Ticket To Ride

Ticket to Ride Overview

There aren’t many strategic board games that can captivate a mainstream audience.  That is what Ticket to Ride has accomplished, it is a game that you might find at your local Walmart next to Monopoly.  The reason it has gained so much popularity since it was introduced in 2004 is the simplicity of the game coupled with gorgeous aesthetics.  It plays on a map of southern Canada and the United States with major cities marked and paths joining them.  This is a familiar sight to most people and can make a person comfortable enough to attempt to play the game for the first time.  The game is simple enough to understand after a 5 minute explanation but is complex enough that returning players develop strategies to help them win the game.

This is a gateway game, a pleasant experience with Ticket to Ride makes the player more receptive to other board games.  It can also be played by 2-6 players in one sitting. These characteristics make this a fantastic game to introduce to high school students whose definition of a game requires a screen. The familiar map and theme can help you connect assessments from various courses to this board game.

How to play in class (Difficulty: Medium)

The game time can last from 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on how long it takes to set up the game and how comfortable the students are with the game.  It is possible to squeeze it in one class but would be best if split between 2 days.  Take a picture of the map at the end of the first day and have extra elastic bands and coloured post-it notes handy for each deck.  Having the different colours will help in identifying the deck without taking the time to write on the note.

You can choose to have students play in teams of 2 but having 12 players around a board is chaotic.  If you choose to play it in teams, have a max of 5 teams per board so the game can play up to 10 students.  You may choose to have a carousel of different games/activities when you play this game or else you would need 3 versions of the game.

Courses you may consider for this game

• Geography
• English
• Social Justice
• History

Assessments Exemplars

• Grade 9 Geography:
  • Ticket to Ride CGC1D Assignment

• Grade 11 Origins and Citizenship: The History of a Canadian Ethnic Group OR
  Grade 12 Equity and Social Justice: From Theory to Practice:
  • Ticket to Ride CHE3O or HSE4M Assignment

• Grade 12 The Environment and Resource Management
  • Ticket to Ride CGR4M Assignment