Race For The Galaxy

by Rio Grande Games

• For 2-4 players
• Takes about 60 minutes to play
• Popular Eurogame
• Check out all the great expansions to Race for the Galaxy
• Score the most points and win

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.5 x 2.8 inches ; 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Origin: Germany
• ASIN: B000YLAOEW
• Item model number: RGG301
• Our recommended age: 12 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 13 - 17 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,706 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

In Race for the Galaxy from Rio Grande Games, players build galactic civilizations using game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Each round consists of one or more of five possible phases. In each round, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phaseâ€s action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase. For example, if at least one player chooses the Develop action, then the Develop phase will occur, otherwise it is skipped. In it, each player may simultaneously select a development from his hand of cards to build. After revealing the cards, each player adds his development to his tableau of cards on the table and then discards cards from his hand equal to its cost. Each player who chose Develop discards one card fewer as his bonus. Explore allows a player to draw cards and select which of them to add to his hand. Settle allows a player to place a world in his tableau. Some worlds produce goods, represented by face down cards, when Produce is selected. These goods can be discarded for victory points or sold to add cards to the playerâ€s hand by selecting Consume. With cards, players can settle new worlds and build more developments, gaining both victory points and card powers that provide advantages in certain phases. The player who best manages his cards, phase and bonus selections, and card powers to build the greatest space empire, wins. The winner is the player with the most victory points.

Product Description

In Race for the Galaxy from Rio Grande Games, players build galactic civilizations using game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Each round consists of one or more of five possible phases. In each round, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phases action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase. For example, if at least one player chooses the Develop action, then the Develop phase will occur; otherwise it is skipped. In it, each player may simultaneously select a development from his hand of cards to build. After revealing the cards, each player adds his development to his tableau of cards on the table and then discards cards from his hand equal to its cost. Each player who chose Develop discards one card fewer as his bonus. Explore allows a player to draw cards and select which of them to add to his hand. Settle allows a player to place a world in his tableau. Some worlds produce goods, represented by face down cards, when Produce is selected. These goods can be discarded for victory points or sold to add cards to the players hand by selecting Consume. With cards, players can settle new worlds and build more developments, gaining both victory points and card powers that provide advantages in certain phases. The player who best manages his cards, phase and bonus selections, and card powers to build the greatest space empire, wins. The winner is the player with the most victory points.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A spectacular game December 22, 2007

By T. Frank

Format:Toy

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 2.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

The sensation of the 2007 Essen convention, this is a card game for two to five players with tremendous replayability. If you're familiar with San Juan, the game is similar: you have a deck of cards that can either be played on a tableau or used as currency. Each card has a cost (that can be modified by existing cards on the tableau) and grants certain powers and scores. The idea is to play cards that build your powers that can then be translated into victory points. But, unlike San Juan, every player has a different starting point; there is an additional level of complexity and strategy from the variety of cards available. Like San Juan, there are many different ways to win. The space theme is nicely done, and expansions are expected. Scales nicely: it's as fun with two players as with four, though strategies are slightly different.

I think the symbols on the cards are intuitive, but I've seen inexperienced gamers complain about the number of symbols. The symbols are color-coded and would be unreadable to the color-blind.

Less than a few months after its release, RftG's rating already in the top forty all time on the Board Game Geek website, which is unheard of.

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars STELLAR GAME IN STYLE OF SAN JUAN February 15, 2008

By Alexander Scott VINE™ VOICE

Format:Toy

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 2.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

RACE FOR THE GALAXY is a card game of resource management that bears strong similarities to SAN JUAN (it was in fact the rival development to translate PUERTO RICO into a card game). There are roles that each player takes, cards representing assets that are paid for by discarding from the hand, and the game is over when one player has 12 assets, or when all victory points are assigned. RACE FOR THE GALAXY has some advanced features that make it more fun to play, and the artwork for the science fiction theme is fantastic.

One major departure from the "PUERTO RICO"/"SAN JUAN" mechanics is that all players choose roles simultaneously. Each player has a hand of role cards for "explorer" (to draw cards), "developer" (playing new technology), "settler" (playing new worlds), "consumer" (equivalent to trader or captain), and "producer" (same as always). The explore phase has two versions, one giving a deeper draw and one keeping more cards. The consume phase has an alternate version, the trader, which allows only the trader to draw cards for a good while everyone else can only consume (equivalent to shipping).

