Roundup
Board Games Like Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is the most-given modern board game there is, so this question usually means: we liked that, what now? The useful answer depends on which part of it you liked.
By Scooter M. · Published · Last updated
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Games we claim to have play-tested: 0. Every gift guide in this category implies a shelf of played games behind it. We do not have one, and we would rather say so. What we do instead is on this page: the publisher’s own player count, playing time and age band for every pick, cited to the publisher; a live price rather than a remembered one; and a plain answer on who should skip each game.
The short answer
The best next game after Ticket to Ride is Carcassonne - Z-Man Games states 2-5 players, ages 7+, 30-45 minutes. It keeps what makes Ticket to Ride work (one simple action a turn, a map that builds up in front of everyone) and adds more to decide. If you want the same game again rather than a different one, Ticket to Ride: Europe (Days of Wonder: 2-5 players, 8+, 30-60 minutes) is a standalone box, not an expansion.
Ticket to Ride is probably the most-given modern board game there is, which makes this one of the most common questions in the hobby. The unhelpful answer is a list of games with trains on them. The useful answer starts by asking which part of it your household actually liked, because the honest candidates pull in opposite directions.
Which part did you like?
“It was easy to explain.” Carcassonne is the closest match - Z-Man states 7+ and a turn is draw a tile, place it, optionally place a follower. Cascadia is the other one: Alderac states 1-4 players and 45 minutes, and a turn is take a tile and an animal, then place both.
“I liked collecting the cards.” Splendor is that feeling without a board: Space Cowboys states 2-4 players and 30 minutes, and the whole game is gathering chips until you can afford something better.
“It was too gentle - nobody could do anything to anybody.” That is a real complaint about Ticket to Ride, and CATAN is the answer. Catan Studio states 3-4 players and 60-90 minutes, with trading and a robber that lets players target each other on purpose.
“We want more game.” Wingspan. Stonemaier states 1-5 players and 40-70 minutes, and it is a genuine step up in rules: three habitats, a hand of bird cards, and engines that build over four rounds.
| Game | Players | Time | Age | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splendor | 2-4 | 30 min | 10+ | Space Cowboys |
| 7 Wonders | 3-7 | 30 min | 10+ | Repos Production |
| Carcassonne | 2-5 | 30-45 min | 7+ | Z-Man Games |
| Cascadia | 1-4 | 45 min | 10+ years | Alderac Entertainment Group |
| Ticket to Ride: Europe | 2-5 | 30-60 min | 8+ | Days of Wonder |
| Wingspan | 1-5 | 40-70 min | not published | Stonemaier Games |
| CATAN | 3-4 | 60-90 min | 10+ | Catan Studio |
For reference, Days of Wonder states 2-5 players, ages 8+, 30-60 minutes for Ticket to Ride itself. Stonemaier publishes no age band for Wingspan, so that cell says so rather than carrying a figure we invented.
How these seven were chosen
One rule above all others: each pick has to keep something specific from Ticket to Ride and say what it is. A list of games that are merely popular is not an answer to this question. The second rule is that everything here is currently in print with a publisher page we can cite and a live price on this page; we have not play-tested any of them, and how we pick sets out what we do instead.
The trap: buying the expansion instead
The most common mistake after enjoying Ticket to Ride is buying a map expansion, which needs the original box, adds a new board and changes very little about the experience. If the household wants more Ticket to Ride, Ticket to Ride: Europe is the better purchase - Days of Wonder states the same 2-5 players, 8+ and 30-60 minutes, it is a complete game in its own right, and the additions (tunnels, ferries, stations) change how the map plays rather than merely enlarging it. We set the two side by side on Ticket to Ride vs Ticket to Ride: Europe.
What Ticket to Ride does that none of these do
It is worth being honest about why the original is still on this site’s recommendation lists more than almost anything else. Days of Wonder states 2-5 players and 8+, and the game has a property none of the picks above quite match: a person who has never played a board game can be taught it in ninety seconds and be competitive in the first game.
Carcassonne comes closest and asks slightly more thought about where a tile goes. Cascadia is calmer but has a scoring puzzle to hold in your head. Splendor has fewer rules but its goal is less obvious to a newcomer than claiming a route between two cities on a map.
So if the question is really “what do we buy for the same people who liked Ticket to Ride, one of whom does not play games”, the honest answer may be another copy of what worked - a second map, or Europe - rather than a new game entirely.
What not to buy next
Two warnings. Do not jump straight to a heavy strategy box because a shop told you it was the natural next step - the gap between Ticket to Ride and a two-hour game is much wider than the gap between Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne, and the usual result is a box played once.
