Game(s) Played:
Race For The Galaxy (RFTG)
Player(s):
Nitsuj
Mo
Mo had some time after assignments and came over looking to get back into his winning groove again after the Titan catastrophe. He picked RFTG which he has a historical winning ratio of 4 in 5 games and not being one to deny him such satisfaction, we got it on! But before that, here’s a review of what RFTG is all about:
Review
This Game Is… …:
About settling alien worlds with the help of technological developments after which world specific goods can be produced and consumed by the general populace. All these different activities of settling / developing / consuming do contribute to a Player’s victory points (VP) and the Player with the highest VP score at game end is the winner.
What Do You Get In The Box?
RFTG is a card game with four expansions to date. I only have the first expansion which is called “The Gathering Storm" so my review will only include the base game and this expansion.
The base set comes with 114 Game Cards (5 Start Worlds, 59 Worlds & 50 Developments) and 4 different coloured sets of Player Action Cards (7 Action Cards per Player). Apart from the cards, the base set also comes with 28 VP chips.
A picture of the Start Worlds, the other cards and some VP chips
The Gathering Storm (TGS) expansion comes with an additional 22 cards (4 Start Worlds, 10 Worlds & 8 Developments), 1 additional set of Player Action Cards (bringing the game from 4 Players to 5 Players) and an additional 9 VP chips. It also expands the game with an additional feature of 10 Goal Tiles as well as the following items: 1 Player Mat, 14 Counters & 2 Custom Dice for the Solitaire Game feature.
TGS’ Start Worlds, other cards and the extra VP chips
The 10 different Goal Tiles (4 “Most Goals" & 6 “First Goals")
And here’s a picture of everything you need for the Solitaire Game
How Is It Played?
Plotting At The Start
Each Player begins play with a randomly dealt Start World and 6 cards drawn from the Draw Pile which contains all the remaining cards. This is probably the most crucial part of the game where a Player ponders upon his course for the entire game. It has been said that the title of the game is very aptly named in that it really is a race. A Player who deviates from his original course is more than often likely to lose to a Player who does not.
Choosing Actions
Actions in RFTG are somewhat different in the sense that when a Player chooses to do a particular action, all other Players get to participate by taking that action as well. However, the Player that plays the initial action will get a bonus related to that action which the other Players will not. The 7 Player Actions cards comprise of the following:
[I. Explore +1 +1] – is a card drawing action where a Player draws 2 cards and chooses to keep 1 card. The Player with the bonus draws an additional 1 card and gets to keep an additional 1 card (Draw 3 Keep 2).
[I. Explore +5] – is similar except the bonus is that the Player draws an additional 5 cards (Draw 7 Keep 1). (Normally used if the Player is looking for a very specific card)
[II. Develop] – allows a Player to put down a Development. Bonus: Put down the Development at a discount of -1 to its cost.
[III. Settle] – allows a Player to put down a World. Bonus: Draw an additional card after settling a World.
[IV. Consume: Trade] – Players consume as many goods as they are able. Bonus: Sell one good to draw a specific number of cards (depending on the type of good).
[IV. Consume: 2x VPs] – Players consume as many goods as they are able. Bonus: All VPs gained through consumption of goods are doubled.
[V. Produce] – Players produce goods on all their Production Worlds. Bonus: Produce a good on a non-Production World (Windfall World).
Layout Of The Card
The game contains a whole host of abilities and concepts that are encapsulated and condensed into a single card through symbols. I felt by running through the layout of a card, I will inadvertently cover this unusual system that in all honesty is both what attracts people and turns off others at the same time.
Worlds
Worlds can broadly be divided into two categories, namely Military & Non-Military Worlds. Military Worlds need to be settled through military might which can be built up through Developments or other Worlds that give military power. Non-Military Worlds however are settled by paying the cost of the World indicated on the card by discarding the indicated amount (cost) of cards from the remaining cards from your hand. The VPs gained from settling the World are noted in the hexagon shape on the top left of the card.
