A trip around the world in just 80 days? Challenge accepted! After all, It is possible to travel around the world in just about 30 minutes! And despite my short travel time, I have more than enough time to take all kinds of great snapshots of the most famous locations and sights and take more than souvenirs for my friends back home! In Trekking the World, players travel around the globe without the need for a ticket to ride. Will you travel around the world, or will you turn back halfway anyway?
In Trekking the World, players travel around the earth and earn points by visiting continents, bringing back souvenirs and visiting special destinations. The player with the most proverbial stamps (points) in his or her passport wins! Wanderlust has never been so global!
A variety of different colored wooden cubes are placed on the colorful game board: the souvenirs. Next to the board destination cards are placed that players can visit for points. Popular destinations earn more points (and of course bragging rights on social media, so don’t forget that selfie). Each player starts the game at an airport and is given a number of Trek cards. On these is a symbol and a number. The value of the card allows players to move and the symbols must be exchanged to visit certain destinations.
Each turn proceeds as follows: if possible, the active player must discard a Trek card to move to a new location on the board. If there is a souvenir here, the player takes the souvenir in his or her suitcase. Souvenirs earn points and if you have the most souvenirs of a certain kind, you even get a bonus. After the player has moved, this player may choose an action: 1) take 2 new trek cards, 2) visit an open destination (if the player is at the correct location and can discard the correct symbols) or 3) play one of the 2 special travel cards (to activate special effects).
Trekking the World is a colorful and simple game. It may not be a complex journey around the world for experienced and travel-hungry globetrotters, but rather a relaxing vacation for novice travelers. An entry level game as it were. You can compare the game in a way to Ticket to Ride. Players have a choice of simple actions that are varied and tactical enough, but not so complex as to be uninviting. The theme is friendly and the production quality is very good. Are you looking to introduce someone to the hobby or simply bring an easy-to-learn game to the table? Then this trip is worth taking.
