Race For The Galaxy
In the card game Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilisations by playing game cards in front of them that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Some worlds allow players to produce goods, which can be consumed later to gain either card draws or victory points when the appropriate technologies are available to them. These are mainly provided by the developments and worlds that are not able to produce, but the fancier production worlds also give these bonuses. At the beginning of each round, players each select, secretly and simultaneously, one of the seven roles which correspond to the phases in which the round progresses. By selecting a role, players activate that phase for this round, giving each player the opportunity to perform that phase’s action. For example, if one player chooses the settle role, each player has the opportunity to settle one of the planets from their hand. The player who has chosen the role, however, gets a bonus that applies only to them. But bonuses may also be acquired through developments, so you must be aware when another player also takes advantage of your choice of role. Ages 12+, 2-4 players, 30-60 mins playing time.
In the card game Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilisations by playing game cards in front of them that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Some worlds allow players to produce goods, which can be consumed later to gain either card draws or victory points when the appropriate technologies are available to them. These are mainly provided by the developments and worlds that are not able to produce, but the fancier production worlds also give these bonuses. At the beginning of each round, players each select, secretly and simultaneously, one of the seven roles which correspond to the phases in which the round progresses. By selecting a role, players activate that phase for this round, giving each player the opportunity to perform that phase’s action. For example, if one player chooses the settle role, each player has the opportunity to settle one of the planets from their hand. The player who has chosen the role, however, gets a bonus that applies only to them. But bonuses may also be acquired through developments, so you must be aware when another player also takes advantage of your choice of role. Ages 12+, 2-4 players, 30-60 mins playing time.
In the card game Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilisations by playing game cards in front of them that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Some worlds allow players to produce goods, which can be consumed later to gain either card draws or victory points when the appropriate technologies are available to them. These are mainly provided by the developments and worlds that are not able to produce, but the fancier production worlds also give these bonuses. At the beginning of each round, players each select, secretly and simultaneously, one of the seven roles which correspond to the phases in which the round progresses. By selecting a role, players activate that phase for this round, giving each player the opportunity to perform that phase’s action. For example, if one player chooses the settle role, each player has the opportunity to settle one of the planets from their hand. The player who has chosen the role, however, gets a bonus that applies only to them. But bonuses may also be acquired through developments, so you must be aware when another player also takes advantage of your choice of role. Ages 12+, 2-4 players, 30-60 mins playing time.
In the card game Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilisations by playing game cards in front of them that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Some worlds allow players to produce goods, which can be consumed later to gain either card draws or victory points when the appropriate technologies are available to them. These are mainly provided by the developments and worlds that are not able to produce, but the fancier production worlds also give these bonuses. At the beginning of each round, players each select, secretly and simultaneously, one of the seven roles which correspond to the phases in which the round progresses. By selecting a role, players activate that phase for this round, giving each player the opportunity to perform that phase’s action. For example, if one player chooses the settle role, each player has the opportunity to settle one of the planets from their hand. The player who has chosen the role, however, gets a bonus that applies only to them. But bonuses may also be acquired through developments, so you must be aware when another player also takes advantage of your choice of role. Ages 12+, 2-4 players, 30-60 mins playing time.
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The lowest price for Race For The Galaxy right now is $35.42 at Trinity Hobby, compared across 36 retailers.
The all-time low was $9.50 on 8 Feb 2026 — today's price is 273% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 13 May 2026.
