Around the world in eight board games – the best travel-themed tabletop RPGs

metro.co.uk:

If you’re stuck inside again, thanks to cancelled flights or fear of heatstroke, you can still travel the world with some cool board games.

Has your summer holiday been scuppered by chaos at the airports? Don’t worry, you can travel the world from your living room! Indulge in some wanderlust with friends and family from the comfort of your armchair, as you complete quests and puzzles in faraway locales while avoiding the queues at passport control.

There were plenty of travel-themed board games at last month’s UK Games Expo and so we’ve selected some great new getaway games to try, as well as some new expansions for old favourites. Travel games are not only fun but can also be educational, often exploring the history and culture of a country, from Japanese tree spirits straight out of Princess Mononoke to expansionist Russian royalty.

Tabletop gaming is booming and with Gen Con, the world’s biggest tabletop gaming expo, coming up in just two weeks in Indianapolis there will be plenty more new board games and expansions unveiled. There’s particular excitement for the promised Return To Dark Tower, sequel to the classic 1981 board game Dark Tower, but also role-playing game Land Of Eem, which sells itself as Lord of the Rings meets The Muppets.

Ask anyone to recommend a game about travel and top of their list will be Ticket To Ride. It’s simple to pick up and play and a staple of every game café’s library. This new version is set in 1960s San Francisco and starts with each player owning a supply of 20 little cable cars to place on the board, and destination tickets that show locations in the city.

The gameplay involves completing routes around the Bay Area, and you do this by drawing more