After a year of playing Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West, we finished the campaign—and I WON! 🎉 For the first time ever, we trashed cards, snapped pieces of the map in half (goodbye, haunted wasteland 🧟), and—wait for it—threw the entire game away. I loved it, but it wouldn’t play the same outside the group that shared this journey. Keeping our collection tight meant culling it after enjoying it to the fullest.
With that said, if you’re considering this campaign and have 4–5 players to enjoy it with—do it! ✅ It’s absolutely worth the train ride . Here’s the kicker: I’m a huge Ticket to Ride fan, but my wife? Not so much. After countless pandemic games, she was pretty much over it. Yet this legacy campaign pulled her right back in. Why? It’s still got the satisfying ticket-drawing, route-claiming fun we love, but now there’s an evolving story that shakes things up: expanding the map, building cities, exploring haunted wastelands, joining a circus 🎪, earning stocks, dodging robbers, and more!
So, Why Invest in this Legacy Game??
This isn’t your typical Ticket to Ride. Over 12 sessions, you’ll open secret frontier boxes, slap new rules into the rulebook, and permanently change the board. You’ll be able to claim roads and determine the color of the tracks. If these are of your color–you score extra points! There’s also postcards with hidden goals that could aid you during a game. There's events that can provide bonuses or make things difficult. And then, there's the frontier boxes which will expand the map as the years go on
Fresh Mechanics Keep It Interesting
Here’s a cool twist: Instead of longest road or most tickets, bonuses come from leftover trains after each session, and your earnings get stashed in a vault until the end of the campaign. It was so satisfying to watch that vault fill up while still having no idea who was ahead. Plus, the clever catch-up mechanic gives the last game’s loser a bonus to kick off the next round—perfect for keeping things competitive and fair
The Map Expands, and So Does the Fun
You start with just the eastern U.S., but as you play, the map stretches westward. By the end, you’ve got this sprawling, unique network full of memories (and inside jokes). The evolving map is one of the game’s biggest highlights—it felt like we were literally building a part of history. Plus, you get to claim some cities and make some towns big cities. Even if they aren’t really big metropolises in today’s world. Additionally, every frontier expansion to the map comes with its own surprises that keeps the game fresh and exciting
Initial Setup
First, each player picks a railway company—because you can’t run a successful train network without a solid company name, right? You’ll get your company box, which becomes your personal scoreboard and vault as you make your way through the campaign. It’s where all your hard-earned riches will go, and trust me, it feels pretty satisfying to see it fill up over time. The game kicks off with a basic map, and the initial rules are simple enough to get started, but don’t let that fool you—things will increase in complexity as more frontiers are unveiled
Gameplay
Every turn, you’ll be either drawing train cards, tickets, or claiming routes. Your destination tickets get fulfilled privately and are disclosed at the end of the game. As the campaign moves forward, you’ll encounter new legacy events—things like Frontier Boxes unlock new rules and map expansions. These events shake things up and keep the game fresh and exciting. You’ll start modifying the map, adding new routes, and changing existing ones as the game evolves. New rules are introduced along the way to build complexity in a very palatable way. And, of course, the Vault Scoring system is key—you earn money throughout the game, and that money goes into your vault. What’s in your vault at the end of the campaign is what counts towards your final score.
Pros
🎲 Choices with lasting consequences and branching narratives
🎨 Gorgeous maps and components
🚂 Familiar Gameplay with a Twist
📖 Engaging Campaign Structure
🌟 Progressive Complexity
⚖️ Balanced Catch-Up Mechanic
🏦 Vault Scoring System
🗺 Dynamic Map Evolution
🎯 Reward for Strategic Play
🎭 Thematic Immersion
🎁 Clever Component Integration
(Cons)iderations
🗑 One-and-Done Gameplay or at least limited appeal outside the legacy campaign
🚫 Requires a Consistent Group: best enjoyed with a dedicated group willing to commit to the full campaign
🕒 Time Commitment the game gets longer as you advance the campaign
📦 Box size, the game has a beautiful insert and it’s really well designed, but it is HUGE!
💸 Price Point, this is a pricey game for twelve games. It is worth it, but it may not be on everyone’s budget
📚 Rule Adjustments Over Time allow for some confusion or having to relearn the game if too long has elapsed between sessions
Bottom Line
After countless hours of Ticket to Ride, I still love it. It’s the kind of game that is not only elegant, language independent, but it is also able to be played with anyone. Adding a legacy layer? I was intrigued but unsure—would it overcomplicate the simplicity that makes Ticket to Ride shine? Spoiler: It doesn’t! Legends of the West is an absolute blast. It’s a ride that only gets better with each play. The evolving gameplay, unique vault scoring system, and narrative add layers of strategy and immersion that keep you hooked. Yes, you’ll eventually have to say goodbye to the game, but trust me—it’s one unforgettable journey
🚂 Grab your bags, and give this baby a try!
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