players. Set in a fantastical land with fourteen different peoples (each with their own special abilities) spread across seven different landscapes, Terra Mystica forces players to abandon their reliance on luck and depend almost wholly on their strategic thinking abilities.
In Terra Mystic players must terraform the landscape with magic in order to rule as much land as possible by building structures.
Terra Mystica at a Glance
| Game Type Fantasy, Economic, Territory Building, Civilization | Play Time 60 - 150 mins + | Skill/Complexity (3.7 - 5) Medium to Heavy....ish |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Z-Man Games, Feuerland Spiele and others | Published 2012 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 5 (4 is Ideal) | Manual Official Rules |
| Our Rating 9.6/10 | Cost approx $59.99 |
Terra Mystica is played over six rounds and the player with the most points at the end of the sixth round is the winner. Players earn points by terraforming the land to suit their peoples’ needs and building a variety of interconnected structures that produce various resources and form towns. Creating a network of structures and towns is the key to victory in Terra Mystica.
Terra Mystica is similar to Ticket to Ride because both games rely on resource management and network/route building mechanics in a very broad sense, but their individual game styles and game play make these two games feel very different. Managing resources is far more complex in Terra Mystica than it is in Ticket to Ride, while the same goes for the network/route building. In this game players create networks of different structures and developing towns that produce unique resources, compared to Ticket to Ride where players complete simple train routes.
Ultimately, Terra Mystica is a complex board game with a difficulty rating of medium-heavy that could take a whopping 150 minutes to play.
Via Nebula – Adds Pickup & Deliver to Gameplay
Via Nebula is another fantasy themed strategy board game with network/route building mechanics at its core. In Via Nebula players help rebuild the society of the Nebula Valley as it comes out of a destructive dark age by clearing the fog, discovering resources, and using resources to construct buildings.
Via Nebula at a Glance
| Game Type Action Points, Network and Route Building, Pick-up and Deliver, Territory Building, Transportation | Play Time 45 - 60 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.5 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Space Cowboys and others | Published 2016 |
| Categories Strategy / Family | Players 2 - 4 | Cost $29.99 approx |
| Our Rating 9/10 |
Via Nebula is a resource management, pickup & deliver, and network/route building game that is a great challenge for both experienced and casual players with a a playing time of 45-60 minutes.
Players use their turn to carry out a variety of different actions such as gain resources, exploit territories, create paths to transport goods, and construct buildings. Players have to work together in Via Nebula in order to achieve their respective goals, but must weigh the pros and cons of aiding their opponents, and as the game progresses working with an opponent may not be beneficial. The player with the most points after each player takes two final actions following the construction of any player’s fifth building wins the game.
Like Ticket to Ride, Via Nebula relies on network/route building and resources management mechanics, but it’s also a pickup & deliver game that requires players to move goods through their network. Via Nebula also uses contracts to earn points in a similar manner as Ticket to Ride uses destination tickets.
Although Via Nebula is a fantasy building game with pickup & deliver mechanics, it’s surprisingly similar to Ticket to Ride, and they are both about equally difficult with a rating of light-medium.
Via Nebula an incredibly well rounded game that requires strategy and critical thinking that can be enjoyed by casual players. We consider this game to be excellent for experienced players who want to play a challenging and stimulating board game with their less experienced friends.
Power Grid – Great Economic and Auction Based Game
Over the last century the U.S. power grid has vastly expanded and evolved, bringing power into the homes of every American. In Power Grid players must manage the growth of a rapidly developing and constantly changing U.S. power grid. This game has a gritty artistic design that puts the player into the dingy world of electricity.
Power Grid at a Glance
| Game Type Economic, Auction/Bidding, Catch the Leader, Network and Route Building | Play Time 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (3.5 - 5) Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Rio Grande Games | Published 2004 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 3 - 6 (4 - 5 is Ideal) | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 9/10 | Cost $44.99 |
Power Grid is an auction-based network/route building and resource management game where players compete to supply the most cities with power. Power Grid utilizes network/route building systems and general mechanics that are similar to most railroad themed games like Ticket to Ride. Balance is the key to this game as players consider the most effective way to manage their resources and connect their network of power plants to their cities.
Power Grid shares similar network/route building mechanics with Ticket to Ride, however, it also requires greater critical thinking. In Power Grid players manage more resources than in Ticket to Ride and use money to make a wide array of strategic decisions that could have lasting impacts.
With a playing time of two hours and a medium difficulty rating, Power Grid rated slightly more difficult than Ticket to Ride and could be seen as a step up in board gaming and/or adding mechanics.