Do not assume a theme match is a gameplay match. Plenty of games have trains and play nothing like this one. The parts worth matching are the turn length, the visible goals and the low reading load, none of which have anything to do with trains. Our strategy games page is the right list when the household really does want a step up, and board games like CATAN answers the same question from the other direction.
What to spend
Everything here sits in the same broad price band as Ticket to Ride itself, with Splendor and Carcassonne at the lower end and Wingspan at the top. That makes this an easy category to buy in: there is no bargain tier to feel bad about missing. We never print a remembered price anywhere on this site - each pick’s button shows a live figure when we hold one and says so plainly when we do not. Our picks under $50 cover most of this page.
Quick picks
Ranked on how well each one fits the job in this page’s title, using the publisher’s own player count, playing time and age band. Tap any row for the full write-up, including who should skip it.
| # | Product | Best for | Gift fit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Carcassonne2-5 players · 30-45 min · 7+ | Best next game overall | 8.8 | $31.99 - View on Amazon |
| 2 |  Cascadia1-4 players · 45 min · 10+ | Best if you liked the quiet part | 8.6 | $37.40 - View on Amazon |
| 3 |  Ticket to Ride: Europe2-5 players · 30-60 min · 8+ | Best if you just want more of it | 9.0 | $39.99 - View on Amazon |
| 4 |  Splendor2-4 players · 30 min · 10+ | Best if you liked collecting sets | 8.7 | $31.99 - View on Amazon |
| 5 |  7 Wonders3-7 players · 30 min · 10+ | Best for a bigger table | 8.4 | $50.99 - View on Amazon |
| 6 |  Wingspan1-5 players · 40-70 min | Best step up in weight | 8.8 | $55.00 - View on Amazon |
| 7 |  CATAN3-4 players · 60-90 min · 10+ | Best if you wanted more interaction | 8.3 | $39.99 - View on Amazon |
#1 - Best next game overall
Carcassonne
Z-Man Games · A family with a genuinely mixed age range
You draw a tile, you put it down so the roads and fields line up, and sometimes you put a little wooden person on it. Z-Man's stated age floor is 7, the lowest of any full board game here, and it plays two to five.
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What it actually is
A tile-laying game. The board is built as you play, one square tile at a time, and you claim the roads, cities and fields you help complete.
Does it fit this page?
Z-Man states 2-5 players, ages 7+, 30-45 minutes. The same shape as Ticket to Ride - one simple action per turn, a map that grows in front of you - with more decisions and a lower age floor.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2-5 | Z-Man Games, published product page |
| Age | 7+ | Z-Man Games, published product page |
| Playing time | 30-45 min | Z-Man Games, published product page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- An age floor of 7 with no reading required at all
- Genuinely playable at two, which most family games are not
- No two games start the same, because the board is different every time
What is not
- Field scoring at the end confuses almost everybody the first time
- A run of unhelpful tiles feels like bad luck rather than a decision
- The little wooden figures are exactly the size a toddler will eat
Who should skip it
Skip it for a group of six or more, and skip it for anyone who wants the scoring to be obvious - the farms rule is the one everybody argues about.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain8.6
- Works for non-gamers9.0
- Group size range8.6
- Repeat plays9.2
- Feels like a gift8.8
Gift fit 8.8 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#2 - Best if you liked the quiet part
Cascadia
Alderac Entertainment Group · Someone who might end up playing on their own
You build a landscape out of hexagonal tiles and place animals on it to score patterns. AEG states 1 to 4 players and 45 minutes, and the 1 matters: this is a rare gift that a person living alone can actually use.
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What it actually is
A tile-laying puzzle. You take a habitat tile and an animal token together, place both, and score for the shapes the animals end up in.
Does it fit this page?
Alderac states 1-4 players, ages 10+ years, 45 minutes. Take a tile, place it, score patterns - nobody can block you, nobody takes anything from you, and it plays solo as well.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 1-4 | Alderac Entertainment Group, published game page |
| Age | 10+ years | Alderac Entertainment Group, published game page |
| Playing time | 45 minutes | Alderac Entertainment Group, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- A real solo mode, printed on the box, not an afterthought
- Calm and unaggressive - nobody takes anything from anybody
- The scoring cards change between games, so it does not go stale
What is not
- Quiet to the point of being solitary, even with four people
- The scoring cards take a first game to understand
- Nothing dramatic ever happens, which some players want
Who should skip it
Skip it for a group that wants interaction or conflict. In Cascadia everyone tends their own board and the winner is announced at the end.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain8.4
- Works for non-gamers8.4
- Group size range8.2
- Repeat plays9.0
- Feels like a gift9.0
Gift fit 8.6 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#3 - Best if you just want more of it
Ticket to Ride: Europe
Days of Wonder · A first Ticket to Ride for a household with a bit of patience
Same specifications as the original - 2 to 5 players, ages 8+, 30 to 60 minutes - on a map of Europe with tunnels, ferries and train stations added. If the recipient has never played either, this is the slightly better one.
