Board Game for 10 yo? Ticket to Ride? US or Europe?

[CommonCents]

I'm planning on getting a board game for my 10 year old nephew for Christmas this year.  I'm leaning towards Ticket to Ride.  (Age appropriate, good reviews, they or we already have some other favorites, and he used to adore trains though he's a bit older now.)  Which version - US or United States should I get?  Or do you highly recommend another game instead?

[MayDay]

We have one, my parents have the other. My mom found hers brand new unopened for 5$ at a thrift store!

They are not significantly different.  Europe has a bit more complex rules, which we just ignore (even the adults, lol) and play the basic version.  Otherwise the only difference is the maps. 

My 8 year old can handle it with adult guidance although his strategy sucks, so he usually loses.  But he likes it a lot.  I think a 10 year old would love it.

I would get US, personally, since like i said even the adults in our family do not care for the more complex rules- they feel sort of unnecessarily complex, like they had to add *something* to make it different from the regular game.

[shelivesthedream]

I would highly recommend Settlers of Catan or Pandemic if you want to purchase another board game in the future.

[CommonCents]

He already has Forbidden Island, which is similar to Pandemic, which is why I was looking for something different.  (Also the adults don't seem to care for Forbidden Island, so they are less inclined to play with him.  We play it with him, but my folks aren't so keen on it.)

We've already gotten Catan, and I think they do too.  (I agree it's a great game.) 

I admit I was hoping you'd say Europe though, as it's cheaper on Amazon at the moment.  But if it's too complicated (e.g. my game of Puerto Rico frustrates them) we might again run into an issue of other adults not being keen to play it with him.

[mm1970]

Ooh, thanks for the tip, by the way. My older son is 9, and he loves games.  So do the rest of my family members, and we are finally getting back into it after a few years "off" with a baby-to-three year old.

We just bought Clue.  He's obsessed.

[shelivesthedream]

Lords of Waterdeep another good one for 13+.

[CommonCents]

Ooh, thanks for the tip, by the way. My older son is 9, and he loves games.  So do the rest of my family members, and we are finally getting back into it after a few years "off" with a baby-to-three year old.

We just bought Clue.  He's obsessed.

My folks already have Clue (I'm aiming for a new game that my sister, our parents or we don't have, which I get is tricky w/o me trying to remember and list out the entire game closet contents).  My mom loves it and she's quite good.  I don't know that he's ever played it though, so maybe I'll pull it out to try it next time.

Thanks re Lords of Waterdeep, I'll have to keep that idea in the back pocket for another 3+ years.

If it helps any in brainstorming, we just started playing the new risk game with him (simpler rules, with cease fire card) and he seems to really like it though he hasn't yet grasped finer strategy details despite some adult mentoring (it's difficult to persuade him to stop to build any defenses).  Very good at rolling 6s which balances that out some though, so we'll be taking him to Vegas in 11 years.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I love Ticket To Ride. We got a jumbo, all-the-expansions, too--it's more fun that way. The expansion cards are larger and easier to hold. We have the US version and have not tried Europe.

Pandemic is a TERRIBLE game IME. We played it maybe four or five times. Usually, we all lost, which is depressing, and then the time we actually won, it was anticlimactic.

[aperture]

Ticket to Ride US edition is great - my 10 now 11 year old daughter loves it.  We also enjoy playing Splendor for ease of play, good combination of strategy and luck and for fairly quick (30 - 45 minute) game play with 3 - 4 players.  I think there is a 2 player approach but we have not tried. 
I would give Settlers a 'meh' - we play occasionally, but strategy is a bit higher then a 10 -11 year old is ready for.  We also own Carcassonne, but have not played in so long, I cannot remember any details of that game. 

[TVRodriguez]

We have Ticket to Ride Europe, and my 8 yr old likes it a lot. I enjoy it but find it too long to play regularly, which is tough for him bc his younger siblings  (6 and 4) can't really play with him without me. We ignore the more complicated rules not bc he can't handle them but bc I can't.

[Eric222]

I'm actively working on getting my kids addicted to board games - my oldest is only 6...but I'll let you know what we play.

King of Toyko was a recent find that is quick, fun, and the primary skills are rolling (and keeping) dice and reading cards. My son beat both my brother and I.

