The best card game there is, especially for two players. A beautiful design that squeezes an enormous amount of tough decisions into a fifteen minute time frame. There's no need to build decks, collect new cards, or grind for booster packs - Everything you need is included. You'll easily get hundreds of plays from just the base deck of 114 cards, and still feel like you haven't explored all the possibilities and can improve further.

In Race, people will not beat you because they've spent more money on the game than you - They'll beat you because they know the game better than you. And then, in single player mode, the truly excellent AI will pummel you some more. This is to be expected, since some people have been playing this game for ten years already. However, the Steam implementation is a great way to start getting ready to face the folks who only agree to play the fabled "GS/RvI/BoW Arc".

Some people will tell you the game is hard to learn. Sure, there's a learning curve. Race is quite different from the card games you might be familiar with. The Steam version helps a lot, though, since you cannot make illegal plays.

Other people will tell you this game is multiplayer solitaire. But the more you play, the more you'll realize that reading your opponent and planning accordingly is absolutely crucial. Staring only at your own cards will not work.

Some people will tell you Magic the Gathering is the better game. Unfortunately, there's no helping those folks.

This is the best digital implementation of the game to date. If you previously played Keldon's version, this is far superior, featuring a better UI, added animations, and sound effects, not to mention a deeper online cross-platform player base. I recommend buying the Steam version if you previously enjoyed RftG.

This is a card game with a sci-fi theme that involves building up your empire by playing cards that give you victory points. There is a steep learning curve -- I struggled to understand the game years ago, but I think by my 5th game I got the hang of it. There is a tutorial in this Steam version, but it's short, so new players may wish to allot 20-30 minutes to consult a YouTube tutorial (see link below). Games are quick, lasting typically <20 minutes. If you like card games with complexity and a sci-fi theme, definitely consider this game as it's one of the best in the genre.

Faithful recreation of the card game. Best digital implementation available today.

Finding multiplayer matches be be difficult or not possible at times, partly because there isn't an in-game lobby feature, partly because the player community is small. I wish the developers would add an in-game lobby to chat to players. I also found the in-game tutorial to be wanting.

An excellent card game with deep strategy. There are a few features I'd like to see the devs add to the game, such as in-game chat, better zooming mechanics, and unlockable rewards, but the game is already polished at launch. I award this game 8/10 in terms of how it's implemented the physical game into Steam.

Below is an excellent 55-minute YouTube tutorial by Radho, split in two parts, if the in-game tutorial leaves you confused.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziP9liFiKGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd6jyrdGU_A

I've played over 200 matches of RftG and its expansions: in person, on this Steam port, and on Board Game Arena. The Steam port is my favorite of the three ways to play. It has contributed greatly to RftG being my most played board/card game (as tracked on Board Game Geek) out of the 96 total different tabletop titles I've played. Even though it's free on BGA, the features in the Steam port make it worth paying for.


Most people looking at this are likely already fans of the original tabletop card game. If so, you can skip down to the "Steam Port" section. However, for those that aren't, I'll give you a rundown of the game itself.

RftG is a hand-management, and tableau-building card game where you "race" to build out your empire in the "galaxy". Each player secretly chooses one of five possible actions: explore (gain cards into your hand), develop (play a development card to your tableau), settle (play a planet card to your tableau), trade/consume (acquire cards/points from planets), produce (place goods on the planets). Together all players reveal which actions are chosen. All players then are allowed to take the selected actions, including the ones your opponent chose. Naturally there are various costs/benefits for each action, dependent on the cards you have in your hand. To play a card from your hand you must also sacrifice other cards from your hand. In other words, pursuing one strategy requires the sacrifice of several other strategies. A match ends once the victory point pool has been exhausted, or when the first person completes a tableau of twelve played cards. The winner is determined by victory points, which are derived from values on the cards you've played, as well as VP chips you get for selling goods. It is remarkably short (in a good way) for the amount of depth it has, and is one of my favorite tabletop games.

RftG can be played between two players or three to four players. The primary difference is at two players, each person can select two actions. At a higher player count everyone is limited to selecting one action. This variation makes it scale quite nicely. It I find it just as enjoyable at two players as I do at larger player counts.

