Ticket To Ride: First Journey is a ‘kids’ version of the classic Days of Wonder game Ticket To Ride. The game is a simplified version of the USA map which keeps the main idea of the original game while streamlining it enough to be playable by younger gamers. The Game plays 2-4 players ages 6 and up. The box says the game plays in 15-30 minutes but our experience so far has been closer to 30-45 though a good portion of that is taken up letting the kids find their cities on the map.

The game starts with each player having 4 Train cards and 2 tickets to complete by playing their train cards and claiming routes with their trains. On their turn each player chooses between taking two cards (cards are drawn from the stack face down instead of chosen from available cards as in the original Ticket to Ride) or placing their trains to claim tracks. When they have successfully connected the two cities on their ticket card they have completed that ticket and set it aside drawing a new ticket. Players may also earn a bonus Coast to Coast ticket by connecting one of the 3 cities on the east coast to one of the three on the west coast.

Instead of keeping track of points gained and lost players win by either completing their 6th ticket or by having the most completed tickets after a player places their last train. This game is well thought out and designed from the amazing art work on the board and cards to the larger trains that are easier for small hands to handle and place and gives children a great starting place to learn the skills needed in other games.

Wynken

I love this game a lot its one of my favorite games. I enjoy being able to block the other players and making them take the ‘long way’ around…especially Blynken. I liked the pictures on the cities, they help me find them on the map when looking at the tickets and being able to get the Coast to Coast ticket. I don’t like it when people block me from reaching my city *glares at Blynken across the room*.
9 Stars
Blynken

I think Ticket to Ride is a fun game! The colors are green, yellow, blue, and red I like to play green. This game is the ‘kid’ version of Ticket to Ride and but it still gives me a challenge especially when other people block you when completing their tickets. My favorite part of this game is that it can end two different ways, by running out of trains or completing 6 tickets. I don’t like not being able to trade train cards since SOMEONE kept getting the cards I needed.

8 Stars