Ticket to ride US is easier for me because I'm more familiar with the cities.  The extra Europe stuff is a bit clunky.  My son enjoys playing - he doesn't win, which is fine.  He just tries to complete his routes, which makes him happy. 

Splendor is great!  Quick, everyone wins sometimes.  If you are good you win slightly more.  Works well with 2-4 players.  Is the only board game I ever got my parents addicted to.  It is easy to get people to agree to a game.  30 minutes between start of setup and finish.  I think a 10 year old would have no problems playing and winning some of the time.

Another quick game that is perfect for ~10 years old is Hive.  No board, can be carried in a bag, requires some offensive and defensive strategy.  It is a great way to demonstrate the value of defense (in much less time than Risk...).  My six year old only knows the full blitzkrieg.  Hive is sort of like chess, but with fewer pieces. 

Also, for forbidden island, there are variant 'maps' that have been made - https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/569926/official-variant-tile-layouts - these make the game less repetitive. 

For younger kids (my 3 year old loves it), "My first Carcassonne" is a lot of fun. 

[Eric222]

We have Ticket to Ride Europe, and my 8 yr old likes it a lot. I enjoy it but find it too long to play regularly, which is tough for him bc his younger siblings  (6 and 4) can't really play with him without me. We ignore the more complicated rules not bc he can't handle them but bc I can't.

Your 8 and 6 year old would enjoy destroying each other in King of Tokyo, fwiw.  :) 

[Kitsune]

I highly recommend Love Letters for a simple game that's good for a crowd (10 minutes max, and cheap - good for playing while waiting for other people to join in, and can be played several times in a row).

Also, for slightly older children (say, 8+) and adults, Coup is FANTASTIC.

[merula]

How about Carcassone? I think it's easier to learn than Catan, Pandemic or Ticket to Ride, and it's so much fun. I mostly play with adults but did teach it to my 11 year old cousin, and he loved it too.

There are expansions, but IMO they're hit-or-miss.

[gillstone]

+1 on Pandemic and King of Tokyo

Also look at Little Big World, BattleSheep, Tsuro, Dominion, and Tapestry

[Left]

monopoly with inflation, each pass of go is a half percent?
never too young to teach kids interest rates suck

[elaine amj]

I love Ticket To Ride. We got a jumbo, all-the-expansions, too--it's more fun that way. The expansion cards are larger and easier to hold. We have the US version and have not tried Europe.

Pandemic is a TERRIBLE game IME. We played it maybe four or five times. Usually, we all lost, which is depressing, and then the time we actually won, it was anticlimactic.

I didn't care for Pandemic either. Was not particularly easy to learn to play and the play itself was rather boring.

I have to look into new board games perhaps. We've been hooked on dominoes for some years now and just haven't been able to look at any other games.

[CommonCents]

Hi guys - Love all of the idea!  Any I don't use this year I'll keep in mind for birthdays and future Christmases.  (He always wants computer games, but I'm trying to encourage fun activities beyond it.)

A few thoughts:
He's an only child - and only grandkid - so he's really stuck with us adults for board games.  (My folks will play but aren't keen on board games that are too complicated to set up or understand, or too long to play.  My dad will play, but doesn't like the concept, where you have to deliberately single someone out, such us with the Robber in Catan.  My mom's idea of a fun game is Clue or Rummikub.  His dad really likes Risk.  His mom doesn't seem to like any games beyond our family's cutthroat solitaire (you play on everyone else's aces, best with 4-6 but we have played up to 13 people - it's a huge tradition in our family though our spouses are not at all keen on it so the tradition isn't being passed on as much).  Meanwhile, I LOVE the german style strategy games.  And my nephew just wants to play games with us.  And win.)
I'm thinking of asking for Dominion for myself.
We already have Carcassonne, but we never liked it.  (Played once years and years ago and found it eh.  I'll have to try again sometime though.)
Everyone (they, us, parents) has Monopoly already, though I was thinking of getting him Monopoly Deal sometime as a shorter game.
Sounds like US is better to start on than Europe, even if some people like Europe better later.  Europe price went up $10 yesterday on Amazon ($29 to $39) which irritates me so I'm fine enough with that.
I'll check out some of the others you've suggested here with which I'm not familiar (e.g. Hive, Splendor).

