East Africa (fan expansion for Ticket to Ride)

Description

--- <TLDR> Ticket to Ride variant on special board emphasizes route-building, Tourist cards, border controls, new actions, and bonuses to maximize points over rivals. </TLDR> Key mechanics include: - *Core Ticket to Ride principles* Players score points by claiming routes on a special board using train pieces and cards from base US/Europe games. - *Tourist cards* Dealt like tickets with keep/dispose rules; city-specific for visit points or facilities aiding ticket completion. - *Border controls* Require special passes to cross. - *New action options* Exchange all cards at start (keep new); discard 5/draw 5 as turn; earn double points; additional unlisted options. - *End-game triggers and scoring* Up to 9 bonuses; optional early end when wagon stock hits 3 to block opponents. - *Variant modes* Minimap enables shorter games. This Ticket to Ride variant adheres to base game principles on a specialized board with unique cards and rules, where players compete to amass points by traversing routes and strategically outmaneuvering opponents using train pieces and cards from US or Europe editions. It introduces Tourist cards handled identically to tickets—some granting values for visiting specific cities, others providing facilities to fulfill tickets—alongside up to 9 end-game bonuses. Border controls demand special passes, while expanded rules offer innovative turns like fully exchanging cards at the outset (retaining new ones), discarding 5 to draw 5, doubling points, and more. Players can prematurely call game end at 3 remaining wagons for advantage, denying rivals ticket completions, with a minimap option for abbreviated play. ---