My board game quality checklist:

• ✔️Balances pure randomness and complete control/predictability - Much of the game depends on random card draw, and it's true that you can sometimes have a match with crap card draws. However, there are smart ways to mitigate that (e.g. the Explore 5 action).
  
• ✔️No "one right move" - Every play you make is a balance of deciding which cards/strategies you will sacrifice, and which you will keep/pursue. Your options are always numerous, and you will typically have to sacrifice several others in order to pursue one, every turn.
  
• ✔️Balance of rules (not too easy and not overcomplicated) - The rules are almost excessive. Trading and consuming are probably the hardest parts to teach newbies, but it's still a valuable part of the experience. I'll give it a pass.
  
• ✔️Defined length - A match is over after one person plays twelve cards, or the VP pool is exhausted. They both can happen quick. Some strategies require that you try to drag things out a bit to win, and some require the game to be ended as soon as possible. In either case, a match will reach an inevitable conclusion, and are typically well under 30 minutes for experienced players.
  
• ✔️Replay Value (i.e. feels like a different game every time) - As mentioned, I've played this over 200 times, counting both matches against human and AI. It's my most played board/card game. That should speak volumes.
  
• ✔️All players in it until the end - There is no mechanic that eliminates players. Until the end game is triggered, there's always a chance. However, the point margin between players can determine the likelihood of a comeback.
  
• ✔️Decisions affect other players (Not separate games of solitaire) - Every turn involves choosing an action you will take, which also allows your opponent(s) to take the same action. Part of the strategy is trying to benefit from the action you think your opponent will choose, or refraining from an action that would help your opponent more than it helps you.
  
• ❌Total knowledge at game start (All possibilities on the table, not hidden in a deck of cards that only experienced players know about) - I have to fail RftG here on a technicality. There is a large deck of cards, but it doesn't severely diminish the greatness of the game. Just be aware that experienced players, who know what kind of cards are in the deck, will have an edge over newer players.

This is a solid digital port, for a great card game. Normally I wouldn't recommend a digital port for a board/card game when it's free on Board Game Arena (yes, I'm a bit of a BGA fanboy), however, some of the nice quality of life features in the Steam app makes playing RftG so much preferable than BGA. Scores are always visible (including variable 6-cost development cards), and instantly updated with every card played. It has a solid interface, a subtle sound effect for every event, and a fitting ambient soundtrack. You can play against AI opponents at various skill levels. These are all things that you can't get from the BGA version. Not to mention the Steam app is lightweight, yet solid in build quality. It has been bug-free through all my plays through it (even including expansions). If you value these features, then it's definitely worth the money.

To summarize Steam vs BGA...

The Steam Port

• ❌ Not Free
  
• ✔️ Beautiful interface and animations
  
• ✔️ Nice ambient sounds and music
  
• ❌ Only has the three earliest expansions
  
• ✔️ Has AI
  
• ✔️ Scores update automatically as cards are played

Board Game Arena Version

• ✔️ It's free
  
• ✔️ Has all expansions
  
• ❌ Basic interface
  
• ❌ Scores not properly updated as you play
  
• ❌ No AI

The base game comes with the New Worlds expansion by default. NW is simply six additional starter worlds, which helps broaden out the early game. There are three more expansions that you can purchase as DLC. Each of these expansions builds on the previous, so you must own the first two if you want to play the third. In order they are:

✔️ Gathering Storm This one is a must. I consider this as completing the base game as it should be, not simply an expansion.
See my full review here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/odog502/recommended/647070/

❌ Rebel vs Imperium A decent expansion, but not essential. It adds the ability to steal opponent's planets.
See my full review here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/odog502/recommended/647071/

❌ Brink of War It adds a prestige system which are mostly glorified VPs. I only recommend this once you're burned out on the previous two expansions.
See my full review here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/odog502/recommended/762070/

If you own all DLCs, rest assured, you can easily select and deselect which expansions you want to use prior to any individual match. It's refreshingly streamlined.