All players choose roles simultaneously and then show their role. If more than one player chooses the same role, each "chooser" gets the benefit but there is only one phase for that role. Another interesting complication is that worlds and developments may have symbols for each phase which affect the player's actions. There may be, for instance, an additional card draw during the phase, or a cost break on certain kinds of cards. These effects stack, so the total effect can be quite powerful.

Settling worlds also has a lot of complexities.... Worlds can have a few different subtypes, such as production worlds, windfall worlds, and military worlds, or a combination of the 3. Production worlds can produce a good such as novelties, alien tech, genetic tech, or rare minerals. Windfall worlds come into play with a good on them (tip: trade the next turn for a substantial card windfall) but don't automatically produce any further goods. Military worlds, in an intriguing twist, cannot be paid for from the hand. They are played for free if your military score (as determined by bonuses from worlds in play) is greater or equal to their cost.

There are many different victory strategies to RACE FOR THE GALAXY, and choosing the best one can be very situational. Drawing military cards early may allow you to race the other players to drop 12 cards while keeping your hand full. It is possible to win on points just by playing developments, since many give bonuses for having other developments. Trading/consuming can be a powerful strategy for acquiring victory points, but it is slower because it takes 2 cycles to reap the benefits, unless two people go this route. Then, one is playing trade/consumer and the other produces, and both benefit.

RACE FOR THE GALAXY is a fun game visually, socially, and intellectually. It is simple to setup, fast to play, and has enough complexity to offer a lot of replay value. The number of unique cards is large, so you are seeing different game components every time you play. And, it practically begs for expansions, which should be seamless to integrate. RACE FOR THE GALAXY will undoubtedly be one of the best, if not THE best, game of the year. Read more ›

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Playing the Race Cards September 12, 2008

By J. Rich

Format:Toy

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This game is incredibly fun. I've played Puerto Rico, San Juan, and many other similar games, and this is by far my favorite.
Here's why:
- Super fun (and in some ways more interesting) with just 2 players. There aren't many great 2-player strategy games out there, especially ones that scale nicely to 3 or 4.
- Excellent replayability. Many different strategies and combinations.
- Once you get the hang of it (the learning curve can be steep for some you can play a game in 30 minutes.
- You do have indirect interactions with other players (anticipating what actions they will select, and which ones will help them most), but you don't attack them.

One last comment. If you plan to play this game lots, I'd recommend card sleeves --- the cards are pretty durable, but any card is going to start showing wear and tear after many repeated shuffles.

Enjoy!

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Race for the Galaxy: big learning curve at first--quick playing game later October 9, 2009

By Christopher K. Halbower

Format:Toy

Durability: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 3.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

Race for the Galaxy is Rio Grande's card game where players eke out a space civilization by exploring, conquering, settling and developing technologies.

Players simultaneously select a role card. The roles are respectively: Explore, Develop, Settle, Consume and Produce. The role cards are revealed and resolved in role card order. If you play a role card, you get the bonus for playing it. If you didn't play a role card (i.e. your opponent played it), you get to use the role's general effect. For example: if you play "Explore", you draw 3 cards and may keep 2; otherwise you draw 2 cards and may keep 1.

Players play planet cards during the Settle phase and technologies during the Develop phase. Once a player has played 12 cards (called a tableux) the game will end. Players score points for their planets, developments and for consuming goods. The player with the highest score wins.

With experienced players, this game can play quickly (around 30 minutes or less). However, the iconography of the cards is counterintuitve and thus the learning curve is surprisingly steep. This is a minor consideration if you are a hardcore gamer. But it should be noted: Race for the Galaxy makes a poor gateway game for your non-gaming friends and family.

My biggest gripe with Race for the Galaxy is that there is virtually no player interaction. There is no conflict. No auctions, no bidding mechanics, no way to screw over your opponents who have a lead. This is effectively a four player solitaire game with interstellar chrome.

Race for the Galaxy hits our gaming table with some regularity. It's a quick game and thus is a decent filler. But if you want an interstellar game with player interaction you will need to look elsewhere.