Board game apps: Ticket to Ride, Catan Universe and Carcassonne
Official board game apps solve two problems: finding opponents and teaching the rules. All three below follow the published board games closely, and all three let you play against the computer when nobody else is free. They differ in how they charge.
Ticket to Ride
The official Ticket to Ride app is based on the Days of Wonder board game, in which players collect coloured train cards to claim routes between cities and complete secret destination tickets. The base game is a paid download, and extra maps are sold as expansions.
On a phone the board is dense, and zooming is needed on the larger maps. A tablet is more comfortable. The pass-and-play mode lets several people share one device, which works well for families travelling together.
Catan Universe
Catan Universe is the official digital Catan, with the classic game of trading resources and building settlements, roads and cities. The base game can be played free in limited form, with full access and expansions available to buy.
Catan's trading is its social core, and that part feels thinner against computer opponents. Online play against people works better, though finding a match depends on the time of day.
Carcassonne
The official Carcassonne app adapts the tile-laying game in which players build a medieval landscape of roads, cities and fields and place followers to score them. It is a paid download, with expansions sold separately. Games are short, the rules are simple to learn and two-player matches are a good fit for a phone screen.
How they compare
| Ticket to Ride | Catan Universe | Carcassonne | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid, expansions extra | Free to start, paid content | Paid, expansions extra |
| Solo against computer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online multiplayer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best on | Tablet | Tablet or PC | Phone or tablet |
Our take
Editorial opinion
For a first board game app, Carcassonne is the easiest to pick up on a phone. Ticket to Ride is the best of the three for playing with family on one tablet. Catan is most enjoyable online against people rather than the computer.
Prices, platforms and online features change with updates, so check the store listing before you buy.
Related: best card game apps.
By the Mobiledista editorial team. Updated October 2026.