It's worth noting that, as of today, the Steam port does not have the latest expansions (both of which were released on tabletop several years ago). There hasn't been an update on this Steam port since 2018, so I suspect, they're letting this coast, and don't have any plans to add the newer ones. You'll have to go to BGA if you want to play these expansions:
Xeno Invasion
Alien Artifacts

Follow Summit Reviews for more high-quality reviews.

Brilliant design. It takes a while before appreciating this one due to the learning curve and abstract rule set.

Pros:
+ Amazing AI
+ Many strategies (many synergies)
+ Balanced design
+ Sometimes hard decision making is involved
+ Relatively more replayable than most card games I have played
+ Relatively less reliant on RNG compared to other card games
+ No snowballing despite being an engine builder
+ Quick animations and AI turn times
+ Responsive UI
+ Clean art style
+ Good adaptation and games are almost three times as fast as the physical board game.
+ Turns are played out simultaneously
+ Crossplay Android/Steam
+ 2nd edition and New Worlds promo cards are included
+ Right clicking a card gives symbol description, right clicking an action phase shows bonus.

Cons:
- Once you get a produce/consume engine going it's hard to get countered (fixed by gathering storm)
- Military builds aren't sufficiently competitive compared to produce/consume engines (fixed by Rebel vs Imperium)
- Learning curve
- You can't play the game without a mouse (nitpick)

Random info:
RftG is classified as an 'engine builder'. You explore, expand and exploit. You can't attack players in the base game. Settle planets, develop planets, produce goods and trade/consume them. Victory points are being scored by settling planets and consuming goods which you have produced on your planets. DLC is not needed, base game is fine as it is. It's not a casual card game. Game sessions last approximately 10-15 min once you have mastered the rules and know most card features.

Tip: Don't forget to activate the New Worlds expansion (NW).

Love the card game and I love the mobile version of the game, but the steam implimentation is just a port of the mobile and the mechanics of the game are not fluent on a keyboard/mouse platform and make the game akward to play.

The UI, scaling, and resolution could use some work... yes it adjusts to the resolution of your screen... but at higher resolutions the UI does not need to be as thick as it is which would make room for making more space on the table to make the smaller details larger and accessible.

I don't have the most powerful laptop but should be decent enough for this, the animations were a little jumping and the AI processes slower compared to when playing on a mobile device.

Devices can be linked together which is nice, appears that profiles are still per individual device though and stats are not synced between them. I don't mind buying the game or expansions more then once, because I like to support the products I love, but I imagine for those that don't want to buy the expansions multiple times, you could start a game on the device you already purchased and I assume you could resume it on another device regardless to if you have purchased it on the other platform.

Update the game to be more computer friendly and I could recommend the steam version to others... otherwise buy it for a mobile or touch capable device or better still try the physical game out!

Undoubtedly the best Race for the Galaxy implementation to date.

Easier than ever to get into, thanks to tutorials. Streamlined, sleek, pretty, simplified. Yet with all the same depth and complexity the game naturally provides.

Will be playing thousands of games, see you online!

I found out about this in a "Sit Down and Shut Up" boardgame review:
https://youtu.be/JQnCvlfMvXY?t=1112 which was a review about Wingspan, but at 18:32 in the video (fast forward to that spot - the t=1112 didn't work when I pasted the link above), he has no words, only sighs and a very emotional look, when he talks about Race For The Galaxy.

How could I refuse? I just had to try it!

After the first non-tutorial game, I'm hooked, but the game is pretty deep, and I wonder if I'll every really wrap my head around it. If you're already turned off... just give me a second here while I try to get my thoughts together, and hopefully you'll still be willing to give the game a chance.

First of all - it is a CRIME that the game doesn't have a DEMO! Anybody should be able to try this out just to get an idea if they'd like this genre - because the game is genius. Maybe a demo that only allowed playing the tutorial but nothing else - that would probably do the job. Either that, or a demo that disables all alien and genetic goods for non-demo games - something like that (you know - hover over it and it says "Disabled In Demo".