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What it actually is
The same route-building game as the original, on a European map, with a few extra rules that soften the sting of losing a route.
Does it fit this page?
Days of Wonder states 2-5 players, ages 8+, 30-60 minutes. The same game with tunnels, ferries and stations added - a standalone box rather than an expansion, and the usual recommendation over the original for a second copy.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2-5 | Days of Wonder, published game page |
| Age | 8+ | Days of Wonder, published game page |
| Playing time | 30-60 min | Days of Wonder, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- Train stations mean a blocked player is inconvenienced rather than ruined
- The extra rules add about ninety seconds to the explanation, and no more
- Identical player count and playing time to the original, so nothing is traded away
What is not
- Two or three more rules than the original, which matters if the recipient is nervous
- Tunnels introduce a luck element some players find annoying
- Not meaningfully different once you own the original
Who should skip it
Skip it if they already own Ticket to Ride. Buy an expansion map instead of a second base game.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain8.6
- Works for non-gamers9.2
- Group size range8.6
- Repeat plays9.2
- Feels like a gift9.6
Gift fit 9.0 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#4 - Best if you liked collecting sets
Splendor
Space Cowboys · Someone who likes the idea of getting better at something
Take chips, buy cards, and the cards you bought make future cards cheaper. Thirty minutes by the publisher's clock, satisfying in the way a good puzzle is, and it has the nicest components of anything at this price.
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What it actually is
A card-buying game. You collect gem chips, spend them on cards, and each card you own permanently reduces the cost of everything you buy afterwards.
Does it fit this page?
Space Cowboys states 2-4 players, ages 10+, 30 minutes. Collect chips, spend them on cards, watch the cards make the next chips cheaper - the collecting loop from Ticket to Ride without the map.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2-4 | Space Cowboys, published game page |
| Age | 10+ | Space Cowboys, published game page |
| Length | 30 min | Space Cowboys, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- The weighted poker-style chips make it feel far more expensive than it is
- Almost no text on any component, so it crosses languages easily
- Thirty minutes and a clean finish - it never drags
What is not
- Quiet and solitary; players mostly work on their own tableau
- One card at the wrong moment can undo a plan, which some find unfair
- Caps at four
Who should skip it
Skip it for a group that wants to talk to each other. Splendor is a thinking game played in near-silence, and party-game people find it flat.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain8.8
- Works for non-gamers8.6
- Group size range7.4
- Repeat plays8.8
- Feels like a gift9.4
Gift fit 8.7 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#5 - Best for a bigger table
7 Wonders
Repos Production · Seven people who do not want to wait for each other
Everyone plays at once rather than in turn, which is why Repos can state 3 to 7 players and still print 30 minutes. It is the only game here that gets no slower as you add people.
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What it actually is
A card-drafting game played simultaneously: everyone picks a card from their hand at the same time, plays it, and passes the rest on.
Does it fit this page?
Repos Production states 3-7 players, ages 10+, 30 minutes. Where Ticket to Ride stops at five, this runs to seven and takes the same half hour at every count because everyone plays at once.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 3-7 | Repos Production, published game page |
| Age | 10+ | Repos Production, published game page |
| Length | 30 min | Repos Production, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- Thirty minutes at three players and thirty minutes at seven - the math does not change
- Genuinely no downtime, because nobody has a turn to wait for
- Enough depth that a board gamer will respect it too
What is not
- The symbols on the cards need a reference card for the first game
- Needs three players minimum - a couple should buy 7 Wonders Duel instead
- Scoring at the end is the longest part of the game
Who should skip it
Skip it for two people; the standalone two-player game 7 Wonders Duel is the correct purchase there, not this one.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain7.6
- Works for non-gamers8.0
- Group size range9.4
- Repeat plays9.0
- Feels like a gift9.0
Gift fit 8.4 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#6 - Best step up in weight
Wingspan
Stonemaier Games · A gift that has to look impressive when it is opened
The prettiest box you can give someone. Stonemaier states 1 to 5 players and 40 to 70 minutes; it does not publish an age band on its game page, so this site does not state one either.
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What it actually is
A card game about attracting birds to a wildlife reserve. Each bird you play makes one of your three actions a little better for the rest of the game.
Does it fit this page?