Last updated at 13/05/2026 22:25:09
Rio Grande Games 301RGG Race for The Galaxy Card Game
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RACE FOR THE GALAXY
RIO301 Rio Grande Games Race for the Galaxy by Gamersroll with free gift at $99
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Tabletop Games | Race for the Galaxy
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Race for the Galaxy
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Race for the Galaxy 2nd Edition
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Race For The Galaxy | Rio Grande Games
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Race for the Galaxy From Gameology
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Race for the Galaxy
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Race For The Galaxy
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originally posted on homeessentialsdirect.com
Absolutely great card game and incredibly addictive once you overcome the learning curve.Make no mistake, this is not a “deck builder” like Dominion or Star Realms or Thunderstone or...Instead, you will draw a number of random cards (the quantity of those drawn cards based on previously played card abilities) and develop your strategy based on what you acquire.That strategy is ever changing throughout the game and makes for some very interesting decisions.Speaking of decisions, cards function not only as those you want to play but also as the currency necessary to play them! For instance, a card you want to play might grant you 5 victory points but requires that many cards in currency to play it reducing your hand to nothing!EXCELLENT game.The theme is ... MoreAbsolutely great card game and incredibly addictive once you overcome the learning curve.Make no mistake, this is not a “deck builder” like Dominion or Star Realms or Thunderstone or...Instead, you will draw a number of random cards (the quantity of those drawn cards based on previously played card abilities) and develop your strategy based on what you acquire.That strategy is ever changing throughout the game and makes for some very interesting decisions.Speaking of decisions, cards function not only as those you want to play but also as the currency necessary to play them! For instance, a card you want to play might grant you 5 victory points but requires that many cards in currency to play it reducing your hand to nothing!EXCELLENT game.The theme is there as well. You can focus on a military strategy where your “galaxy” is made up of cards granting military might or maybe a “galaxy” that focuses on the production of rare alien artifacts. And then there are the Development cards that will earn you points based on a strategy you didn’t even consider.This card game has a bit of a learning curve. As with any game dripping with iconography, you’ll need to understand the symbols present and just what they mean. Luckily, the revised edition comes with a cheat sheet for each player so your first game doesn’t have to be too painful. However, with more and more games under your belt you’ll soon ditch the cheat sheet and truly race to win!
originally posted on homeessentialsdirect.com
I bought this base set for my husband for Christmas. We have a different copy of the game, but there are different expansion arcs. I personally love this game. My husband and I play it as a two player, and this is one of the games I feel can handle both multiple players and just he and me. It does take some time to get used to the iconography, but once you do, it is a great card game. My husband and I are both play board games often, but I found that even with people who don't play a lot of board games, by the end of the game, you get what the game's about. The only thing to keep in mind is that there are different combinations of cards that work well together, so that if one person knows the cards better than the other, they have a slight advantage. Having said ... MoreI bought this base set for my husband for Christmas. We have a different copy of the game, but there are different expansion arcs. I personally love this game. My husband and I play it as a two player, and this is one of the games I feel can handle both multiple players and just he and me. It does take some time to get used to the iconography, but once you do, it is a great card game. My husband and I are both play board games often, but I found that even with people who don't play a lot of board games, by the end of the game, you get what the game's about. The only thing to keep in mind is that there are different combinations of cards that work well together, so that if one person knows the cards better than the other, they have a slight advantage. Having said that, both my husband and I have lost to someone we just taught, so I don't think the advantage is overwhelming. It is a game I highly recommend, mostly because it can be played over and over without being boring.
originally posted on homeessentialsdirect.com
I love board games. After reading whole bunch of positive reviews about this game, I decided to give it a try. It meets almost all my expectations. I'll skip all the pros, since there are lots of positive reviews with very detailed introductions. I'll focus on the potentially disappointing or frustrating point about this game.The most important reason I knock one star off, is that this is not a fast-learning game for starters. The rules are pretty complicated and need some experience to keep the game going smoothly. And the deck is pretty large, the knowledge of the existing cards is very crucial for strategy choosing, which is nearly impossible for new players, even after say 3-5 games. This can be very frustrating for a new player competing with experienced ... MoreI love board games. After reading whole bunch of positive reviews about this game, I decided to give it a try. It meets almost all my expectations. I'll skip all the pros, since there are lots of positive reviews with very detailed introductions. I'll focus on the potentially disappointing or frustrating point about this game.The most important reason I knock one star off, is that this is not a fast-learning game for starters. The rules are pretty complicated and need some experience to keep the game going smoothly. And the deck is pretty large, the knowledge of the existing cards is very crucial for strategy choosing, which is nearly impossible for new players, even after say 3-5 games. This can be very frustrating for a new player competing with experienced players. In one word, this game is good for several friends who play board games all the time and have time and patience to study and practice, but not for a bunch of people occasionally get together and want to play a game for maybe just several rounds.Given the feature said above, before buying this pretty expensive set of cards, you may want to think twice about what occasion you are expecting to use it. If you have a group of friends who loves playing board games and discussing strategy regularly, this could be your choice. But have this informed, there is a free software on Windows which has decent AI players and online multiplayer capability. If the "playing together atmosphere" is not crucial for you, this PC version might be just as good as the real setup. Plus, on PC, you can focus on pure strategy, need not to worry about counting scores and adding up all the bonuses for each phase, which personally I feel distracting. On the other hand, if you are looking for some warm-up-fast games for even totally new players, I would suggest you go for some other games. My personal favorite is Dixit, which needs NO prior experience to start and be good at it.
