We LOVE this game! At first the instructions seemed a little daunting to us, but after a quick google search we stumbled upon an extremely helpful video done by the actor, Wil Wheaton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHmf1bau9xQ  Once we learned how to play, we were able to quickly and simply explain the rules to our 9 year old daughter in minutes. We originally bought the game for her. But to be honest, my husband and I have enjoyed playing it so much that I think we've played it 4x as much as she has. It's a very basic strategy game - Your goal is to have the most points at the end of the game. You gain points by claiming routes and completing destination tickets. We've tried playing the game with a couple of different strategies and no two games are ever really the same. It's a fantastic family game for up to 5 players, great for children and/or adults. Highly recommend it to be added to anyone's game collection.