Ticket to ride

Matt still trains hard at one of the best

board-game-to-iPad conversions

The switch from a traditional board game to an iPad version can be really tricky. Even very sensible, wellmade conversions can lose a lot of the spirit of the original. Take Settlers of Catan – the iPad version helps you keep track of what resources you should be collecting each turn much more easily, but it completely loses the dynamism of the game. The back and forth over trading becomes a hassle of taps, rather than crafty negotiations. You can’t jump in on deals or play mind games, or do any of the things that make it such an interesting game.

Ticket to Ride, on the other hand, really does work just as well on the iPad as it does in real life. The core game is one of risk and reward – the board displays train routes across the land (the US by default, with other boards available), and you pick up cards that task you with controlling the route between cities. You need particular types of train cards to make the routes, and if someone else takes your route first, tough. You lose the points on that card at the end of game. Longer routes bring more points to win – or lose. There’s no trading or necessary interaction other than what happens on the board, and that’s perfect for the iPad – it loses nothing for the switch to digital. If anything, it’s easier to manage your cards, and the complicated points system is handled for you. I wouldn’t say it’s better on iPad, because little beats being in a room with friends sabotaging each others’ plans, but it’s a boardgame that’s complex, with huge room for strategy and learning tactics over time, that works perfectly on a tablet screen. Really, the only downside is that I’m too prone to grabbing it just before bed, and then only getting to sleep three hours later.