| Dimensions | 27.5 Ă— 19 Ă— 6.5 cm |
| Designer | Thomas Lehmann |
| Players | 2, 3, 4 |
| Minimum Suggested Age | 12 |
| Average Play Time | 30 - 60 minutes |
Rio Grande Games 301RGG Race for The Galaxy Card Game
Delivery $3
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
RACE FOR THE GALAXY
RIO301 Rio Grande Games Race for the Galaxy by Gamersroll with free gift at $99
Delivery $27.55
Tabletop Games | Race for the Galaxy
Delivery $15
Race for the Galaxy
Delivery between 20–25 May $11
Absolutely great card game and incredibly addictive once you overcome the learning curve.Make no mistake, this is not a “deck builder” like Dominion or Star Realms or Thunderstone or...Instead, you will draw a number of random cards (the quantity of those drawn cards based on previously played card abilities) and develop your strategy based on what you acquire.That strategy is ever changing throughout the game and makes for some very interesting decisions.Speaking of decisions, cards function not only as those you want to play but also as the currency necessary to play them! For instance, a card you want to play might grant you 5 victory points but requires that many cards in currency to play it reducing your hand to nothing!EXCELLENT game.The theme is ... MoreAbsolutely great card game and incredibly addictive once you overcome the learning curve.Make no mistake, this is not a “deck builder” like Dominion or Star Realms or Thunderstone or...Instead, you will draw a number of random cards (the quantity of those drawn cards based on previously played card abilities) and develop your strategy based on what you acquire.That strategy is ever changing throughout the game and makes for some very interesting decisions.Speaking of decisions, cards function not only as those you want to play but also as the currency necessary to play them! For instance, a card you want to play might grant you 5 victory points but requires that many cards in currency to play it reducing your hand to nothing!EXCELLENT game.The theme is there as well. You can focus on a military strategy where your “galaxy” is made up of cards granting military might or maybe a “galaxy” that focuses on the production of rare alien artifacts. And then there are the Development cards that will earn you points based on a strategy you didn’t even consider.This card game has a bit of a learning curve. As with any game dripping with iconography, you’ll need to understand the symbols present and just what they mean. Luckily, the revised edition comes with a cheat sheet for each player so your first game doesn’t have to be too painful. However, with more and more games under your belt you’ll soon ditch the cheat sheet and truly race to win!
I bought this base set for my husband for Christmas. We have a different copy of the game, but there are different expansion arcs. I personally love this game. My husband and I play it as a two player, and this is one of the games I feel can handle both multiple players and just he and me. It does take some time to get used to the iconography, but once you do, it is a great card game. My husband and I are both play board games often, but I found that even with people who don't play a lot of board games, by the end of the game, you get what the game's about. The only thing to keep in mind is that there are different combinations of cards that work well together, so that if one person knows the cards better than the other, they have a slight advantage. Having said ... MoreI bought this base set for my husband for Christmas. We have a different copy of the game, but there are different expansion arcs. I personally love this game. My husband and I play it as a two player, and this is one of the games I feel can handle both multiple players and just he and me. It does take some time to get used to the iconography, but once you do, it is a great card game. My husband and I are both play board games often, but I found that even with people who don't play a lot of board games, by the end of the game, you get what the game's about. The only thing to keep in mind is that there are different combinations of cards that work well together, so that if one person knows the cards better than the other, they have a slight advantage. Having said that, both my husband and I have lost to someone we just taught, so I don't think the advantage is overwhelming. It is a game I highly recommend, mostly because it can be played over and over without being boring.
