Next Ticket to Ride Features Map of Germany

The third edition of Ticket to Ride will be based in Germany. Ticket to Ride: Marklin Edition is due out in early 2006 from publisher Days of Wonder. With this version of the game, designer Alan R. Moon introduces passengers and merchandise to the gameplay. The previous games in the series are the original Ticket to Ride (featuring a map of the U.S.) and Ticket to Ride: Europe. So why's this version of Ticket to Ride known as the "Marklin" edition? Many train hobbyists consider Marklin to be the premier name in the model train world. A German company that has been around for more than 140 years, Marklin is the world's leader in the miniature train hobby. Each train card in this edition of TtR will feature a different image (118 in all) of a Marklin model train car or locomotive.

According to Days of Wonder, passengers are used in TtR: Marklin to pick up merchandise worth different numbers of points along the routes that they claim. Varying stacks of merchandise tokens with different point values are placed next to the different cities on the map. Players can place one of their 3 passenger tokens on any city along a route that they claim.

On his game turn, the player can choose to then move one of his passengers from the city it currently occupies along any or all of his continuous routes, picking up merchandise tokens frome each city he moves through. The point total of the tokens is then added to his score.

There are also two other notable gameplay changes: the German map has a strong vertical orientation; and instead of a bonus for longest route, the 10 point bonus card goes to the player who completes the most destination tickets.

Days of Wonder will preview the Marklin Edition of Ticket to Ride at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in February in Germany. It is scheduled to be available in North America in April. It should sell for about $40.