Military Worlds are circled in red whereas Non-Military Worlds are black
Both Military & Non-Military Worlds can be further categorized into Production, Non-Production (Windfall) & Barren Worlds. Production Worlds produce specific goods during the Produce phase. Windfall Worlds as the name suggests immediately come with a good attached but do not produce goods during the Produce phase and Barren Worlds don’t produce anything at anytime.
Production & Windfall Worlds will be one of the following colours and will produce the corresponding goods (in order of value):
a. Alien Worlds – Yellow > Produces alien technologies
b. Gene Worlds – Green > Produce genes
c. Mining Worlds – Brown > Produces rare elements
d. Trade Worlds – Blue > Produces novelty goods
Developments
Developments are the cards with a diamond in the upper left part of the card. Its cost is written within the diamond and all Developments are paid for by discarding the required amount of cards from your hand. There is a special group of Developments which are called “6-Cost Developments" which can be interpreted as wonders of your space civilization. What’s so special about these Wonders are that the VPs you gain from developing these Wonders are always denoted with a “?" on the card because the value of the card usually depends on what other Worlds & Developments you have put in your Galactic Empire.
For example: The Merchant Guild is worth 2 VPs for every Production World you have in play
Developments come with abilities that give the Player bonuses that will be available during the Player Actions phase. These abilities are depicted in symbol form on the left side of the card and do indicate which Action phase the bonus would be effective. Once you’re used to the symbols, you realize the beauty of the system in condensing all these information into a single card and play usually speeds up as if Players had just made the discovery of warp drives. The following is a list of sample bonuses available to the Player:
[Phase I: Explore]
Abilities: Draw additional cards and / or keep additional cards
Expedition Force allows the Player to draw an additional card during the Explore phase [Phase II: Development]
Abilities: Reduce the cost of Developments / Draw additional cards
Investment Credits reduces all Development costs by -1 [Phase III: Settle]
Abilities: Reduce the cost of settling Worlds / Increase military power / Draw additional cards
Replicant Robots reduces the cost of settling a World by -2 [Phase $: Trade]
Abilities: Draw additional cards for selling a good
Genetics Lab allows the Player to draw an additional card for selling a green good (Genes good) [Phase IV: Consume]
Abilities: Consume produced goods for VPs and / or additional cards
Galactic Genome Project allows the Player to consume 2 Genes goods for 3 VPs [Phase V: Produce]
Abilities: Produce on a Windfall World / Draw additional cards for goods produced
Research Labs enables the Player to draw an additional card for each alien technologies good produced Achieving Goals Along The Way
Throughout the game, Players should be aware that there are certain goals that can be achieved which give a Player VPs, a new feature introduced by the TGS expansion. There are ten goals available in every game and comprise of 4 “Most" Goals and 6 “First Time" Goals as follows:
“Most" Goals:
These goals are held on to by the Player who has the most of the item depicted by the Goal Tile. Ties are settled by the Player who had the tied amount first and ownership of the Goal Tile only changes when it is clear another Player has the most of the required item. These “Most Goals" are worth 5 VPs at the end of the game.
1. Most Production Worlds (Minimum of 4)
2. Most Developments (Minimum of 4)
3. Most Military Might (Minimum of 6)
4. Most Mining and / or Trade Worlds (Minimum of 3)
“First Time" Goals:
These goals are non-transferable and are earned by the first Player to meet the specified goal. “First Time" Goals are worth 3 VPs at the end of the game.
1. First – 5 VP Chips
2. First – 6-Cost Development
3. First – Having one bonus ability for each phase
4. First – Need to discard down to 10 cards in hand at round end
5. First – One Production / Windfall World of each colour
6. First – 3 played cards with the word “Alien" in the card name
Game End & Scoring
The game can end in one of two ways:
– All the VP chips run out (VPs available at the start = 12 x Y [Y = No. of Players])
– A Player ends the round with 12 or more cards played in their Galactic Empire
At the end of the game, Players total up the VPs as denoted in the hexagonal boxes on the top left of the cards in their Galactic Empire and add up any VP chips and Goal Tiles they have accumulated to determine the winner. Ties are settled by the number of cards held in the Player’s hand with the more being the winner.
