Race For The Galaxy Board Game Review – Still Worth It?
BoardGameBollocks
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Join us as we take a look at the engine building card game Race for the Galaxy published by Rio Grande Games.
NB -Apologies to the anal amongst you. I screwed up one of the card descriptions. Sue me.
09.06.2023
I don't know if you're tried it or not, but IMO "New Frontiers" is a better manifestation of RFTG. While I liked, but always struggled with RFTG, I had no problems with NF and found it far more enjoyable.
When you draw cards from a face down deck, no matter who pick first. Mathematically speaking it's the same, the cards are randomized.
Very dated multiplayer solitare style casual game. Feels like im playing a solo game.
I will have to disagree wit the iconography. Everyone says son BUT i find it the CLEANEST and BEST iconography of all games EVER designed. You grab 7 cards and in glimpse you know what you just got.PS: Cleanest iconography ever desesigned. Did i say that already?
Angriest board Game on ThE PLANET!
Wasn't in your top 100 games though. Or was it? Can't remember, too many games in that list.
I still love to say I've played over 2000 recorded games of race, and can still say I love it! It's such an amazing game!
As an occasional luck-chasing board game heathen, I really enjoy the Roll for the Galaxy version and never felt the need to try this version…until now. Bugger! Only shame is, as a player who has to fluff about in games playing solo most of the time, it rarely gets played.
But… But… I understood it the second time playing!
One of my favorite games ever, played hundreds of times!
It shows more of its depth with each play, and even more after a few hundreds!
I love your review, but I don’t agree about the multiplayer solitaire part: with the simultaneous phase selection, there is a lot of interaction! And you definitely need to “read” each other player’s choice to outperform them, leeching on their selection…
Hello, mate ❤
😂 that "toastie"
Is it like terraforming mars, Bruvsky?
"The dudes on the card look like they've done heroin" 😂😂
You're fckin insane
I love your videos mate
I feel you, mate, hate small fonts.
Nice, mate, awesome video AS ALWAYS ❤
Nice review, Res Arcana is his other big game and I think is even better
too many icons is killing a lot of games for me lately
I know what you mean!
I hope that all is going well for you.
Still my 100% favourite game — grows on me with every play, and (thanks to the app) that's a lot of plays
My first board gaming love. Played this religiously at university and could waste hours on boardgamearena.
If you've not played it you owe it to yourself to experience one of the all time great engine builders. Tricky to become fluent in the iconography making it a poor pick for a casual group but if you have a regular group this can become a mainstay in your gaming routine.
Regarding BGBs point about linited interaction, I'm quite surprised to hear this. Every action picked by your opponent you yourself get to do, too. This leads to constant deliberation about what cards you should be putting down and which actions you should be taking. Will you benefit your opponent by picking settle? Can you assume your opponent os about to produce, meaning a quick consume action for points or trade will be rewarded by another resource placed on your planet? Can you assume your opponent will select an action you need, meaning you get more value selecting another action? Is your opponent speeding ahead with military, meaning you need to transition your consume strategy into a trade strategy to get currencies for big card plays? I'd love to hear if other people with experience in this game think it has limited interaction as my experience is very much the opposite.
In my limited experience there's not many games that can deliver so much depth inside a 15ish minute game
Excellent review as always. Great game, but jumping Jehoshaphat it is a bitch to teach… but once people know the game, it really earns its place as a classic (IMHO).
Look forward to playing it one day
Anybody else suddenly get the urge to rewatch the movie "Snatch"?
One of my favorite games ever! Yeah the symbols take some time to get used to but after it's just pure enjoyment. And the art: I honestly don't mind it at all, kind of like it.
How does it matter who gets what cards from the top of the deck?
That was spot on. It's a shame that Rio Grande could not take these critiques, raise by players over the years, and make the subtle changes to improve the game. Tarot sized cards seemed to be outside their economic model. Still, a fantastic game if you bring your own Fresnel lense or magnifying glass and icon reference sheet.
I was shocked to hear you say that you like the artwork. I think the graphic design is abysmal (the text, those grey boxes and cylinder looking things on the left side of each card) so maybe that's my problem with it. The box art is shite as well.
Last of the Uplift Gnarssh doesn't even give you a victory point. It does give you a green good, though.
Great game. Not at all multiplayer solitaire though!?.. Most games come down to reading what the other players are doing (although this is easier if just 2 players); online if I take my eyes off the other players card count, goods, and 6-cost cards, I will almost always lose. Played over a thousand times now and will never be done with it.
The deck is random; it literally doesnt matter who takes cards from the deck first. There is no way to get information about the deck so you might as draw from the bottom of the deck.
2nd favorite game!
Never imagined you'd be a Spice Girl fan 🙂
One of the best engine building card games ever made. Add the cards from the Alien Artefacts expansion for complete perfection. No other card game packs as much depth into such a quick playtime once you've got the hang of the iconography. It could really use a new edition with some nicer graphic design.
I can't help but wonder if it would be worth adopting a couple of tweaks that were used in Roll for the Galaxy which makes the actions slightly more intuitive: make the Settle a Planet action bonus also give a discount of 1 (instead of paying full cost, then getting one back), make Sell and Ship separate actions (instead of alternatives in the same phase), and do them after Produce. That might require some subtle rebalancing, but probably worth it for the easier teach.
Nice review 👍🏼
Definitely in my top 3 games ever. The word elegant gets overused but this game definitely is elegant. Elegant.
Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your opponent optimistically building towards a military victory, oblivious to the fact that you are about to steamroller them in three turns with a joyless, but meticulously crafted novelty goods 'consume-produce'' engine…..
Stoopid opponent.
Great game. Elegant too.😂
Love the 2000AD art reference! Probably lost on most Americans, though.
I don't get your criticism that there is no turn order for drawing cards. The deck is completely random, so it doesn't matter. Maybe the other player takes the cards you don't want allowing you do draw the cards that work for you? Who knows? Doesn't matter!