Airlines Europe – From the Creator of Ticket to Ride
Airlines Europe is the brainchild of Ticket to Ride creator Alan R. Moon and the recreation of Airlines, one of Moon’s earliest games. According to Moon, Airlines Europe maintains the feel of the original, but offers players “even more exciting choices”.
Airlines Europe at a Glance
| Game Type Aviation Theme, Card Drafting, Investment, Stock Holding, Network and Route Building, Economic | Play Time 75 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.5 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 10+ | Publisher(s) Rio Grande Games and others | Published 2011 |
| Categories Strategy / Family | Players 2 - 5 | Cost $89.99 approx |
| Our Rating 9/10 |
In Airlines Europe players compete to pick up stock by expanding their air network. Players earn points with their stock when one of three scoring cards are chosen randomly from the supply deck. After all three scoring cards are chosen, the player with the most points wins.
During the game players are faced with a constant dilemma; should they put more of their stock in play to potentially earn points? Or should they increase the value of their stock by expanding their network?
Airlines Europe is a standard stock market game with network/route building mechanics. This remake of a classic board game has a similar feel and game style to Ticket to Ride, but unlike Ticket to Ride, Airlines Europe is also a stock market game.
Airlines Europe is very similar to Union Pacific, another creation of Alan R. Moon. This game takes 75 minutes to play and is given a medium difficulty rating.
Thurn and Taxis – Fun Card Drafting
Set in the age of the horse in buggies, Thurn and Taxis whisks players away to 17th century Central Europe. This beautifully designed game displays excellent artwork and illustrations that any history fan can truly appreciate.
In Thurn and Taxis players develop postal delivery routes across Bavaria and the surrounding area with the help of postal workers.
Thurn and Taxis at a Glance
| Game Type Post-Napoleonic Theme, Transportation, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Network and Route Building | Play Time 60 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.3 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 10+ | Publisher(s) Rio Grande Games and others | Published 2006 |
| Categories Strategy / Family | Players 2 - 4 | Cost $49.99 approx |
| Our Rating 9/10 |
Within this game players draft city cards to build routes consisting of adjacent towns and earn points by closing routes. Longer routes get more points, but if a player does not have a city card adjacent to their route on their turn before they close it, then the player must forfeit that route and all of its points. Players also get bonus cards that reward certain achievements, and they receive points by collecting carriage cards after they close a route. Postal employees can also be deployed to provide bonuses, and houses must be placed on the board or players will lose points when the final score is tallied.
After a player obtains the seventh carriage and the last player in the turn order makes their final move, the game is over. The player with the most points wins.
Thurn and Taxis is a fun card drafting, hand management, network/route building game that is easy to learn, but still challenging. As a hand management and network/route building game this has a similar gameplay to Ticket to Ride, even though players do not lay down track pieces to connect cities like in Ticket to Ride.
If you love Ticket to Ride you will surely love Thurn and Taxi. Thurn and Taxi takes 60 minutes to play and receives a light-medium difficulty rating.
Taj Mahal – Auction/Bidding and Hand Management at the Core
In Taj Mahal players are thrown into the cutthroat world of 18th century India and compete for influence and power as the rule of the Grand Moguls diminish.
Taj Mahal is another great historically inspired board game that provides players with an authentic historical experience.
Taj Mahal at a Glance
| Game Type Political Theme, Auction/Bidding, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Network and Route Building, Bluffing | Play Time 75 - 100 mins | Skill/Complexity (3 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Z-Man Games and others and others | Published 2000 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 3 - 5 | Cost $49.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.5/10 |
Taj Mahal is a bidding/auction game where players have cards displaying symbols on them that they use to bid on five different resources. Resources can be used to gain influence points by holding a majority of a symbol, building palaces, and gaining region tiles.
There is also a bonus for connecting palaces in different regions. Twelve regions are on the map and one round is played for each region. There’s also an auction in each round and at the end of the twelfth round players add up their points to determine the winner.
Taj Mahal is a good game for both casual and experienced gamers, however, we suggest that it is played by people who share the same skill level.
Taj Mahal shares similar network/route mechanics with Ticket to Ride, but this mechanic is not the focal point of this game. Auction/bidding and hand management are the core mechanics of this game. In Taj Mahal connecting your palaces is important, but it is just one of many ways to earn points, unlike Ticket to Ride in which network/route building is the only way to earn points.
Taj Mahal is more difficult than Ticket to Ride, and we give it a medium complexity rating. It has a playing time of about 75-100 minutes.
