Board Game Arena

justice2kill wrote: ↑07 October 2025, 17:33 I played Ticket to Ride Arena a lot when it was 4 player. it's like 3 years ago i guess.
I stopped playing TTR after changing 2p only and always wonder when the game mode will change back to 4p again.
This game is not cleary designed for 2player obviously.

The game obviously does quite well in 2 player, one of the many reasons 2 player is consistently voted for.

ExaltedAngel wrote: ↑07 October 2025, 02:33

DrakeStorm wrote: ↑29 September 2025, 01:46 If they would just make Swiss its own game, then we could have Swiss Arena! But it has been months and no change.

I'll try to talk about it directly with Days of Wonders if I have the chance

+1 ty Angel

sanderson455 wrote: ↑23 September 2025, 23:28 Would love there to be a switch up for a change. I love playing TTR in arena. But have been doing so less just because the two person, longest train game gets old after years of doing it. Would love for it to be more people, or switch it up to the most tickets instead of longest train. Or even the switzerland map (i know i know this is a long shot).

Just wish we could change it up for one season...

I personally have never understood why BGA hasn't instituted a 'dual' arena and a 'multiplayer' arena. There is clearly two distinct sets of players but because dual players play more they become gurus and so all games become dual by default.

Batman1517 wrote: ↑16 October 2025, 02:33

sanderson455 wrote: ↑23 September 2025, 23:28 Would love there to be a switch up for a change. I love playing TTR in arena. But have been doing so less just because the two person, longest train game gets old after years of doing it. Would love for it to be more people, or switch it up to the most tickets instead of longest train. Or even the switzerland map (i know i know this is a long shot).

Just wish we could change it up for one season...

I personally have never understood why BGA hasn't instituted a 'dual' arena and a 'multiplayer' arena. There is clearly two distinct sets of players but because dual players play more they become gurus and so all games become dual by default.

Most games don't have a worthwhile variant of more than 2 players. Occasionally a game switches their Arena mode to more than 2 players, but it doesn't take them long to realize why that's a bad idea and it quickly gets reverted back.

MadManMark wrote: ↑01 October 2025, 20:09

DrakeStorm wrote: ↑29 September 2025, 01:46 If they would just make Swiss its own game, then we could have Swiss Arena! But it has been months and no change.

Somewhere there is an old dusty thread where I and others advocated that Swiss was a distinct game because it had its own board, train count, and unique mechanisms (tunnels) vs USA. For unexplained some reason that was good enough to make TTR Europe a distinct game on BGA, but not Switzerland.

BGA's rule appears to be if you can buy it in a box and play with nothing else, then it is it's own game. If you can't it's released as a setting within the base game. There genuinely seems to be no decision making process on BGA itself, it is all about how the physical game was released.

The same is true (and even crazier) for Catan and Cities and Knights.

I'd love a four player Arena for TTR. I don't play Arena at all for TTR because the gameplay is totally different when playing as 2 vs 4 players and U just don't enjoy a two player game. It is such a popular game that I don't think it would have any issues with being a 4 player arena...

Jontia wrote: ↑10 November 2025, 22:19 BGA's rule appears to be if you can buy it in a box and play with nothing else, then it is it's own game. If you can't it's released as a setting within the base game. There genuinely seems to be no decision making process on BGA itself, it is all about how the physical game was released.

Turns out to be totally wrong! Ticket to Ride Map Packs added as their own game, means someone is making specific game based decisions. Will be interesting to see if this is the start of a trend, or something that gets rolled back in favour of not fragmenting queues.

Best version of TTR is Mega game, 4 player. Less variance, less luck as you can offset initial crappy route draw by maximizing 'like routes'. TTR 2 player does introduce the choice of blocking vs. routes. 2 player original is quick and dirty, although too often initial draw determines outcome. I think that is why 'long train' is kept for Arena. At least gives crap draw a chance at 10 additional. Variety is the spice of life; should switch it up and see.

cosdogg wrote: ↑18 February 2026, 23:18 Best version of TTR is Mega game, 4 player. Less variance, less luck as you can offset initial crappy route draw by maximizing 'like routes'. TTR 2 player does introduce the choice of blocking vs. routes. 2 player original is quick and dirty, although too often initial draw determines outcome. I think that is why 'long train' is kept for Arena. At least gives crap draw a chance at 10 additional. Variety is the spice of life; should switch it up and see.

Anything with more than 2 players and interactivity is going to get a big bump in variance/luck on that alone. Players tag team on each other and mess up each other's plans, and it doesn't even have to be on purpose. You get players stuck competing for the same spots through no fault of their own while another player has a much more open game. The power imbalance issues get way more severe than 2 player. That's just the nature of having too many players. Unless they're all playing solitaire, the overlaps reduce a player's agency within the game.

it's a competition game with a score, so how would competing for routes be a bad thing? to me that is what makes it great. 2 player original almost always comes down to who had the best initial draw; 4 player expansion usually comes down to who can be the most efficient.