[TVRodriguez]

We have Ticket to Ride Europe, and my 8 yr old likes it a lot. I enjoy it but find it too long to play regularly, which is tough for him bc his younger siblings  (6 and 4) can't really play with him without me. We ignore the more complicated rules not bc he can't handle them but bc I can't.

Your 8 and 6 year old would enjoy destroying each other in King of Tokyo, fwiw.  :)

Thanks.  I'll check it out.  I'm going to check out all the games you and everyone else listed, actually.  Thanks for starting this thread, OP!

My 6 year old, though, is they type who wants everyone to win.  When she was younger and played Candyland with me, she used to "wait" for me at the entrance to King Candy's Castle so we could "go in together."  So no destroying.  Then again, she is a bit older now.  She may enjoy destroying her older brother once in a while . . .

[CommonCents]

We have Ticket to Ride Europe, and my 8 yr old likes it a lot. I enjoy it but find it too long to play regularly, which is tough for him bc his younger siblings  (6 and 4) can't really play with him without me. We ignore the more complicated rules not bc he can't handle them but bc I can't.

Your 8 and 6 year old would enjoy destroying each other in King of Tokyo, fwiw.  :)

Thanks.  I'll check it out.  I'm going to check out all the games you and everyone else listed, actually.  Thanks for starting this thread, OP!

My 6 year old, though, is they type who wants everyone to win.  When she was younger and played Candyland with me, she used to "wait" for me at the entrance to King Candy's Castle so we could "go in together."  So no destroying.  Then again, she is a bit older now.  She may enjoy destroying her older brother once in a while . . .

Glad it's helpful for more than just me.  :)

For your 6 yo, she might like cooperative style games.  She's a bit too young for Forbidden Island mentioned up thread, but with this type of game either the group wins or loses together.  (We actually got FI a year or two ago for the nephew to try combat his "I must win or I get frustrated."  He still gets a bit cranky when the group loses though.)

[NeverLost]

Based on your explanation, I would also agree that the whole family might love Splendor.  We got both ticket to ride US and splendor about a year ago and my (then) 7 year old could easily play both.  Recently though we've been playing 7 wonders, which is a bit more complex but my 8 year old can easily play and even beat us!  It is a pain to read/figure out the instructions, but once you get it it's a fun strategy game.

[Jellyfish]

We have Ticket to Ride Europe and have also played the US version.  I personally like the Europe version but we spend a significant amount of time "hunting" for the cities because they use the historical and/or authentic (non-English) names for the cities and it takes us forever to figure out where they are on the map. 

[Goldielocks]

I love Ticket To Ride. We got a jumbo, all-the-expansions, too--it's more fun that way. The expansion cards are larger and easier to hold. We have the US version and have not tried Europe.

Pandemic is a TERRIBLE game IME. We played it maybe four or five times. Usually, we all lost, which is depressing, and then the time we actually won, it was anticlimactic.

Another vote for TTR over pandemic.   We have Europe and love it. Never played us version, kids have trouble at first with finding city names in home language. Son loves the tunnel   

We played out settlers, now TTR and peurto Rico are the go to games. Son started beating adults at age 12.

Pandemic seems a bit simple for 11 yrs up, but we only played twice.

[Le Poisson]

We just got "Saboteur" and have played it probably a half dozen times.

It can handle anything from 3 to 10 players, but is best with around 7. Age appropriate - we play with a 7 yr old, 17 yo daughter, her boyfriend (20), Mom and I. Everyone has fun, but the 7 yr old struggles strategy wise (still loves it - and its hillarious when he is 'it'.

Bonus - its cheap and easy to store, and the cards look cool.

[Alternatepriorities]

I admit I was hoping you'd say Europe though, as it's cheaper on Amazon at the moment.  But if it's too complicated (e.g. my game of Puerto Rico frustrates them) we might again run into an issue of other adults not being keen to play it with him.

I've played both versions and enjoy the extras in the European version. I don't think a bright ten year old would have problems with it and it would be easy to play without them if you wanted to. If it's cheaper I'd recommend getting the Euro version.

monopoly with inflation, each pass of go is a half percent?
never too young to teach kids interest rates suck

That's a great idea. I loved monopoly as a kid and tried adding taxes to make it more realistic. It turns out taxes don't make anything more fun...

