Ticket to Ride
Choose Ticket to Ride when you want a map and a goal that is yours. It is the better pick for people who like a race they can explain to someone who walked in halfway.
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Board games
Ticket to Ride vs Carcassonne
If you own both, the question is which one a new person will finish smiling.
Ticket to Ride (Alan R. Moon, 2004) is 2–5 players and often 30–60 minutes. A turn is draw cards or claim a route. Carcassonne (Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, 2000) is 2–5 players and often about 35 minutes. A turn is draw a tile, place a tile, maybe place a meeple. Both won Spiel des Jahres, in 2004 and 2001.
Ticket to Ride hides your tickets, so you can be surprised by a city you needed. Carcassonne is all on the table. People who hate hidden information relax. People who hate a tile that does not fit get grumpy. Know which discomfort your group forgives.
Carcassonne
Choose Carcassonne when you want a shorter game and a board that becomes the picture. It is the better pick if you do not want to shuffle a big deck or explain colours.
What actually differs
| Difference | Ticket to Ride | Carcassonne |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–5 | 2–5 |
| Usual length | 30–60 minutes | About 35 minutes |
| Year | 2004 | 2000 |
| Turn | Cards or a route | One tile |
| Hidden info | Your tickets | Almost none |
Questions about this choice
Which has meaner blocking?
Ticket to Ride blocking is taking a route someone needed. Carcassonne blocking is a tile or a meeple that steals a city. Both can be polite or sharp. The rules do not force you to be cruel.
What about the farmers in Carcassonne?
Farmers are in the base rules and they confuse a first game. You can play a learning round without them if the rulebook you own allows a basic game. Say so before you start.