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.