[shelivesthedream]

@CommonCents: we play cutthroat solitaire too! We call it n-way patience (depending on how many people play - four is the most ever, though). I love it but no one likes to play it as much as me... You could consider a book of card games.

[Fbeyer]

I think the Europe version scales better than the US version.
You CAN exclude rules  in Europe if it's too much for you, but you can't ADD rules to the US game.
Thus, you get the option of tactically scaling TtR Europe in a way that you can't with the US map. That makes for a much longer-lived game.

Personally I feel that Europe scales much better to two players (because the stations allow you to mooch off of the other player's connections at the cost of victory points).

I don't know if you strictly prefer card board versions of board games, but there is a Ticket to Ride package on Steam that will get you  US, Europe, India,  Asia, Switzerland , and the Ticket to Ride USA 1910 DLC for 15 Euros total.

Other than that, I highly advocate going to boardgamegeek.com where the world'd biggest collection of non-mustachians will proudly present their 400+ games collections. It's a huge database with tons of excellent info. You'll find cheat sheets, game variants, video tutorials, rules questions, tactical discussions, review and ALL sorts of things in there.

Happy hunting!

[Eric222]

....
I don't know if you strictly prefer card board versions of board games, but there is a Ticket to Ride package on Steam that will get you  US, Europe, India,  Asia, Switzerland , and the Ticket to Ride USA 1910 DLC for 15 Euros total.
...

This is true of lots of board games.  You can find many on Steam.  Ticket to Ride is particularly well done.  I like to win *ahem*, so I'll often play against computers to try and hone my strategy.  Yes, I'm that guy.  There is also a good version of Settlers of Catan...

[Jellyfish]

I should have added to my previous comment that my son is also 10 and he has no problem playing TTR Europe with all the rules (tunnels, stations, etc).  He wins about half the time.

[merula]

He's an only child - and only grandkid - so he's really stuck with us adults for board games. 

If his parents are OK with app games, Ticket To Ride is available on iOS and Android. I can't vouch for the iOS version, but I LOVE the Android version. It's exactly the same as the board game, only slightly easier to play because the routes you have are highlighted. Playing the app version really developed my strategy. The app can be either play against the computer or pass-and-play, which makes it great for car trips or plane rides.

This would be a nice addition to the physical board game, as he wouldn't be limited playing when adults want to and it would help him understand the game better and improve his strategy for when he does play with others.

(The app works on phones, but is really meant for tablets.)

[CommonCents]

He's an only child - and only grandkid - so he's really stuck with us adults for board games. 

If his parents are OK with app games, Ticket To Ride is available on iOS and Android. I can't vouch for the iOS version, but I LOVE the Android version. It's exactly the same as the board game, only slightly easier to play because the routes you have are highlighted. Playing the app version really developed my strategy. The app can be either play against the computer or pass-and-play, which makes it great for car trips or plane rides.

This would be a nice addition to the physical board game, as he wouldn't be limited playing when adults want to and it would help him understand the game better and improve his strategy for when he does play with others.

(The app works on phones, but is really meant for tablets.)

Interesting food for thought...but he plays a LOT of video games already - clash of clans, minecraft, sim, etc.  This was in part to get him off the ipad/wii!

@CommonCents: we play cutthroat solitaire too! We call it n-way patience (depending on how many people play - four is the most ever, though). I love it but no one likes to play it as much as me... You could consider a book of card games.

:)  It's pretty fun.  Lots of good stories and memories.  We call it cutthroat because some players (ahem, I am one) can be a wee bit speedy and aggressive to get the cards out unless we try to remember we are playing with newbies.  I grew up, vacations with my mom's parents and her sister's family at the beach with no electronics at the cabin, and cutthroat solitaire played all together in the evenings.  Played the 13-player game one Thanksgiving with the second cousins (my sister and I were stuck at the end for one round, which was tough for a 5'2"-ers).  In honor of my grandfather, we actually pulled out decks after his funeral and made sure to play together that evening.  At my wedding rehearsal we had a big BBQ at my folks place with all of the guests, and I even made sure to have some decks on the tables outside as a nod to it, though I'm not sure if they were used.  Story even goes my mom babysat her much younger cousins and the neighbors couldn't understand how she got the hellions all inside so early in the summer evenings (answer being she suggested solitaire).  After we got older we all used to always travel with decks (and everyone bringing extra decks in case the others forgot), but that's waned a bit.  My brother even sent this around this summer with reference to our game: http://www.theonion.com/article/relationship-point-where-woman-has-learn-boyfriend-50952?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default

I do have a very old card game book from my mom, but nothing else quite caught on.  Now after writing that, I'm all bummed that the "new" generation (our spouses and my nephew) aren't into it.

