Race for the Galaxy

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable game Review by KR

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Race for the Galaxy can end up being a very fun game if you're playing with the right people. The game has very little, if no, player interaction. You're solely trying to build colonies and claim planets faster than your opponents. That being said, it is still a very fun game but you need to play it with people that don't get bored easily or don't like games with no interaction.

The one downside to Race for the Galaxy is understand the icons on the cards. There are a lot of symbols and icons on each card and learning them and understanding them all can take a lot of time and confusion. I personally had to read the instruction manual (which is well written) at least 2 times to get a grasp on how to play.

Once I understood the game and began to figure out the icons and symbols I found Race for the Galaxy to be a very fun game. (Posted on 12/15/11)

Very Good Game Review by Anthony

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Little bit of a learning curve and some confusing rules a bit. But its a very good game. (Posted on 9/11/11)

Race for the Galaxy is an excellent game, once you understand it Review by Mike

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As mentioned in other reviews, Race for the Galaxy is definitely derived from the mechanics of San Juan. Unlike San Juan, however, there appears to be more explanation required when teaching Race for the Galaxy and some may not like the overhead of understanding the rules and all the symbols (it takes everyone a while). For example 3 seasoned players taught a new player the game but it took a full hour to complete the game, and even then the new person wasn't completely up to speed.

But if you look past the obvious learning curve, the game definitely adds a layer of finish to San Juan like play, that makes it both interesting and fun to play. Differing strategies can lead to different results, and the choice of which phases to enact during a round can become strategic without becoming overwhelming. One benefit of the phase play, for those familiar with San Juan, is that a phases powers can be used by as many players who choose the phase, instead of one person taking a role and everyone else being denied its benefits. This was one gripe I had with San Juan, as depending on turn order, someone might never get the governor card that they want.

Lastly this is a game that has only gotten better with time. As it has become quite clear that the maker (Tom Lehmann) will be supporting this game through expansions, and because these expansions have added even more value to a great game, it is unlikely to rest long on my game shelf without getting another play. (Posted on 11/28/09)

Completely derivative of San Juan, but fun in its own right Review by Ryan

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I'll just say at the outset, the designer of San Juan (Andreas Seyfarth) deserves as much credit for this game as Tom Lehmann. I can't think of another game that's as redundant as this one.

Still, despite the fact that its core mechanics are a blatant copy of another game, I do recognize it's a fuller, more nuanced, and prettier version than its forefather. I would choose to play Race for the Galaxy over San Juan, though internally I would be grumbling at how redundant those options are. And I would choose Puerto Rico (another fairly similar game) over either of them.

And a nitpick about the iconography on the cards: Those esoteric symbols used to describe the benefits on each card are a failed attempt at minimizing language dependence. Instead, the cards are now equally cryptic to all native tongues. Players will eventually get used to them, but most newbies will be confused by many of them for the first couple of games.

Over all, I'd say Race for the Galaxy will appeal to die-hard fans of San Juan who are excited for more of the same as well as those who enjoy strategy card games and are unfamiliar with San Juan altogether. Those like me who think San Juan is simply OK may also be turned off by how samey it feels. (Posted on 12/13/08)

Race for the Galaxy is fun. It's a mid-weight strategy game, so not something I'd take out for beginners (that'd be San Juan) as there are quite a few cards and elements that tie-in to create good combos that you need to have played through a few times to Review by TR

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Race for the Galaxy is fun. It's a mid-weight strategy game, so not something I'd take out for beginners (that'd be San Juan) as there are quite a few cards and elements that tie-in to create good combos that you need to have played through a few times to understand. On the other hand, the role and action mechanic is fun, and while it's mostly solitaire playing, it's fast solitaire playing. (Posted on 12/6/08)