Union Pacific – Great network/route building and stock market Combo
Union Pacific is a train themed stock market game where players expand the Union Pacific Railroad by investing in smaller railroad companies and laying tracks. This game shares many similarities with Ticket to Ride, but it also has many of its own unique qualities.
Union Pacific at a Glance
| Game Type Train Theme, Card Drafting, Network and Route Building, Stock Holding, Economic | Play Time 90 mins | Skill/Complexity (3 - 5) Medium |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Rio Grande Games and others | Published 1999 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 - 6 | Cost $49.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.6/10 |
Like Ticket to Ride, Union Pacific is a card drafting and network/route building where players draw cards which they can use to build tracks. However, Union Pacific is also a stock market game in which players gain stock and increase their shares in smaller companies to earn money and gain victory points.
At BGW we love how this game combines the best of network/route building and stock market mechanics into one complete game that adds an extra level of complexity to the standard train themed game. This game is slightly more difficult than Ticket to Ride; the rules are not “simple enough to write on a train ticket”, but at the same time Union Pacific is not overly complicated.
Overall we give this game a medium difficulty rating compared to Ticket to Ride’s light-medium difficulty rating. Union Pacific takes about 90 minutes to play and does not have any expansions.
Settlers of Catan – Heavy on the Building and Trading
This international best-selling game that has taken the world by storm needs little introduction. For years casual and experienced players alike have spent countless hours with friends and family trading resources, building settlements, and paving roads in this classic board game.
Catan at a Glance
| Game Type Medieval Theme, Dice Rolling, Negotiating, Card Game Hexagon Grid, Building Settlements | Play Time 60 - 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (2.8 - 5) Light - Medium |
| Age 10+ | Publisher(s) Kosmos, Catan Studio and others | Published 1995 |
| Categories Family / Strategy | Players 3 - 4 | Rules Manual Official Rules |
| Our Rating 9.5/10 | Cost $48.99 |
In Settlers of Catan players use four resources to draw development cards, and build towns, cities, and roads. Player’s obtain resource cards after each player takes a turn rolling a die. If a player has a settlement or city on a tile displaying the number that was rolled, the player gets that tile’s pictured resource. Players can trade resources during the game.
The goal of Settlers of Catan is to earn victory points by building settlements and cities, creating the longest road, maintaining the largest army, and if you are lucky…drawing a victory point from the development card deck. The first player to get ten victory points wins.
There is a reason that Settlers of Catan is so popular; it is an easy to learn but hard to master board game in which trading and the luck of roll add extra excitement. Like Ticket to Ride, this game requires strategic thinking and foresight, however, in Catan players have more options to consider than they do in Ticket to Ride. This game also relies heavily on network/route building mechanics, but the implementation and function of network/route building differ greatly between games.
Catan is rated light-medium difficult, the same as Ticket to Ride, and takes 60-120 minutes to play. Even though both games are rated in the same broad category we believe that Catan is slightly more difficult.
Inca Empire
Increase your standing with ‘Sapa Inca’, the divine emperor, by playing as an ‘Apu’ (leader) of one of the four ‘Suyus’ (regions) in Inca Empire. In Inca Empire compete against your rivals as you grow, develop, and enlarge your empire on a quest to please the divine emperor.
Inca Empire at a Glance
| Game Type Theme: Native American, Civilization, Exploration, Hand Management, Network and Route Building, | Play Time 120 mins | Skill/Complexity (3.5 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 12+ | Publisher(s) Z-Man Games and others | Published 2010 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 3 - 4 | Cost $69.99 approx |
| Our Rating 8.5/10 |
Inca Empire is a complicated turn based game in which players use their starting region’s workforce to expand their empire by building roads and conquering other regions. As players amass more manpower through conquest they can develop their regions and earn victory points by building temples, garrisons, cities, and terraces. The game ends when Pizzaro arrives at the Inca capital of Cuzco; the player with the most victory points when this happens wins.
Although Inca Empire utilizes network/route building mechanics, it is way more similar to Settlers of Catan than Ticket to Ride, but, at boardgameswizard.com we enjoy this game so much that we had to add it to the end of this article.
Inca Empire is for Catan players who want a more challenging strategy game that does not rely on luck and trading. This game is difficult to learn with a complexity rating of medium-heavy, and it has a playing time of 120 minutes.
Final Thoughts
We hope you agree that there’s some great board games in our selection that function and play out similar to Ticket to Ride.
We’ve also added games that veer off in complexity level and how the mechanics function or don’t function together. The reason being is that board gaming is always about developing and discovering what we like and dislike to further the experience!
