ON TRACK

Played this with my parents and my brother over the weekend and we ended up going three rounds straight. There's real planning involved in the rail routes, but the luck element keeps it from feeling like a math test, so nobody got frustrated.

The strategy really sneaks up on you—first round feels simple, then you're counting routes three turns ahead and second-guessing everything. Lost to my brother by one card, which says the luck element is real and not just decoration. We've already got it back on the table for tonight.

Played this with my family last weekend and we ended up doing three rounds back to back, which never happens with our usual board games. The planning side keeps it from feeling like pure luck, though a bad dice roll can still wreck your route.