The 3 best classic board games for mobile

This time around in our series about the best board games on mobile, we're going to look at some classics. These are the sort of games that make hardcore board game players go all misty eyed and weak at the knees.

And thanks to clever tutorials, and the fact you don't have to set everything up on a table, mobile is definitely the best place to jump into them for the first time.

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

It might be a game about trying to create the best network of train lines around the world, but Ticket to Ride is actually a brilliantly fun experience.

You're laying down the tracks, competing against friends or the AI to try and become the predominant rail magnate.

It's super slick, brilliantly well put together, and gets pretty tense when you get to the closing stages of the track-laying battle.

Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

This one doesn't sound all that exciting either. You're a precious stone merchant in the renaissance, and you're trying to earn more money than everyone else.

Yet again though, you should't let the subject matter fool you. This is an intriguing and deep experience that's all about building up your empire and out-scoring your equally rich mercantile foes.

There's a decent solo mode, as well as the requisite multiplayer, so if you don't fancy heading straight online, you can learn the tricks of the trade first.

Small World 2 - buy on iOS / Android

The name of this one might be a little confusing. It's not so much a sequel to Small World as it is an expansion. And it adds a whole host of multiplayer options for you to sink your teeth into.

Small World is all about taking control of a small world, and you do that by laying down tokens on different spits of land. You'll need to engage your grey matter, and learn not to punch your friends if they ruin your best laid plans.

This one's maybe a little lighter than the other two, so if you're not a big board game fan, it's definitely a really good place to start.