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Rio Grande Games Race for the Galaxy | Toy

by DropShip Solutions

List Price:

$39.99

Sales Rank:

3,452rd

FEATURES

For 2-4 players
Civilization-building game
Takes 30-60 minutes to play
Popular Eurogame
Score the most points and win

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
The players all compete to explore the galaxy by exploring new worlds and developing new technologies. Each turn each player chooses one action, but the others will share in the actions chosen. In the end, the player with the most points is the winner!

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 10 reviews)

Fun if you're into strategy games. by W. Smith

5 Stars
September 12, 2009
The iconography takes a little while to get used to, but is really well done once you are familiar with it. There are a lot of different ways to win, which makes for a very replayable game.

Best Card Game in the Galaxy by J. Day (Denver, CO)

5 Stars
August 14, 2009
My wife and I have played the two player variant of Race for the Galaxy (R4tG) every night since we got it two weeks ago. This is by far the most fun we have had playing a game in years. Basically you have a starting world and a hand of developments and/or worlds that you are trying to add onto your empire in order to A. Get many more cards to build the best Empire. B. Convert your hand into points through several methods. The easiest way to get points is to play worlds and developments, each has a point value. Military worlds are conquered for "free", while non-military worlds are paid for with cards from your hand. You also can produce and consume goods for points or more cards... goods are also represented by face-down cards from the deck. Finally (with the first expansion) there are various goals you can achieve for more points. There are at least 4 strategies for winning we have found, but a robust plan allows for a right turn half way through a game. This game is a lot like Puerto Rico in space. Initially it plays a lot like San Juan, but it is much deeper and feels like Puerto Rico more... maybe San Juan version 3. It has enough random element to it that my wife likes it, but there is enough strategy that you don't feel like you are thrown to the fates each game. Each hand lasts around 25 minutes (two player) and it is very easy to handicap new players as they learn the ropes. There are a LOT of symbols to learn, but after a game I was comfortable reading the cards without the rules, and after 3 or 4 games my wife (who never read the rules) stopped asking me what the more obscure symbols meant. I highly recommend the expansion also, it adds new home worlds and military powers that make the game more balanced.

Steep Learning Curve by Robert T. Tabor (Rowlett, TX USA)

3 Stars
July 18, 2009
Pro's: + Unique game play + Requires a lot of evaluation between trade-offs. Requires long-term strategic decision making. + Beautiful artwork Cons: - Lots of detail, lots of intricate rules - Rules explained poorly ... a walk through would have helped Long Story: I'm a casual gamer who has recently discovered Settlers and Carcassone, both of which my entire family (40yr male, 38yr female, 14yr male, 11yr male) found to be quick to pickup and enjoyable for all. RftG by contrast has two problems: 1. The sheer number of rules makes understanding the game extremely difficult. If it were not for some well done videos on YouTube, I would still be scratching my head. Admittedly, as I re-read the instructions, I see now that *very* careful reading was important. 2. The second problem is the way the rules are presented ... the rulebook would be well served by a step-by-step walk through of a single round or two. Some times, advanced ideas are introduced side by side with the introductory concepts. I was "deep down in the details" before I really understood the high level. Once we figured out the game, it was mildly enjoyable for me, my wife didn't like it, but my sons seemed to enjoy the intricacy of the rules. After playing for another day, I think I realize what I don't like about it ... it is a lot like golf where what I do in the game has little effect on others. There's little "head-to-head interaction" where I can foil someone else's plans. One last point .. the artwork is beautiful, however I would have gladly traded some card real estate for better description of the purpose of each card with WORDS instead of symbols. Some of these symbols on each card take on different meaning depending on the phase in which they are used. Additionally, some cards are so complex that it would require a trip to the internet / forums to determine the value and usage of the card. I would say this is more akin to Dungeons and Dragons (with regard to prep time and depth of learning required) than to Carcassone or Settlers. I certainly didn't hate the game ... it simply won't be my first, second or third choice when choosing something to play with my kids.

A great game by Brian J. Laub (San Diego, CA)

5 Stars
June 29, 2009
I'll keep this fairly short and sweet. If you like somewhat complicated strategy games, and/or like games like Magic the gathering, yu-gi-oh, etc, this game is a must buy. It is my favorite game right now (this or agricola) It's very easy to setup/put away, and only takes 25ish minutes to play. With the expansion you can play up to 5 players. A truly awesome game. Seriously, get it.

Fun card game by Konstantin Papushin (Buffalo Grove, IL United States)

4 Stars
February 16, 2009
I own quite a few Euro games and this one is by far the best overall. This game is fast, fun, and unpredictable. Cards add some randomness but final result is pure skill not luck. This game is like chess with cards. It takes only 20 minutes or so to complete and there are a few strategies players can explore. There are two reasons I gave it only four stars. First, it's bit expensive for a deck of cards and paper chips. Cards are nicely drawn but don't seem to be too durable. Second, rules are not extremely difficult but rule book leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, there is a video published online by a fan which is extremely helpful, but even after watching it and playing numerous games we have a few questions remaining about proper powers usage. I wish they had an F.A.Q. published too.

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