What I Think About The Game?
Gameplay:
I have heard comments that RFTG is not for the faint of heart and to a certain extent it is true. The symbols, Player action system, tight hand management and faster than normal gameplay make this game particularly difficult for new Players to grasp.
I liken the experience very much to learning how to play chess. It appears very daunting at first because you are trying to remember all the different movements of the different pieces let alone work out a strategy to win but once you get past the learning curve, the game opens up to you and you begin to ponder about what you’re doing and how you can take advantage of your opponent’s moves. Then before you know it, you’re playing speed chess and you’ve never had so much fun in your life.
RFTG’s gameplay is nothing like Dominion (thought I’d get it out of the way) but it is nevertheless a thoroughly satisfying experience each time I play it. There’s just something about building a Galactic Empire that can take advantage of all Action Phases and the thrill of bulldozing your way to the finishing line. I must say that I’ve never played RFTG with more than 3 Players and usually only 2 Players but I suspect that the experience will not vary too much with more.
Quality:
I sleeve all my card games and especially so with RFTG due to the shuffling of such a big deck of cards. I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to shuffle the base set and all its four expansions. If you have a special piece of machinery or method do share as I’m all out of ideas to get a well shuffled deck here.
The artwork and quality of the cards is not absolutely gorgeous but does manage to support the futuristic space exploration theme very well.
Affordability:
Price ÷ Recommended No. of Players ÷ [Game Length (hour) x No. Times Game is Played in a year]
I bought RFTG for about RM145 and its TGS expansion for RM105. I usually only play with Mo since he’s the only one who has learnt the system and is as experienced as I am, having learnt to play the game together. Games usually only take us about 30mins but we play 2-3 games in one sitting, usually after we have finished a long game with the others and we’re just winding down before calling it a night.
My result would be:
RM250 ÷ 2 Players ÷ [0.5 hours x (12 times a year x 2 game per time)] = RM10.42 / hour per player
This is roughly equivalent to the cost of a Regular Big Mac McValue Meal (for fear of violation of copyright laws you are treated to a picture of a cartoon burger instead), which is quite expensive really since it doesn’t take you an hour to consume a Big Mac, French Fries and a Cola. In comparison with another activity, the cost would roughly be equivalent to that of an hour of futsal.
This is partly due to the cost of the expansion really. If you take out the cost of TGS expansion, it actually comes down to just RM6.04 / RM4.03 (2 / 3 Players). For those with budgetary concerns or don’t find themselves converted to be a RFTG zealot, the game is really quite good with just the base set. The fact that you only get 1/5th the number of cards in the expansion compared to the base set would certainly be a cause for consideration and is certainly one of mine. Mo & I are actually very happy with just the one expansion and have no plans to purchase any of the other expansions in the near future.
Is This Game For You?
RFTG is truly a gem, but it’s more like the 1st issue comic of Star Trek, you have to be a fan of the theme, the system and the fastness to understand why Trekkies treat this as if they have discovered the Holy Grail. Like Einstein’s Theory of Relativity: e = mc2, RFTG has changed the gaming world for the better but not everyone understands what it really is about.
If your group feels they can enjoy strategy on steroids and are not daunted by the learning curve of the first 5-10 games, go ahead and pick up the base set and if you find yourself salivating for more, there are always 4 more expansions to slake your thirst. Something good to note about RFTG is that it’s a great travel game. You just need to bring the cards and keep track of your VPs through other means.
Session
[Game 1]
I started with Doomed World (which allows the Player to swap it with any Non-Military, Non-Alien World for free) whereas Mo started with New Sparta (which gives +2 Military).
