Family Game Night Link-Up

Always up for a challenge.... I am trying a brand new thing for my blog! One a month, I am going to host a "Family Game Night" link up. I will start by telling you of a favorite game that my family is playing these days, and then invite some of my blogging friends to add on a family favorite of their own. Since this is my first attempt, I am hoping I got all the links and computer things correct. If you would like to link up, please do so at the bottom of this post!

Family Game Night: Ticket To Ride

Our family has been enjoying playing Ticket To Ride - a board game for up to 5 players. Our youngest, who is 8, was able to get the concept down and play the game well. She is probably on the lowest end of what I would recommend for this game.

In Ticket To Ride, you are taken back to the turn of the century when railroad was the easiest way to travel the USA. Each player chooses a color of trains, then receives a selection of routes to complete. As the game progresses, players select and build series of colors to complete routes. Some routes are short, only 1 or 2 trains long, but others are 5 or 6 trains long. Routes connect major US cities and even stretch into southern Canada.

Each route that is completed has a points value, and players compete to have the most routes completed, as well as a bonus for the longest route. At the end of the game, the points value of incomplete routes is deducted from your total. Strategy gets thick when players have overlapping routes and are vying to complete the train lines from city to city first, blocking other players from completing their routes.

A total game lasts about an hour.

This game has a good educational component, because it helps the children to learn the location of major US and Canadian cities. There is also good math skills when adding up points.

Because the game is so popular, the company has recently produced more versions, providing train routes in Europe, Germany, and Nordic countries, as well as expansion card sets with more routes.

This game has been so popular at our house that it doesn't even have a home on the game shelf yet. We just bought it in June and it has stayed on the coffee table ever since, and been played numerous times.

Interested in purchasing? Here's my affiliate code to purchase the game on Amazon:


We highly recommend the 1910 Expansion card set. The cards are bigger, and give many more route choices!

This post is linked with "Blogging Through The Alphabet - T" at "Ben and Me"


Copyright 2012-2013 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Please share your family's current favorite game! Here's a button to use on your post.

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com" title="Be The One"><img src="http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag62/debeyea/gamenight_zpsf0414e99.jpg" alt="Be The One" style="border:none;" /></a></div>