The tutorial takes about 15-20 minutes - the concepts are relatively easy to internalize, and the game flow takes about 1 hour to start making sense, if not sooner. There are also these cryptic very condensed glyph descriptions on the cards, that at first look like a SpaceChem flow diagram. After reading the card's description these also start to make sense, and I imagine with enough play-time will be easy to understand at a glance - and the glyph language is really pretty cool as it is so compact and so unambiguous (something all card games could use to replace the verbose and often ambiguous wordy descriptions that has kept me away from most card games like this).

So the hard part isn't the rules. No the hard part(s) is(are) that some math is involved when planning moves - before you click the "OK" button to make sure you've got all you need to implement your plan, AND that estimating good goals is a continuous and ever-changing process. The math part isn't really that hard - but it is a requirement for playing well, and it keeps the game out of the casual domain. You will be very motivated to make a plan, and double-check it a few times, before committing to a move.

But the bigger, harder, or more memorable and enjoyable part of the game, is that of goal-setting (which isn't spelled out by the game per se, I just found myself needing to set goals as I sorted through my cards. Let me try to explain. You might identify one or two cards that are worth keeping for several turns, to implement a massive improvement on your galactic machine. Life is good, and as the turns go by you feel like you are on track to implement your goals. Then 3 or 4 or 5 turns later, the strange thing that will happen is, a new card will show up in your hand and suddenly a mental shift will take place, where you sacrifice all those cards you had held onto for so many turns because this new card blows them all away!

This is what happened to me in my first non-tutorial game, and it was the CRESCENDO final move before I won the game, and deeply satisfying! Applause and shouts of "bravo" echoed through the chambers of my mind!

There is a concept of "frisson", which is a physiological response - a sense of chills down your spine (I would call it a spiritual experience) - which has been understood to be the result of when an expectation is suddenly upended, and the change is an unforeseen pleasant surprise. I didn't experience the frisson, but the holding on to the expectation "here is how I'm going to play this" and the sudden "no there is now a complete change of plans" describes how my first game played out, and I think anyone who gives this game enough of a chance, will have a similar enjoyable experience sooner or later.

So yeah - I recommend this. There is also a board game version, which this video-game version gives me a tiny glimmer of hope I might be able to get my head around, now that all the mechanisms are described so nicely in the gameplay here.

Plays real quick (once over the moderate learning hump) and yet allows for a breadth of strategic options. The cards-as-currency design packs in meaningful choices very densely. This game (whose AI is, I believe, fairly good) also swiftly exposes your shortcomings as a decision maker and tempts you to try and do better. The UI, while mobile-first, is still almost perfect, and very pleasant.

It takes something special for me to put aside "videogames" in favor of a pure card game like this one. Lovely game!

I think this is a great implementation of a really good card game. Race for the Galaxy (RftG) is an extremely tough game to teach to new player, but I believe it's actually easier with the digital version. All cards feature hover-over explanations of effects as a handy instant reference. It launched with 2 expansion and online multiplayer (even the 2 player variant game). The AI is plenty strong to hone your skills. If you have a iOS or android version, you can link your account to keep up with your games on the go. The developers did a good job of avoiding common digital board game pitfalls (unnecessary 3d graphics, slow gameplay, lack of online play), and I can't wait to see what future patches will hold for it. I would love to see other boardgames get this treatment.

Update: I'm not sure if anyone has talked about how the account works - You can link your phone account and play online games from whichever device you're on. You won't have access to expansion across devices, but if the game was started with the expansion you can still play it on a device without the expansion.

EDIT: Purchased the expansions and they also are great products. Highly Recommend.

Well, today we've got something very special for you board game fans out there.

An excellent rendition of Race for the Galaxy, a pure card game often said to be a true classic, and rightfully so. Note that I do have the physical version as well, so I'm coming into this one with experience in that.

If you've never played it, RotG is an engine builder, focusing on synergies between cards as you build your Engine of Points Scoring over the course of the game.

Goal is pretty simple: Have the highest score at the end. The game ends either when someone has played a full 12 cards, or if the VP (victory point) pool has been emptied. This actually creates an interesting dynamic, in that you might have to change up your strategy based on how close the end is, particularly as you cant be 100% sure when the game will end unless you're the one ending it. In an overall sense, the game is actually darned good at keeping things dynamic. You cannot go into this with one set strategy and just focus on that above all else. It aint gonna work. You MUST be willing to adapt, and that's going to make for some tough decisions.

