Game Preview: Ticket to Ride Switzerland - Gone Cardboard
By W. Eric Martin
July 12, 2007
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Designer: Alan R. Moon
Players: 2-3
Ages: 8+
Playing Time: 30-45 minutes
Price: $25
Release Date: October 2007
Alan Moon’s Ticket to Ride franchise has a new expansion coming out that might not be so new to some people. Come October 2007, Days of Wonder will release the Switzerland map that was previously available only in the Ticket to Ride computer game. Unlike previous Ticket to Ride spin-off titles that contained everything you need to play the game, Ticket to Ride Switzerland will contain only the gameboard, a set of 46 new destination tickets, and rules (in English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, and Swedish). “We believe that nearly all players who are interested in playing the Swiss map will already own either the original Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride Europe,” says Days of Wonder’s Mark Kaufmann. “Rather than sell them another set of plastic trains which duplicate what they already have, it made sense to offer the Swiss map as an expansion at a much lower cost than a full game would be.”
For those who haven’t played the computer game, here’s a rules summary for how Ticket to Ride Switzerland differs from the base game:
- The game is for two or three players only. In a three-player game, both tracks on the double routes can be claimed (although not by the same player), whereas only one of these routes can be claimed when playing with two.
- You use only 40 trains per player, not 45.
- The locomotives function only inside tunnels. As with Ticket to Ride Europe, the Switzerland expansion uses tunnels to connect various destinations. Locomotive cards, which are wild in the base game and can be played as any color, can be played only when trying to build a tunnel. When you try to build a tunnel, you flip over the top three cards of the deck, and for each card that matches the color of cards you played (including locomotives!), you must play an additional card or lose your turn.
- Locomotives count as only as a single card when drawn from the face-up array. You still flush the face-up pool if three of the five cards show locomotives.
- Some routes on the gameboard connect cities to the surrounding countries, as in Ticket to Ride Märklin. Three routes connect Swiss cities to Austria, four to France, and five each to Italy and Germany.
- Destination tickets can show either city-to-city connections, city-to-country, or country-to-country. For the latter two types of tickets, you score points equal to the highest connection that you’ve made, not for each connection; if you fail to make any connections, you lose points equal to the smallest connection.
- Destination tickets don’t recirculate. Whenever tickets are discarded—whether at the start of the game when players are dealt five tickets and must keep at least two, or later when they draw three and keep at least one—those tickets are removed from the game.
Now those who haven’t played the computer game get a chance to find out what they’ve been missing!
| Pictures - Click the picture for a larger version | |
 | The gameboard and a few cards |
Posted by W. Eric Martin on Jul 12, 2007 at 08:30 AM in Game Previews / 2922
Comments:
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What a rip-off! They didn’t include all the pieces you need to play with the game? Just kidding--someone had to complain, right? It’s actually a good move from the publisher--by now most people buying this version of the game have got to own at least one of the three previous games in the series. This one will be difficult for me to resist--my wife likes all the Ticket to Ride games and she loves Switzerland. Posted by Jeff Allers on Jul 12, 2007 at 08:30 AM | #
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I agree it’s a great idea. Last thing I think this line needs is another whole new game system. I like all 3 of the TTR’s but trying to make the game something “new” would have been a waste. A lower priced supplement is a much needed addition. Great job DoW. Posted by J. Neil Edge on Jul 12, 2007 at 09:26 AM | #
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Ooo, a 2-player specialty map? I’ll spring for this one! Interesting to see they’re going the Thurn & Taxis: Power & Glory route with the markers (trains in this case). I think there have been as many complaints about TT:PG not being a complete game as there have been for the rest of the TTR DOW series actually being released as complete games. I guess no matter what they do there will be grumblings. :) I’m happy to see them try something different. Posted by Diane Close on Jul 12, 2007 at 09:31 AM | #
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Having played the computer version of the map, I am very happy to see Switzerland coming to a real board. Since I frequently play two player, it will be a welcome addition to my library. Posted by David Reed on Jul 12, 2007 at 09:36 AM | #
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I’ll agree here - I love the Switzerland map (although I prefer 3 players to 2), and having a “real” version as opposed to just a “virtual” one means I’ll get to play it with some friends who I can’t play on-line with. And yes, there are some people in that position. Posted by David Brain on Jul 12, 2007 at 10:56 AM | #
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Great that they are finally doing this as an expansion. In the past (Europe, Marklin) they claimed the cost of doing an expansion without the trains would be almost identical as doing a stand alone game. Now they prove themselves wrong :) Posted by Surya Van Lierde on Jul 12, 2007 at 10:57 AM | #
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Surya, that’s not entirely true, because part of the development cost for the Swiss map was done in the computer game package. - Trond Posted by Trond Braut on Jul 12, 2007 at 01:57 PM | #
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Fantastic! Posted by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson on Jul 12, 2007 at 03:43 PM | #
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I’m really glad they decided to do this. I had no intention of buying the PC game and saw Alan Moon’s comments about the map a while ago. I look forward for the chance to play this. I’m also glad they are doing this as an expansion. Great news! Posted by Mike Marshall on Jul 13, 2007 at 05:29 AM | #
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Can’t wait! Very cool they are releasing it as an expansion. Thanks DOW! Posted by vandemonium on Jul 13, 2007 at 02:11 PM | #
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Great news. I hope many players will learn that Switzerland is a country in Europe and not Africa (often mixed up with Swasiland ;-) Posted by Dan Rosewater on Jul 14, 2007 at 06:54 AM | #
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Wait what? Switzerland is a country in Europe? I thought it was a county in Indiana where the Amish lived. Ooops! Well, still looking forward to it, I guess. Posted by vandemonium on Jul 14, 2007 at 03:32 PM | #
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ahem… i will decide to ignore these dishonorable comments. even though they might be just to true.. :). anway, looking definitely forward to one of the very few games with my home country as a board. Posted by Tobias Moos on Jul 16, 2007 at 10:35 AM | #
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No disresct to Switzerland meant. I’m from the US so we are supposed to not know our geography from a hole in the ground ;) Posted by vandemonium on Jul 16, 2007 at 12:13 PM | #
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no sweat. i didn’t meant it to serious. if you would show me a map of southamerica and ask me to point on uruguay.... well that would be a rather wild guess too. ah, being honest i would not even be able to find the state indiana on an US map.. (somewhere in the middle west, right? :). so i understand. it’s not that it’s very important to know where switzerland actually is. the only importance it ever gets is in october. because it’s close to spielmesse essen, hehe. Posted by Tobias Moos on Jul 17, 2007 at 05:08 AM | #
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