This is the latest setup we employ by placing all the Goal Tiles on the left to always be aware of them
As you can see, shuffling can be a somewhat difficult activity
I started with a crappy hand that didn’t seem to lead down any particular avenue. I was hoping for a high cost Genes World and go green but I just kept Exploring hoping to get some good things to work with.
This is the latest setup we employ by placing all the Goal Tiles on the left to always be aware of them
About halfway through the game, I still had my Doomed World (very unusual) and a ragtag of cards that didn’t really work together. Mo had started to build his military might and I can see that he was building towards a finale of deploying New Galactic Order [which gives VP = military might at game end].
Nitsuj’s Game 1 – Galactic Empire
I finally caught my big break when I pulled Mining League, Mining Conglomerate & Mining Robots within two turns (again I suspect this happens due to the difficulty shuffling the deck) and finally threw down New Earth for Doomed World and I was playing the Produce / Consume: 2x VP phases to get 8 VPs each turn. The game was abruptly over within two turns.
Mo’s Game 1 – Galactic Empire
I’m not sure if Mo just couldn’t pull the right Military boosters (I discarded quite a number of Military Worlds during the game) or he decided to change to Novelty Worlds because he wanted to take advantage of my Produce / Consumer phases. In any case it turns out that I managed to beat him to the end, he was going to put down New Galactic Order on his next turn but we had already run out of VP chips.
[Results Of Game 1]
Mo – Nitsuj : 41 – 47
New Galactic Order would have given Mo an additional 7 VPs giving him the win. Note: Actually, now that I look closely, Mo doesn’t actually qualify for the “Most Military Power" Goal Tile as he only has 5 Military. So his edited score is:
Mo – Nitsuj : 36 – 47 (:P)
Maybe Mo should have stayed on course, or my lucky break was just a bit too lucky.
[Game 2]
Mo’s Game 2 – Galactic Empire
Mo started with Earth’s Lost Colony whilst I pulled Doomed World (again). I suspect Mo had Diversified Economy (which rewards Players for having multiple coloured Worlds) from the start because otherwise can’t justify why he chose rainbow coloured Worlds to settle and nothing with significant abilities as well.
Nitsuj’s Game 2 – Galactic Empire
I was not doing too well either but decided to push for early cards through Destroyed World and managed to pull Free Trade Association & Consumer Markets. From there it was just Novelty World after Novelty World plus the bonus of picking up Tourist World (swapped for Doomed World) and Expanding Colony. I never got to put down Consumer Markets because Mo had started to Produce / Consume: 2x VPs with his Diversified Economy and I didn’t have enough cards to place Consumer Markets.
[Results Of Game 2]
Mo – Nitsuj : 34 – 44
I think Mo took too long to place his Alien World simply because it was so expensive. Maybe he couldn’t find a cheaper one but I think that slowed the game down for him considerably. If he had gotten an Alien World earlier, he may have beaten me through VP chips but as they say, too little too late.
[Game 3]
Nitsuj’s Game 3 – Galactic Empire
I picked up Alpha Centauri whilst Mo picked up New Sparta (again). Strangely enough, I ended up playing Military as well as I had a whole bunch of Military Worlds and Space Marines in my start hand. The New Galactic Order was just the sweet icing on the cake but I did experience card shortage and spent a fair number of rounds Exploring for more cards. This shortage proved to be my undoing later.
Mo’s Game 3 – Galactic Empire
Mo had Export Duties (plus 1 card for good sold), Investment Credits (Developments cost -1) & Public Works (Draw 1 card when placing Development) which seem to be tiny bonuses but in reality gave him a huge card advantage over me and so he managed to end the game with 12 card in his Galactic Empire compared to my 9.
[Results Of Game 3]
Mo – Nitsuj : 35 (win) – 35
This is our first tied game ever in the history of our plays of RFTG and I had to check the rulebook on tiebreakers. As you can see from the end game pictures, Mo had more cards in hand than I did and took the final game.
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