I love board games. After reading whole bunch of positive reviews about this game, I decided to give it a try. It meets almost all my expectations. I'll skip all the pros, since there are lots of positive reviews with very detailed introductions. I'll focus on the potentially disappointing or frustrating point about this game.The most important reason I knock one star off, is that this is not a fast-learning game for starters. The rules are pretty complicated and need some experience to keep the game going smoothly. And the deck is pretty large, the knowledge of the existing cards is very crucial for strategy choosing, which is nearly impossible for new players, even after say 3-5 games. This can be very frustrating for a new player competing with experienced ... MoreI love board games. After reading whole bunch of positive reviews about this game, I decided to give it a try. It meets almost all my expectations. I'll skip all the pros, since there are lots of positive reviews with very detailed introductions. I'll focus on the potentially disappointing or frustrating point about this game.The most important reason I knock one star off, is that this is not a fast-learning game for starters. The rules are pretty complicated and need some experience to keep the game going smoothly. And the deck is pretty large, the knowledge of the existing cards is very crucial for strategy choosing, which is nearly impossible for new players, even after say 3-5 games. This can be very frustrating for a new player competing with experienced players. In one word, this game is good for several friends who play board games all the time and have time and patience to study and practice, but not for a bunch of people occasionally get together and want to play a game for maybe just several rounds.Given the feature said above, before buying this pretty expensive set of cards, you may want to think twice about what occasion you are expecting to use it. If you have a group of friends who loves playing board games and discussing strategy regularly, this could be your choice. But have this informed, there is a free software on Windows which has decent AI players and online multiplayer capability. If the "playing together atmosphere" is not crucial for you, this PC version might be just as good as the real setup. Plus, on PC, you can focus on pure strategy, need not to worry about counting scores and adding up all the bonuses for each phase, which personally I feel distracting. On the other hand, if you are looking for some warm-up-fast games for even totally new players, I would suggest you go for some other games. My personal favorite is Dixit, which needs NO prior experience to start and be good at it.
I have some regrets about this game. I regret that it's taken me so long to add it to my collection. This game has been in the top 100, on BGG, for quite some time, so I don't really have a good reason as to why I haven't gotten it until now, but I'm glad I did. This game is one of the greats, and will, likely, never leave my collection of games.
One of my favorite games. Art and symbology can be a turn off for some. About half the people I show it to love it. The other half either hate it or are disinterested. If you have a more casual group get roll for the galaxy instead since it’s easier to teach. Has a completely different game fee though.
Race for the Galaxy is a unique game where cards can have a variety of uses and each round depends on what choices you and your opponents make. Each round you will be selecting one of the 5 phases that you want to happen (as well as a bonus that you'll receive for choosing that phase. But only the phases chosen by your group will activate during that round.You may want to explore to gain new cards, develop a card in your hand, settle a world, trade the goods on your world, and produce goods on your worlds. But you can only pick one! And your opponents must do the same. You might not get to develop that card this turn, even though your strategy really depended on it.Cards are also unique. Cards in your hand represent what technologies you can develop and the ... MoreRace for the Galaxy is a unique game where cards can have a variety of uses and each round depends on what choices you and your opponents make. Each round you will be selecting one of the 5 phases that you want to happen (as well as a bonus that you'll receive for choosing that phase. But only the phases chosen by your group will activate during that round.You may want to explore to gain new cards, develop a card in your hand, settle a world, trade the goods on your world, and produce goods on your worlds. But you can only pick one! And your opponents must do the same. You might not get to develop that card this turn, even though your strategy really depended on it.Cards are also unique. Cards in your hand represent what technologies you can develop and the worlds you can settle. But they also are what you pay to be able to develop/settle other cards. You won't be able to use all your cards. You must make hard choices.This game requires you to learn what your opponents will probably do and adjust to their play and strategies. It requires you to make meaningful choices with your cards and which round you choose. There's an awful lot of game in such a small box. There are also several expansions.On the down side, there are lots of icons in this game. Some of them are pretty intuitive, but some of them are not so much. It takes a while to get used to. Thankfully, many of the less common symbols have text on the card telling you what they mean. Overall, despite the learning curve, I really enjoy the game. There is little player interaction (aside from choosing phases), which makes this game nice for people who like competitive play without the "take that" aspect. I highly recommend this game.
This was one of the first games I picked up after getting into board games. I read an awful lot of excellent reviews about it, and was excited to dive in! The space theme is great! We even played it a decent bit after getting it, but it wasn't long before it started to feel just a little bit... samey.I think a common warning for people getting into this game is the symbols, and that its got a steep learning curve. That wasn't an issue for us really. We watched a video rather than reading the rules, and didn't have any issues. Our problem was that after a while, you begin to understand the various paths you should take. You're given one of five start worlds, which generally dictates your strategy. You can branch out from that a bit, but after several plays, it felt ... MoreThis was one of the first games I picked up after getting into board games. I read an awful lot of excellent reviews about it, and was excited to dive in! The space theme is great! We even played it a decent bit after getting it, but it wasn't long before it started to feel just a little bit... samey.I think a common warning for people getting into this game is the symbols, and that its got a steep learning curve. That wasn't an issue for us really. We watched a video rather than reading the rules, and didn't have any issues. Our problem was that after a while, you begin to understand the various paths you should take. You're given one of five start worlds, which generally dictates your strategy. You can branch out from that a bit, but after several plays, it felt like we had quickly experienced all it had to offer.Its not a terrible game; in fact its pretty good. I just feel like Ive got plenty of other games at this point that satisfy for much longer than this one did.