[MerryMcQ]

My DS10 loves Munchkin. It is a card game, very eady to learn, and comes in a dozen flavors (Star Wars, monsters, zombies, etc, etc). We adults enjoy it, but my son's boy scout troop is crazy about it--played it non-stop when we brought it camping.

[NextTime]

He's an only child - and only grandkid - so he's really stuck with us adults for board games. 

If his parents are OK with app games, Ticket To Ride is available on iOS and Android. I can't vouch for the iOS version, but I LOVE the Android version. It's exactly the same as the board game, only slightly easier to play because the routes you have are highlighted. Playing the app version really developed my strategy. The app can be either play against the computer or pass-and-play, which makes it great for car trips or plane rides.

This would be a nice addition to the physical board game, as he wouldn't be limited playing when adults want to and it would help him understand the game better and improve his strategy for when he does play with others.

(The app works on phones, but is really meant for tablets.)

I have TTR, Carcasonne, and Puerto Rico on iOS. All great games. Problem for me is, it's so quick and easy to play on your phone that I no longer want to play the board game.

[PathtoFIRE]

Our kids are 6, 4, and 2, and we are asking one of their sets of uncle/aunts to get Ticket to Ride. I saw Munchkin mentioned above, which we have but haven't introduced yet, but I'm sure a 10 year-old would like that. In that Munchkin/MagictheGathering vein is Dominion, which is a card-based game where you essentially create a different deck of cards each game. It's fun, and requires adjusting strategies; it may be a little complex for a 10yo, but I've only played with my wife's siblings, who know all of the cards and have played many many times, so maybe in a group of all novices, the game would play out in a simpler and easier to follow way.

[bernardnb]

In addition to many of the games mentioned above, here are a few more that have been favorites for us:

Survive: Escape from Atlantis - Island is sinking and you have to get your meeples to safety, by either swimming or getting in boats, but sharks and sea monsters are lurking in the waters. 

Tobago - Deduction treasure hunting game.  Only played a few times, but always a good time.

Formula D - very fun racing game.  Each gear you are in has a different die, which determines how many spaces you can move.

Suburbia - like the board game version of SimCity, one of my personal favorites

Flashpoint - firefigithing game with a similar co-op structure as Pandemic, but different roles have players doing a bit more of their own thing, which helps with the "quarterbacking" issue in co-ops.

Sushi Go - quick and fun card game, play 1 card and pass rest of hand mechanic

Bang! - very fun western themed card game, be sure you and kids are comfortable "shooting/killing" each other

[formerlydivorcedmom]

My kids love Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne.

Their favorite game to play as a family is Sequence.  Seems simple, but it's a lot of fun.

[Jack]

I got several computer versions of Ticket to Ride in a Humble Indie Bundle or something a while back. I've mostly only played against the computer (which is too easy to beat).

On one hand, I think I like the Europe version better because the US rules are too simple. On the other hand, there are several variants of the US game (which all use the same map), so I guess you could possibly get a larger variety for less money that way.

monopoly with inflation, each pass of go is a half percent?
never too young to teach kids interest rates suck

Brilliant!

Of course, the thing to remember about Monopoly is that it isn't supposed to be fun: the objective of the game is for one person to leverage a slight advantage in order to slowly grind his opponents into dust, in order to "demonstrate how rents enrich property owners and impoverish tenants" (in the words of the Wikipedia article). Getting a lesson about debt slavery -- and taxes, per the other post -- along with that sounds like a great idea.

