Days of Wonder Ticket To Ride: Vol 6: France & Old West Expansion

Ticket to Ride is the best board game for relaxation on this list. Thoughtful and thoroughly chilled out, it's a delight for all ages. Sure, that railway theme may not light your world on fire. But the gameplay underneath is excellent enough to win any naysayers over. While your task of creating train routes across the country is calming, there's an undercurrent of strategy holding everything together. Certain lines earn you more points, yet there are only a small number of tracks to build on. In other words, you'll have to race your opponents to win key routes or risk having to take the long way around. There are many different paths to victory as well. Is it better to focus on quicker but less valuable routes for a faster payday? Or should you make bigger connections for more points overall? As such, Ticket to Ride hits the perfect balance of being family-friendly without losing tactical depth. Because of the game's popularity, you can also choose from a variety of editions. In addition to the base North America pack, you can opt for a European alternative, one set in New York, and a 15th Anniversary special edition coming in spring. This fresh update features new and improved artwork, unique tin boxes to hold game pieces, and original, more detailed sculpts for the trains and stations. There's even a children's version of the original game (Ticket to Ride: First Journey) on offer if you have kids that want to join in.