Stonemaier states 1-5 players and 40-70 minutes. The obvious next purchase for a household that finished Ticket to Ride and wanted more game - more rules, more depth, and a solo mode.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 1-5 | Stonemaier Games, published game page |
| Game length | 40-70 mins | Stonemaier Games, published game page |
| Setup time | 5 mins | Stonemaier Games, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- Genuinely beautiful - illustrated bird cards, a dice tower shaped like a birdfeeder
- A solo mode is included in the base box
- The subject matter appeals to people who do not care about games at all
What is not
- Stonemaier does not publish an age band on the game page, so we cannot quote one
- Seventy minutes at the top end, and the first game runs longer than that
- It is the most expensive game on this site by some distance
Who should skip it
Skip it for a household that wants a quick game after dinner, and skip it as a first-ever board game - the rules reward a second play more than a first.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain6.8
- Works for non-gamers7.6
- Group size range8.6
- Repeat plays9.6
- Feels like a gift10.0
Gift fit 8.8 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
#7 - Best if you wanted more interaction
CATAN
Catan Studio · Someone who has heard of it and wants to finally play it
The famous one. Catan Studio states 3 to 4 players and 60 to 90 minutes, and both of those numbers matter more than its reputation does: it does not play at two, and it is the longest evening on this list.
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What it actually is
You settle an island, collect wood, brick, wheat, sheep and ore as dice are rolled, and trade with the other players to build roads and towns.
Does it fit this page?
Catan Studio states 3-4 players, ages 10+, 60-90 minutes. The opposite direction: trading, blocking and an hour and a half. Buy it if the complaint about Ticket to Ride was that everyone plays their own game.
What the publisher states
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 3-4 | Catan Studio, published game page |
| Age | 10+ | Catan Studio, published game page |
| Playing time | 60-90 min | Catan Studio, published game page |
Read from the publisher’s own page. Where a publisher does not state a figure, there is no row for it here.
What is good about it
- Name recognition, which genuinely matters for a gift - people want to try it
- Trading means the table talks constantly rather than staring at their own board
- Catan Studio sells a 5-6 player extension separately, so the ceiling can be raised later
What is not
- Three players minimum from the base box - a couple cannot play it
- Sixty to ninety minutes is a real commitment for a first game
- Bad dice luck can leave one player doing nothing for long stretches
Who should skip it
Skip it for a couple, and skip it for a group that wants to finish in half an hour. Both of those are the publisher's own numbers, not our opinion.
How it scored as a gift
- Easy to explain7.4
- Works for non-gamers8.0
- Group size range6.4
- Repeat plays9.0
- Feels like a gift9.6
Gift fit 8.3 / 10. That is our editorial judgment of how safe and well-aimed this is as a present, read off the published specifications - not a verdict on how good the game is, and not a test result. It is deliberately not marked up as a rating in this page’s structured data. How we pick.
How these were picked
We have not played these games and we do not pretend to have. What we did was read each publisher’s own page, take their stated player count, playing time and age band, check that every pick genuinely fits the constraint in this page’s title, confirm it is still being sold, and pull a live price rather than a remembered one. Every figure here names the publisher it came from, so you can check it yourself in about a minute.
How we pick sets out the full method, including what would change a ranking.
Questions people ask
+−What board game is most like Ticket to Ride?
Carcassonne. Z-Man Games states 2-5 players, ages 7+, 30-45 minutes, and it shares the things that make Ticket to Ride easy to give as a present: one simple action per turn, a map that builds up where everyone can see it, and almost no reading.
+−Should I buy Ticket to Ride: Europe if I already own Ticket to Ride?
Yes, if you want more of the same game - Days of Wonder states 2-5 players, 8+, 30-60 minutes for both, and Europe is a standalone box rather than an expansion. It adds tunnels, ferries and stations, which change the risk in claiming a route.
+−What is a good step up from Ticket to Ride?
Wingspan. Stonemaier states 1-5 players and 40-70 minutes, and it is a real increase in rules without being a two-hour game. Cascadia (Alderac: 1-4 players, 45 minutes) is the gentler step if the household liked Ticket to Ride precisely because it was calm.
+−Is CATAN like Ticket to Ride?
Not really. Both are modern classics, and that is where it ends. Catan Studio states 3-4 players and 60-90 minutes, and the game runs on trading and on blocking other players - Ticket to Ride is a much quieter, shorter game where everyone mostly builds their own network.
+−What game like Ticket to Ride works for more than five players?
7 Wonders - Repos Production states 3-7 players, ages 10+, 30 minutes. It is the only pick here that goes past five, and because all seven players draft simultaneously it does not get slower as the table fills.