The core of the game though, in my opinion, is a pair of very well-implemented mechanics. Firstly, the phase selection, and then the discarding.

Normally, in most board games, each turn is executed in a series of phases, one after another. Always the same ones, in the same order. But not here. At the start of each turn, you choose 2 of the phases that you intend to use. You might choose to explore (draw cards) and then settle (place a planet card). Or maybe you decide to play a development card in the develop phase, and then activate the produce phase to get some goods placed onto your worlds that are capable of doing so. You and your opponents make these choices and then reveal them simultaneously. And here's the thing: ONLY those chosen phases will execute. Nobody chose to explore this round? Well, nobody is doing any exploring at all, then, nor will any cards activate that might have something like "at the start of the explore phase, do this". Because that phase is simply skipped. On top of that, the exact effects of a phase on you will depend on whether or not you chose it. After all, if your opponent chooses a particular phase but you did not, you still get to do that phase, because it will be active that turn. Your opponent, however, will not only do that phase, but will get the related bonus because they actively chose it. If you both chose it, you both get the bonus.

This unique mechanic is an enormous part of the strategy. Whenever you choose to do a particular phase, you're also giving your opponent the chance to do it even if they did not choose that particular action... and they just might be banking on that. If you're not careful, you could be making your opponent's job that much easier by outright giving them exactly the opportunities they need to play their stuff, while they still then get to do other things that they chose themselves. Paying attention to your opponent's cards and getting an understanding of what they're going for will be the key to doing this.

And the other major mechanic that keeps things interesting is the fact that your hand of cards is also your resources. Planets and developments... the two types of cards you can play... all have a cost, and that cost is payed by discarding. The very cards that you need to execute your plan are the things you'll have to get rid of if you want to play anything at all. Well, usually. Military planets work differently, in that they can be played for free if your military level is high enough (and focusing on military is absolutely one of the major strategy routes you can go for).

Overall, there are so many really tense and interesting decisions to be made in this game, in terms of choosing phases in such a way as to benefit you but not your opponent, and deciding not just what to play, what what you're going to have to sacrifice in order to do it. And when the time comes to adapt to the ever-changing situation, that big card you'd been waiting to use all this time might end up just being fuel to power something else.

There's far more to the game's mechanics than just that, particularly when the expansions are activated. Even despite the depth though, the game is not at all hard to learn. Easy to learn, difficult to master, that's the sort this is. The tutorial will do a good enough job of teaching you the ropes, but it's still a good idea to then read the manual, as there's a couple of small bits the tutorial doesnt seem to touch on.

Now, as for this digital recreation of the game, it's good, but not perfect. I'll just state it outright: This was obviously created to be played on tablets. You'll spot that right away as you get going. So the way in which you interact with the game could be a bit better geared towards mouse use (in particular, there's an awful lot of dragging here). However, the UI as a whole is very clean and easy to read. The cards look exactly as they should, with easy to read icons, and you can click to zoom on them for additional detail. Your opponents' areas are stuffed into the top of the screen, and again, a quick click will show them to you in full. Which is good, because you really gotta pay attention to what they're doing.

Lastly, the AI is very strong, as the term "neural network" might imply. There's actually a lot of data about it out there, if you're interested... the AI behind this has quite the history to it. Suffice it to say though, this WILL give you a challenge.

One thing that's worth noting though is that for the actual physical game, there is a full solo mode, done against a quite strong automa (seriously, it's really good), but that is not included here.

Other than that, everything is here, and I *very* strongly recommend just buying all 3 expansions right away, if you pick this up. They'll take an already excellent game, and make it even better.

If I have any complaints, it's this: The game definitely has a learning curve, and the strategies involved can be quite obtuse at first. If you find yourself struggling, there are some very in-depth guides over on Boardgamegeek that can help you get started on this exceptionally deep game.

So yeah... it's good. If you're into board/card games and you've never played this... you're missing out, and here's a great chance to fix that.