| In Race for the Galaxy, players build huge galactic | | | | strategy. As the cards are drawn from a deck, |
| civilizations using game cards that represent | | | | there is a high amount of luck and randomness |
| worlds or technical and social developments. Be | | | | involved as well. |
| the most powerful civilization by developing new | | | | Playing developments and settling civilian worlds |
| technologies, exploring and settling new worlds, | | | | require paying their cost by discarding a number |
| and producing and trading resources. Time is | | | | of cards from your hand. There will therefore be |
| limited and it is a race to see which civilization | | | | a lot of cards that you draw that will never get |
| achieves dominance the fastest! | | | | played and instead become discard fodder. There |
| Race for the Galaxy was designed by Thomas | | | | are also military worlds that come into play via a |
| Lehmann and released in 2007. It is a card game | | | | different method: military conquest. You don't |
| with the theme of space exploration and | | | | have to discard cards to play them, but are |
| conquest. Players take on the role of galactic | | | | required to have enough military power on the |
| civilizations trying to conquer and claim new | | | | cards that you already have in play. |
| worlds in the galactic fringe. The game has met | | | | The key skill in playing Race for the Galaxy is |
| with resounding critical acclaim, earning awards and | | | | knowing which actions to play each turn. Should |
| "best card game" status from gaming magazines | | | | you settle that new world now or trade in |
| and review websites. | | | | resources for more cards first? Performing the |
| The core mechanic of the game is having a set | | | | most efficient actions in the right order will mean |
| of actions that players can choose each turn, | | | | getting your engine churning out victory points the |
| allowing all players to take that action but giving | | | | fastest. You will also have to read your |
| the player who chose the action extra benefits. | | | | opponents, since an action chosen by a player |
| This mechanic is similar to other Eurogames but | | | | also allows other players to perform it. If you |
| with a unique twist. In games such as Puerto Rico, | | | | need to settle and produce during a turn, but you |
| once a player chooses an action, other players | | | | know your opponent is most likely to produce, |
| are not allowed to choose the same action again | | | | then you can safely choose the settle action and |
| until the next turn. In Race for the Galaxy, all | | | | end up being able to perform both actions. |
| players can choose any action they want. They | | | | The game sometimes feels like it has little player |
| do it in secret and reveal the actions | | | | interaction, since each player is busy focusing on |
| simultaneously at the start of each turn. This can | | | | creating their own victory point engine. The |
| lead to redundant actions and adds a gambling | | | | designers have remedied this by introducing new |
| aspect to the action choice. | | | | interactive concepts in the expansions. The |
| The actions you can take in Race for the Galaxy | | | | Gathering Storm expansion adds both speed and |
| include exploration (drawing cards), researching | | | | long term goals to strive for, and the Rebel Vs |
| developments, settling worlds, producing goods, | | | | Imperium expansion adds the ability for players to |
| trading goods for cards, and consuming goods for | | | | directly attack each other and steal each other's |
| victory points. The developments and worlds that | | | | cards. |
| you play also grant victory points, and the goal of | | | | Race for the Galaxy is a fast-paced card game, |
| the game is to have the most victory points once | | | | with games seldom lasting over an hour. It is also |
| any player obtains 12 developments and/or | | | | fairly easy to teach to new players, though its |
| worlds. | | | | use of icons and symbols rather than text to |
| Each of the cards that you can play - either | | | | explain card effects can be daunting (but that's |
| developments or worlds - have abilities that can | | | | why they have reference cards). Its replay value |
| boost your civilization's power. Example abilities | | | | is very high as well, since the amount of cards |
| include drawing extra cards while exploring, or | | | | drawn and discarded means no two games will be |
| letting you settle worlds at a discount. The | | | | the same. In all, a great game if you have a |
| challenge is therefore to decide which cards should | | | | spare hour to take part in galactic conquest. |
| be played first in order to support your overall | | | | Complexity: 3.0/5. |