Race for the Galaxy is one of those satisfying gaming experiences where your winning strategy unfolds as the game advances, specifically with the cards each player draws. Familiarity with the deck(s) is certainly an advantage as you attempt to optimize your draw and placement actions to build upon your initial, random card pool. However, outscoring your opponents can be second to outscoring your last game, due to the general lack of interaction.If you're the type that bemoans Dominion because you value theme over design, then this might not be your cup o'tea. RftG is a tidy design that, yes, could be skinned a dozen different ways, and that is a thing. That could be the reason most people I've introduced to it give it a passing grade, but show no real enthusiasm. ... MoreRace for the Galaxy is one of those satisfying gaming experiences where your winning strategy unfolds as the game advances, specifically with the cards each player draws. Familiarity with the deck(s) is certainly an advantage as you attempt to optimize your draw and placement actions to build upon your initial, random card pool. However, outscoring your opponents can be second to outscoring your last game, due to the general lack of interaction.If you're the type that bemoans Dominion because you value theme over design, then this might not be your cup o'tea. RftG is a tidy design that, yes, could be skinned a dozen different ways, and that is a thing. That could be the reason most people I've introduced to it give it a passing grade, but show no real enthusiasm. However, I think it is one of those games that grows on you and may invade your thoughts when you invest enough time, as most well-designed games will do. The same people who were less than enthusiastic were clearly wrapped up in the strategy by mid-game, on their first play.
This game sat on my shelf for a while because when I first got it I started reading the instructions and it seemed like it was going to be a pain to learn. It kind of was, not because it's complicated but because there is no text on the cards to give you a hint. You have to know what all the symbols mean--not that there are that many of them. The first game was rough. Once you get the hang of it, though, man this is a great game! I own around 150 games and play them all the time and I would say this is my personal favorite. It's really, really good. Once you have played a few times it goes really quickly and it's constant action--no waiting around for people to get over their analysis paralysis. The mechanics are very slick and there are a number of fun and rich ... MoreThis game sat on my shelf for a while because when I first got it I started reading the instructions and it seemed like it was going to be a pain to learn. It kind of was, not because it's complicated but because there is no text on the cards to give you a hint. You have to know what all the symbols mean--not that there are that many of them. The first game was rough. Once you get the hang of it, though, man this is a great game! I own around 150 games and play them all the time and I would say this is my personal favorite. It's really, really good. Once you have played a few times it goes really quickly and it's constant action--no waiting around for people to get over their analysis paralysis. The mechanics are very slick and there are a number of fun and rich strategies to explore. Because it is quick and action-packed, this is one that makes it to the table frequently. I really recommend this to anyone.
This is a great game. I've purchased multiple copies as gifts as well as getting some expansion packs. The last copy of the base game that I purchased from Home Essentials Direct was about $22. The suggested retail price is $35. These are both reasonable prices since you basically get a deck of cards and some cardboard cut-out tokens. Heck, the game is so much fun, I'd even be willing to pay up to $40 for it. Well, I was going to purchase yet another copy as a gift but when I came to Home Essentials Direct to get it I discovered that the Prime option was selling for just under $90. That's not gonna happen any more than I'm going to buy the Nintendo consoles or AMD video cards from scalpers. I've already contacted Rio Grande games and hopefully they'll increase the ... MoreThis is a great game. I've purchased multiple copies as gifts as well as getting some expansion packs. The last copy of the base game that I purchased from Home Essentials Direct was about $22. The suggested retail price is $35. These are both reasonable prices since you basically get a deck of cards and some cardboard cut-out tokens. Heck, the game is so much fun, I'd even be willing to pay up to $40 for it. Well, I was going to purchase yet another copy as a gift but when I came to Home Essentials Direct to get it I discovered that the Prime option was selling for just under $90. That's not gonna happen any more than I'm going to buy the Nintendo consoles or AMD video cards from scalpers. I've already contacted Rio Grande games and hopefully they'll increase the supply and these price gougers will take a bath.
| Dimensions | 27.5 Ă— 19 Ă— 6.5 cm |
| Designer | Thomas Lehmann |
| Players | 2, 3, 4 |
| Minimum Suggested Age | 12 |
| Average Play Time | 30 - 60 minutes |
