Canadian Gift Guide

Today’s gift idea is one my sister got for Christmas…so logically, it’s a legitimate gift idea. Not that every thing on this blog ISN’T, but you know what I’m getting at? Obviously this is a sweet gift. It’s inspired me to write anyway.

As you can probably (possibly?) tell by the image above, I’m talking about a board game. It’s not often I single out a single game, but there’s a method to my madness here. Said game is Ticket To Ride. It was originally released in the mid-2000’s, and has been gaining steam (oh yes, I said it) since then – winning over legions of fans as they get drawn into the marvelously simple yet ever-challenging and variable game.

Admittedly, it’s a little funny that a game about trains – a largely archaic method of transport these days – is so popular and relevant to our ever-modern minds. Here’s the gist of the game: claim train routes across whatever map you’re playing on and win by earning the most points, depending on what routes you complete. Of course, when everyone else is completing similar (and secret) routes, you run into complications – so & so may snatch up your route, trapping you in (quite literally) Siberia and causing you to re-evaluate your strategy. It’s a fast-paced game (most turns take less than 30 seconds) that you can easily play in under an hour – although after a successful (or not-so-successful) round you’ll be hard-pressed to not want to play a second game.

Now here’s where this becomes a really interesting gift idea. After you’ve bestowed a love for locomotives onto your giftee, you can keep the fun going for many gift-giving occasions afterwards thanks to the endless expansions the company has come out with, all in the range of about $30. Want to try new maps? Check out the map expansions, featuring double-sided game boards that can take you to the Far East, nordic Switzerland, or exotic India. Want to shake things up a little? Grab the dice expansion. Looking to add new variants, or even monsters, to your base game? They’ve got you covered.

You can buy all of the latest and greatest Ticket to Ride games and expansions directly from the manufacturer, Days of Wonder, who does indeed ship to Canada. Alternatively I’m sure your local independent toy store would be happy to exchange coins for trains with you, or you can buy it from TheGameShop.ca or Boardgames.ca. Happy travels!