Josh M
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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In interest of full disclosure, let me say that I've never played Ticket To Ride (TTR) before getting the app on my iPhone (4S). I've heard the hype and wanted to try it out myself without plunking down the cash for the board game and since the app was $1.99, there wasn't much room for losing. This review might not be for those looking for comparison between the board game and the app, but hopefully it will help.
First off, the interface is beautiful. Very retro and high-resolution. The game invites you to play with the option of several different options:
Option 1) Solo. It's you versus the AI computer. You can choose from 1-4 AI opponents.
Option 2) Local. You can play against another person with the game set up on their device.
Option 3) Multi. You against the world! Or at least someone with the Apple Game center.
Option 4) Pass and play with up to 5 real players (you cannot substitute one to be AI).(I played exclusively with Solo and Pass and Play.)
The game starts off with the option to use the tutorial which shows through interactive narration how the game mechanics work. It's nice but it didn't seem complete or I wasn't paying full attention both times I went through it.
The first problem is with the size of the screen. This is noticeable and can lead to moments of aggrevation for those with less than optimal eye sight. In fact, if you have shaky limbs or less than good vision, I'd recommend trying a friend's version before buying this on your own as those issues could make the game unplayable. Move trains onto specific routes sometimes required multiple attempts. The screen will zoom in and the end points light up in green if you can place there or in red if you cannot.
Selecting routes is a breeze and this is assumably where the game is going to triumph over the board version. The three cards appear on the right side and you can click on them and the cities will highlight on the map. This makes it easier to decide which to pick, especially later on when the board gets clogged with trains.
Each time new train cars are pulled from the stack or the side list, they go in a row at the bottom of the screen. Have more than one of the same color? A number is placed in the center of the car's card making it very easy to see how many you have. Inversely, the map showing distances from some places is a bit squished, and they are still(?) showing Minneapolis as Duluth.
How many routes do you have in play? There is a small counter in the bottom right showing how many are there and how many incomplete.
What's your score and your opponent's? It's in the upper left corner and sometimes will get in the way at the start of a play covering up Vancouver-Winnipeg.
The AI is quite good for beginners. I have played over 100 rounds (why yes, it is addicting) and have never had it block my routes if it isn't part of the AI's route. For those wanting a more vicious player, there are no difficulty settings to help you out.
It took me a couple plays to finally get the game as the instructions seemed to be a bit lacking and it wasn't til later that I "discovered" that I could pull trains not just off the main pile but the pre-laid out ones as well.
Besides being portable and "unbumpable", the end game where scores are tallied is a breeze to the point where I think if I played the board version that I would consider that part to be a chore, especially the longest track part where the calculations are done quite swiftly.
This is a great time diversion and well worth the $1.99 for those who can handle the small version.
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Josh Morgan
United States
Indianapolis
Indiana
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And it's free today
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Dan C
United States
Florida
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The ai is definitely for beginners. I've played about twenty times and never lost. Good review-thx!
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Doug Adams
Australia
Oakleigh
Victoria
Boink
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jedimusic wrote: The ai is definitely for beginners. I've played about twenty times and never lost. Good review-thx!
Really? One AI guy just crushes me... just takes cards for about 20 turns, then builds out. But I tend to turn the brain off when playing TTR....
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Jose Negron
New Hyde Park
New York
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still free at the app store
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Alex
United States
Toledo
Ohio
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I was also totally new to T2R before the app. I got it the day it was free, and I've been playing it all week. Fairly addictive, and the turns move so fast! I want to try the boardgame now and see what its like to play with people.
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