On May 17, 2025, Paris hosted a truly special event: the grand finale of the 20th Anniversary Ticket to Ride World Tournament, celebrating two decades of passion, strategy… and rail-bound adventures imagined by Alan R. Moon!
Launched several months ago on Board Game Arena, this global tournament brought together over 3,600 players from across the world, divided into eight regional time zones. After intense online competition, the eight finalists were invited to Paris for the ultimate showdown:
- Angelo (ExaltedAngel) – Italy
- Jordi (daedin28) – Spain
- Emmanuel (Elric_S) – France
- Alessandro (BalduvianHorde) – Italy
- Will Wai To (will_will) – Hong Kong
- Simon (Cournot) – Canada
- Gary (nyan-cat) – USA
- Ross (scorps4) – USA
A Unique Venue for a Fully Immersive Experience
The finalists met at Le Wagon Bleu, a Parisian restaurant nestled inside an actual vintage train car—an atmosphere perfectly aligned with the spirit of Ticket to Ride. Judges, staff, and content creators all donned early 20th-century costumes to complete the immersive journey. All aboard!
The day unfolded across several iconic maps. The first match on South Korea, with its majority mechanics, set the tone. After high-scoring duels, the players faced off on the Europe map, with its perilous tunnels and game-saving stations.
Finally, the top 4 scorers from both tables advanced to the final. At this level, where thousands of games lie behind each competitor, every move matters. The original United States map—where it all began—served as the battleground.
Tension ran high. Players blocked each other’s routes, fought fiercely over wild cards, and defended critical paths. Despite their camaraderie that morning—some of them had known each other for 20 years—once the finale began, it was every rail baron for themselves.
After 90 thrilling minutes, the results were in: Angelo, who had a slow start, pulled off a surprise win.
The Final Podium
After a series of intense matches, the tournament crowned:
- Angelo (Italy)
- Jordi (Spain)
- Emmanuel (France)
- Alessandro (Italy)
“I feel incredibly lucky and honored to have won. The level was extremely high, and every decision counted.” Angelo, 20th Anniversary Ticket to Ride World Champion
A Live Broadcast Followed Around the World
The grand finale was streamed live on Twitch, in partnership with Un Monde de Jeux and Penelope_Gaming, with several special guests joining the event:
- Julien Delval, illustrator of Ticket to Ride
- Adrien Martinot, Head of Days of Wonder and the ultimate Ticket to Ride expert
- Representatives from BoardGameGeek and The Dice Tower
- Influencers Marie Grd Jeux and Simon (Le Passe Temps)
The broadcast was a great success, with thousands of views across our social platforms and partners’ channels.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Community
This finale was more than just a competition—it was a shared celebration of what Ticket to Ride has become over 20 years: an iconic game, played and loved around the globe.
“Thank you to all the players who have kept this game alive over the past 20 years, on every continent and every platform.” Adrien Martinot, Days of Wonder
Play Like a Champion!
One of the biggest takeaways from the day? The clever techniques used by our finalists! Many opened the game by drawing blindly to build a solid hand, revealing little about their strategy until they struck with back-to-back route claims. Few dared to draw new tickets midgame… but in a final gamble, some did in the closing turns—chasing those 20 extra points that might just turn the tide. Risky? Absolutely. But oh, so epic.
