Race for the Galaxy (2007)

In Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilizations by game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments.

Each turn each player chooses one action, but the others will share in the actions chosen, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phase’s action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase.

Race for the Galaxy's development began when Thomas Lehmann started work on a card game version of Puerto Rico in parallel with Andreas Seyfarth's own. Their independent efforts resulted in some degree of collaboration, and though some of Mr. Lehmann's design ideas did not make it into what eventually became San Juan, he continued to develop his concepts, taking the theme and other elements from an unpublished customizable card game he had previously designed. For a more detailed narrative from the designer, himself, please see these three articles at Boardgamenews.com:

• Race for the Galaxy Designer Preview #1
• Race for the Galaxy Designer Preview #2
• Race for the Galaxy Designer Preview #3

Race for the Galaxy benefits from an unusually thorough development process, involving thousands of test games and the deliberate design of an unusually coherent iconography (by onigame and the graphics designer, Mirko Suzuki) as well as a unique approach to player interaction that prevents direct conflict and encourages "parasitic conflict".

Expansions and BGG FAQ

Three expansions have been published, adding new cards, game features, start worlds, as well as supporting up to 6 players and solo play.

• The first is The Gathering Storm (2008), adding goals, solitaire play, another player, and drafting rules.
• The second is Rebel vs Imperium (2009), adding military takeovers and another player.
• The third is The Brink of War (2010), adding prestige and search rules.

A BGG FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page for Race for the Galaxy and its expansions can be found at Race_for_the_Galaxy_FAQ or by setting the BGG search to "wiki" and entering "Race FAQ".

Race for the Galaxy AI and Online Play:

Rio Grande Games granted permission to release a Race for the Galaxy AI to the public. Great for solitaire play and refining your RftG skills. Posted by mrkeldon, may he be granted much Thumbs and GG!.
BGG Thread: Race for the Galaxy AI
AI Link: http://keldon.net/rftg/

Various online sites allowing free play, such as one using the flexboardgames server and the genie games server (down until July), have also been produced.

Some of the significant differences between San Juan and Race for the Galaxy include:

ROLE SELECTION
San Juan: Players pick roles one at a time in turn order. A role that is picked is unavailable that round to be picked by other players. Each role has exactly one bonus for the player who picked it.
RftG: Players pick roles secretly and simultaneously. Multiple players can possibly pick the same role; that phase occurs once, but each selecting player receives a bonus. Two roles have two versions with different bonuses.

THEME & GAMEPLAY
San Juan: Tightly linked to Puerto Rico creating a gameplay experience that feels like a simplified, faster version of the boardgame (with no shipping).
RftG: Space theme is completely independent of Puerto Rico, taken from the older, unpublished CCG that RftG is descended from.

6-COST CARDS
San Juan: Their only function is to generate end-of-game victory point bonuses in exactly the same spirit as the "big buildings" of Puerto Rico.
RftG: Function as end-of-game victory point bonuses, but also provide benefits and advantages during the game.

EXPANDABILITY & PLAYERS
San Juan: Two expansions available in Alea Treasure Chest that add new buildings and events (which work like roles, but are used once and then discarded).
RftG: Three expansions have been released, with each one adding more cards and some new game features. The base game is for 2-4 players; the first two expansions each add one more player.

• 2010 http://www.ludotecaideale.it Ludoteca Ideale 2010
• 2009 Games 100 Best Family Strategy Nominee.
• 2008 A la carte 1st Place, Fairplay Magazine prize for card games.
• 2008 BGG Golden Geek Award, Best Card Game.
• 2008 International Gamers Award Multi-Player Nominee.
• 2007 Dice Tower Awards, Best Game of the Year Winner.

Microbadges

Race for the Galaxy Fan

Race for the Galaxy Fan

Race for the Galaxy Fan

Race for the Galaxy Fan

Race for the Galaxy Fan

Race for the Galaxy fan - 6-cost development

Race for the Galaxy fan - box

Race for the Galaxy fan - card

Race for the Galaxy fan - Military power

Race for the Galaxy fan - produce

Race for the Galaxy fan - Victory Points

Race for the Galaxy fan - production

Race for the Galaxy fan - windfall

Race for the Galaxy fan - Victory point

Race for the Galaxy fan

Race for the Galaxy - Keldon's AI fan

Race for the Galaxy - Game Genie Server benefactor

Components:

• 5 Start World Cards
• 109 Game Cards:
  • 59 World Cards
  • 50 Development Cards
• 4 Sets of 7 Player Action Cards (28)
• 8 Duplicate Action Cards (For Experienced 2 Player Games)
• 4 Summary Sheets
• 28 Victory Point Chips (18 x "1"; 6 x "5"; 4 x "10")
• Instructions