[PathtoFIRE]

...the objective of the game is for one person to leverage a slight advantage in order to slowly grind his opponents into dust, in order to "demonstrate how rents enrich property owners and impoverish tenants" (in the words of the Wikipedia article). Getting a lesson about debt slavery -- and taxes, per the other post -- along with that sounds like a great idea.

That's great. Guess it's taking a while for my son to learn that lesson, although he is only 6, as he keeps asking me to play, and I keep crushing him. Those Boardwalk/Park Place (or Krusty Krab/Spongebob's Pineapple, as we play the Spongebob version) properties are just so enticing to him. At least I'm getting to try out different ways to win.

I second Sequence (my 2/4/6 year olds loves Sequence for Kids with the animal cards). Another great but simple strategy game is Qwirkle. I also enjoy Bohnanza.

[Gremlin]

Another vote for TTR Europe over USA.  We have both and rarely play USA as it has quickly lost appeal in comparison to the more complex version.  Strategies and gameplay are both more involved.  My 10 year old son has it dominated.

[I'm a red panda]

With kids who are new to games I like the US Ticket to Ride because it is easier for them to visualize the routes. It can be tough to remember all the European cities. (Now, if you have European kids, either the opposite is true, or they know US geography too...)

Can I also throw in a recommendation for Castle Panic. It's a cooperative style game that is a lot of fun, as long as the adult playing can resist taking over when kids plan stupid moves.  :)

[Eric222]

With kids who are new to games I like the US Ticket to Ride because it is easier for them to visualize the routes. It can be tough to remember all the European cities. (Now, if you have European kids, either the opposite is true, or they know US geography too...)

Can I also throw in a recommendation for Castle Panic. It's a cooperative style game that is a lot of fun, as long as the adult playing can resist taking over when kids plan stupid moves.  :)

+1 on Castle panic.  My son loves it.  And if you have painted minis..... :D

[shelivesthedream]

I was recently introduced to 'Timeline'. Two players plus, fifteen minutes to play, you put historical events in date order. I'd say maybe 9 years plus due to needing a smattering of historical knowledge to even get started, but great fun when you're looking at a card and thinking "The first oil well?! WTF?!"

[aFrugalFather]

I have heard Flash Point Fire Rescue 2nd Edition is a good fun game for younger kids

[kaetana]

My nephews (ages 11 and 5) both love the following games:

Pandemic (cooperative euro)
King of Tokyo (a take that! kind of Ameritrash filler)
Splendor (a simple, lightweight Euro)
Catan
Witness (think Telephone meets Clue)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf (social deduction and bluffing)
Sheriff of Nottingham (bluffing)
Celestia (push your luck/gambling)
No Thanks (simple push your luck card game)
Hanabi (cooperative card game)
Flick Em Up (dexterity game with a Western theme)
Dice Masters (think Magic the Gathering, but much simpler and with superheroes and dice)

You can't go wrong with those staples! However, the 11-year-old can now play any adult games. His current favourites include Merchants and Marauders, Blood Rage, and Viticulture.

[kimmarg]

I didn't read the whole thread but we just got Ticket to Ride Europe (for me, kid is 7 weeks) I love it!

Bohnanza  is my favorite game and I seem to have the attention of a 10 year old. You collect sets of beans and cash the crops in for points. What's nice is you can trade with other players on your turn so there's lots of wheeling and dealing and everyone's involved on every turn not just sitting around waiting for your turn.

[StockBeard]

My nephews (ages 11 and 5) both love the following games:

Pandemic (cooperative euro)
King of Tokyo (a take that! kind of Ameritrash filler)
Splendor (a simple, lightweight Euro)
Catan
Witness (think Telephone meets Clue)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf (social deduction and bluffing)
Sheriff of Nottingham (bluffing)
Celestia (push your luck/gambling)
No Thanks (simple push your luck card game)
Hanabi (cooperative card game)
Flick Em Up (dexterity game with a Western theme)
Dice Masters (think Magic the Gathering, but much simpler and with superheroes and dice)

You can't go wrong with those staples! However, the 11-year-old can now play any adult games. His current favourites include Merchants and Marauders, Blood Rage, and Viticulture.

Are any of these games a bit too hard for your 5 year old nephew? I have a son who's 4, he likes board games and I'm always looking for new stuff, but I want to make sure it's not too hard to grasp for him (we're playing Forbidden Island a lot)