Ticket to Ride's massive 2.0 update rolls out this Thursday - first details and screenshots

Days of Wonder will be rolling out a huge 2.0 update to its digital rail adventure board game Ticket to Ride on November 19th.

We've been able to bring you a preview of the update before it arrives in a couple of days. This includes the first screenshots and basic information.

Let's get started, shall we?

This update essentially reworks the entire digital version of Ticket to Ride from the ground up, giving it more modern functionality.

First off, this includes making it a universal app at long last. Yep, you'll no longer need separate versions for tablet and phones.

The new version will easily adapt to the size of your screen automatically and has a bespoke and simplified interface for both big and small displays.

Also being added is asynchronous multiplayer and cross-platform features. This means you can play multiple games at once and do so against people across mobile, tablet, and PC.

Ticket to Ride's digital version will also get its first vertical map, located in India, with this update. This will also open the game up to more maps as many of the game's expansions use the vertical format.

You can also expect new social media sharing capabilities. This includes sharing end-game reports, inviting and managing friends, and improved leaderboards.

You can also choose emoticons to display during online games to remark on the course of the match.

The 2.0 update will be free for people who already own the digital version of Ticket to Ride.

Otherwise you'll be able to pick it up for £4.99 / $6.99 on the App Store and Google Play, or £6.99 / $9.99 on Steam.

Want more? We've got it

That's the gist of this update. But we spoke to Days of Wonder to get a few more details for you.

What you can read below is a quick Q&A we did on the asynchronous multiplayer, the new India map, and transferring saves between platforms.

PG: How exactly will the asynchronous multiplayer work? DOW: The new asynchronous multiplayer introduces a new so-called "Multi Session" mode, that allows players to play a game and pause it at any moment.

When a player resumes the ongoing game, they see what the previous players did, and they can play if it's their turn to do so.

A Player Clock runs while it's the player's turn to play. Each player is allocated a preset amount of time to play the entire game - it works exactly like a Chess Clock.

This amount of time is set by the player who created the game - from minutes to weeks. When the Player Clock times out, the player is replaced by a robot so that the game can be finished by the other players.

The other difference between real time games and Multi Session games is that several Multi Session games can be played at the same time.

When it's a player's turn to play, they receive a notification on their device. As explained below, it works across devices: if you have an iPhone and a PC under Steam, you will receive the notification on both machines.

Asynchronous Gaming is great for players who want to play the game at a different pace.

Competitive players will also use it a lot for online tournaments, because the Player Clock greatly limits abuses and the pause feature resolves the problem of accidental disconnections.

Last but not least mobile users with poor data coverage will also enjoy the feature, since they can jump back in the game after disconnection without any penalties.

PG: You mention that the new India map is the first vertical one. How does this change how the game plays? DOW: The in-game user interface has been enhanced to support vertical maps. These will be especially appreciated on tablets and phones (you just rotate the device).

This also opens the road for future maps, since many expansions of the board game use the vertical format.

The India map itself brings a new brand way of playing by introducing loops called mandala.

On the India map players choosing to reach two cities though a mandala (connecting two cities with a loop) will get more points.

PG: Will players be able to switch between PC and mobile and transfer saves when doing so? DOW: We're excited to strengthen the current digital experience with even more functionality to meet the needs of our fans.

That is why it seemed essential to allow players on mobile devices, tablets and computers to play together, wherever they are and at any time, by creating an asynchronous multiplayer mode.

Players can thus easily switch between PC and mobile and transfer any match they have at any time!

All they need to do is to log in with their Days of Wonder account, and they will see their ongoing games, regardless of the device or computer used previously.