Ticket to Ride World Maps

Designer: Alan R. Moon
Publishers: Days of Wonder

GameMaster

GM: Scott Saccenti

Schedule

Demo: No formal demo. Games will be taught at each table once players are seated.

See schedule for Heat times

Plaques

The top two finishers from the Final will receive a EuroQuest plaque.

Event Description for 2026

Format

There will be three preliminary heats, followed by the semi-final and final.

All heats, the Semi-Final, and the Final will use a variety of Ticket to Ride versions as described below.

Game Versions

This event will use almost all of the Ticket to ride variants (Africa, Switzerland, Pennsylvania, etc, etc, etc.). There will be a small number of variants that won’t be included (GM discretion, but we will not be play Rails & Sails, or any of the “mini City” maps). No one will play the same map twice over the course of the tournament.

This is a coached event. The ONLY expectation is that you know how to play regular Ticket to Ride. You will be assigned to a random table, and you and the other players will together need to learn the version you are about to play. These are very simple variants, usually they can be taught in about five minutes or less (“We are going to play Ticket, here are the one or two things that are different about this variant”). It’s entirely likely that no one at the table will have ever played the map you are about to try. Everyone is expected to be friendly and helpful.

Number of Players

Most games will be played with 4 players, resorting to 3-player games if needed. Table assignments and seating order are assigned randomly. Choose a random start player by any agreeable method. The number of trains, train cards and destination tickets a player has is public knowledge.

Elimination Rounds

Every reasonable (GM discretion!) effort will be made to cut to a 16-player semi-final. Ranking will be determined by the EuroQuest formula. The top four ranked players after the heats will be split up in the semi-final. Winners of the semi-final games will advance to a four-player final. If any of these winners are not able to play in the final, we will select closest-second from among the semi-final games. “Closest” is defined by percentage not raw points.

Rules Version

The tournament will use the official Ticket to Ride rules for each version as published by Days of Wonder.

1. In the heats, players beginning in the third and/or fourth starting position in initial turn order will be dealt an additional starting card to their hand (five cards instead of four).
2. Players should determine how many of their starting tickets they shall keep in turn order, if requested by anyone at the table.
3. Reminder – the train deck is re-shuffled the instant that it is empty (NOT the instant when you “need to draw”).
4. The default scoring etiquette will be to score routes at game END, unless ALL players at the table wish to score them during the game.
5. In the semi-final and final, the third player will start with a fifth card drawn randomly, while the fourth player will start with a Locomotive card as their fifth starting hand card.
6. The only tie-breaker, in all Ticket to Ride games in this tournament, is reverse initial turn order.
7. Family members will be split up whenever reasonably possible.
8. Be sure to shuffle the Train cards thoroughly (because they are discarded in sets).

RULES CHANGE FROM THE REGULAR TICKET TOURNAMENT

Instead of the default in a three-player game being “mean” (only one of the double-sided routes are available for play), the World Maps tournament will default to “nice” in three-player games: all double-routes are playable. Should ALL players agree before starting the game to play “mean,” that is permitted but discouraged.

Each World Map game will include a factsheet called “What’s Different About This Version” to help players learn the variant, as well as alert them to any tournament-specific rules applicable to that particular map.

Tie Breakers

The only tie-breaker, in all Ticket to Ride games in this tournament, is reverse initial turn order.

Time Limit Adjudication

Each heat will last 90 minutes. The GM intends to be available to adjudicate unfinished games promptly at the 90-minute mark. Adjudication will be based on likely outcomes, not only on current scores.

Past Winners

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Ticket To Ride at EuroQuest 2026 will award Meeple League points

Last updated Sept 23, 2026