Ticket to Ride: First Journey

Ticket to Ride with the arithmetic taken out and the trains left in.

The version built for six-year-olds, and built properly rather than dumbed down. The map of the United States is smaller, the routes are shorter, and the destination tickets show two cities with pictures rather than names - so a child who cannot yet read a map can still see what they are trying to connect.

The winning condition is the clever change: first to complete six tickets wins, rather than counting points at the end. That removes the scoring round entirely, which is the part of the original that loses a small player's attention, and it means the game ends when somebody has visibly done the thing rather than when an adult finishes adding up. Fifteen to thirty minutes, and it teaches the real game's habits without teaching the real game's rules.

Perfect for: The family that owns Ticket to Ride and has a child who has been asking to play it for two years.

2-4 players | 15-30 minutes | Age 6+