Ticket to Ride
- November 14, 2023
- Marmalade Game Studio Ltd
- 441h median play time
"Ticket to Ride" is a strategic board game adaptation where players collect cards of various types of train cars and claim railway routes across a map to connect cities. The goal is to complete specific tickets to earn points, while also building the longest continuous railway to gain additional points. With easy-to-learn rules and engaging gameplay, "Ticket to Ride" offers a fun and challenging experience for players of all skill levels.
Reviews
- The game is fun and captures the essence of the board game without the hassle of tracking pieces and cards.
- The UI is clean and user-friendly, making it easy to join friends and play together.
- The developers are actively listening to feedback and making improvements, which shows promise for future updates.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, especially during online play, making it frustrating to complete matches.
- The animations and 3D graphics are overly distracting and slow down gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.
- Players are required to repurchase expansions and the game itself, which feels like a cash grab, especially for those who owned the previous version.
- graphics104 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the new visuals for being overly flashy and cluttered, which detracts from gameplay clarity. While some appreciate the aesthetic upgrades and the option to switch between modern and traditional graphics, others find the new design confusing and difficult to navigate. Overall, the consensus leans towards a need for improved readability and functionality over mere visual appeal.
“Intuitive, fun graphic design and animation.”
“This Ticket to Ride board game remake has good graphics and music.”
“I cannot deny that aesthetically this release is much prettier; a nice '3D' view of the board and some pleasant animations.”
“Graphics on the new version are worse in almost all respects.”
“The graphics are terrible and there is just way too much going on visually.”
“A perfect case of 'if it ain't broke... .' the new graphics may be flashy, but they make play cumbersome and much more complicated.”
- gameplay48 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has seen some improvements, but many players feel it has deteriorated in other areas, such as graphics and interface. While the core mechanics remain enjoyable and straightforward, issues like distracting animations, confusing bot behavior, and visual clutter detract from the experience. Some players appreciate the initial fun and smoother gameplay, but frustrations with unclear rules and technical glitches persist.
“Nearly a year later, and they've definitely made improvements to the gameplay.”
“The simple design and straightforward mechanics provided so much enjoyment.”
“To start, this new Ticket to Ride, in terms of gameplay, is a big improvement from the last version.”
“The graphics are worse, the interface is worse, the gameplay is worse (small things like it's now almost impossible to remember when it's your turn), the whole game is a complete mess that looks like it's been created by a small indie dev compared to the relatively polished version that it's replaced!”
“The overloaded animations are distracting, the mechanics of missing cards are confusing, especially when you have to buy a locomotive.”
“The bot gameplay is terrible—even on medium difficulty, they make absurd moves, randomly placing trains in nonsensical locations on the map.”
- stability42 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of freezing, crashing, and significant bugs that disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress. Users express frustration over a clunky interface and counter-intuitive controls, which detract from the overall experience. While some players note a lack of noticeable bugs, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game is plagued by instability and unfinished features, making it a frustrating experience.
“Gameplay is smooth, with no glitches.”
“Gameplay is smooth, with no glitches.”
“Unfortunately, it does not run well: it stutters, it freezes, the user controls are sometimes counter-intuitive and, therefore, the game experience is mostly ruined.”
“This game is an eternally buggy, frustrating shadow of the former version.”
“The online version is clunky and buggy and the design looks like a generic 'modern' game, devoid of artistry and character.”
- story18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players finding the new adventure challenges and unfolding narrative intriguing, while others feel that the changes detract from the original experience. Critics express disappointment over the lack of meaningful end-of-game recaps and the new scoreboard's inability to effectively convey mission completions. Additionally, there are concerns that unnecessary elements, like character customization, overshadow the core gameplay and story.
“The adventure challenges and unfolding story, if I understand it correctly, sounds interesting.”
“Also, the old end of game recap was nice to see where the missions were going.”
“If I am taking new missions, I might need a minute to decide which ones to pick.”
“And anyone who was an avid player of the original game was ripped off in the quest for profit.”
“Obviously, one would want the different players having different colored trains; but no one needs dress-up dolls, nor a 'backstory' that has no bearing on the game.”
“Just telling us the mission totals isn't great at all.”
- music14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the remake of the Ticket to Ride board game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as good and visually appealing, while others criticize it for being less iconic and too bombastic. Many users feel that the soundtrack lacks depth and fails to enhance significant moments in the game, leading to an overall diminished experience compared to the original version.
“This ticket to ride board game remake has good graphics and music.”
“Much better than the previous iteration; good music, cleaner graphics, visually appealing.”
“The music is okay, could be more.”
“So much worse than the older version, the map sucks, and the music is awful.”
“Less readable, slower, buggier... even the music is so much less iconic.”
“The lack of sound accompaniment during significant moments and a basic main soundtrack further dampens the experience.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many users expressing disappointment over the perceived lack of value and quality in the new version compared to the original. Reviewers feel that the developers have prioritized profit over player experience, leading to a product that feels like a re-skinned version of an existing game rather than a meaningful upgrade. Overall, the sentiment suggests a strong backlash against the monetization approach, with calls for refunds and a longing for the previous iteration of the game.
“This is an obvious cash grab.”
“As a long-time user of the 'old' TTR, I am hugely disappointed in this decision, which could only be described as a cash grab.”
“The developers appear to have wasted an immense amount of money re-skinning an already-operational game for nothing more than a cash grab, and have produced an overwrought mess that forces a bunch of pointless zooming on the player for no discernible improvement in the game.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization for Mac users is notably lacking compared to its previous version, which performed well. While it features a solid online ranking system and multiple maps, the current iteration requires significant improvements to enhance performance.
“The online ranking system, availability of multiple maps, rock-solid performance, and large online community made it a joy to play.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the contrast between the slowed-down gameplay and the rapid, almost trivial nature of scoring, highlighting a comedic dissonance in the game's design.
“It's funny that while the gameplay is slowed down, the scoring is so fast and feels like an afterthought.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a general dissatisfaction with the character design and overall aesthetic, suggesting that the old school style does not resonate well with players.
“I never liked the old school character design and general vibe.”