Race for the Galaxy Review: Build Your Own Galactic Civilization

Now that we know that, let's see what a round in this game looks like, which, by the way, happens simultaneously - this means all players play at the same time.

Pick one of the 7 action cards, according to what you want to do. Be careful to not benefit an opponent more than you while doing so. Paying attention to your strategy and others is essential for this part of the game. Some action cards come in two types (Explore and Consume), so consider which one is best for you.

After that, everyone reveals their action cards at the same time, and this is when the game will get interesting, as everyone will play the best action card according to their own strategy.

Then, everyone executes their actions. However, you'll get a bonus for executing the action you picked. You should also execute each action according to the order we showed above, from I to V. Obviously, you won't have to execute every action, as some of them won't be picked - you can simply skip those.

Then, each player, simultaneously, if needed, discards cards until they have, at most, 10 cards in their hands.

That's basically a turn in RftG!

The match ends at the end of a round (after everyone discards their excess cards), if:

If there are no more victory points to collect, add more victory points chips and make change so that all victory points earned in the final consume phase can be taken.

Now, it's time to add your score:

The player with the most points wins!

If two or more players are tied, the one with more cards in their hand (after discarding any excess cards) and who has produced more goods from their worlds wins.

If there is still a tie, all tied players share the victory.

It's that simple!

The best strategy for RftG is to "set up an engine and get it running". This means setting up your worlds to produce high-value goods, investing in great developments, and then what makes the magic happen: consuming goods, which will give you more cards or victory points.

Each action card is unique and needs to be considered carefully so you can do what's best for you, but be careful because they can also benefit your opponent. Consider your options carefully before doing anything.

Exploring is critical because it makes everyone draw 2 cards, discard 1, and keep the other one. Whoever played the Explore card gets to pick between 2 different bonuses. One of them lets you draw 5 extra cards, that means 7 in all, and lets you keep one. The other one lets you draw 1 extra card, so that means 3 in all, and you get to keep 2 of them and discard only one. Do what's best for you.

If you decide to Develop, everyone will be able to play and pay for a development with the cards in their hand. I confess this is a bit heartbreaking, as each card you have represents a choice, and they're also how you'll pay for other cards. It's part of the game, though. The bonus you get from picking this action is that you'll get a discount when you develop something. Please note that you can't develop something twice in your tableau.

Settling is critical because that's the only way you'll play worlds, and, obviously, pay for them with the cards in your hand. The bonus you get from picking this action is that you'll get to draw a card from the main deck of cards. There are windfall worlds (which have a halo around their circle), which already produce a good when you put them in play and pay for their cost.

Something else entirely are military worlds (which have a red circle). Instead of paying for them, you have to conquer them with the military power that your other worlds give them, and not with the cards in your hand. Pick whatever's best for you.

Please note that each action card is better in a certain situation, so try to pick the right time to use them.

Manage your actions and win a game of RftG!

Check out this unboxing:

Learn the rules:

Watch some gameplay:

Race for the Galaxy is not exactly easy, as you'll need to stay focused to win it. It is definitely not the best board game if you're a beginner, or a party game. If you still want to get this game as your first board game, I highly recommend you be more patient with it and yourself. You can play this game regardless of which language you speak, but it has a lot of icons. You'll have to get used to them - the good news is that the game itself will give you a helpful cheat sheet for them.

Well, let's see. RftG explores a theme that children and adults truly enjoy: conquering the stars. It is quite exciting as well as fascinating, so you'll be able to discuss the universe and everything you know and don't know about it with your friends and family. Don't hesitate to use the internet and learn more about it. It'll be a really cool experience!

Furthermore, you can also use this game to work on your strategies and management skills. You'll have to manage a lot while you play, including the cards in your hand. They're essential because you'll use them to play and get victory points. They're also how you'll pay for other worlds.

So, please note that you'll have to create strategies to decide when to pick certain cards, when to get them, when to play them or use them as cash to pay for other cards.

I can definitely say that RftG will demand your focus at all times. For instance, picking the right action card is the core of the game, so invest time and thought into it. Make everyone think about the consequences of their actions so you always get as much value as you can from every action. If you're paying attention, you'll even be able to predict what your opponent will do!

RftG is a great game! Enjoy it with your friends and family. It is a lesson in management and strategy!

I highly recommend Race for the Galaxy for your collection!!