Race for the Galaxy · 2007 · Rio Grande Games
In Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilizations by playing cards representing worlds or technical and social developments.
Each round, players secretly and simultaneously select an action card corresponding to one phase of a round. These phases let players draw cards, play cards, add goods to worlds, or consume goods for VP chips. Only the phases chosen will occur that round. Every player may act in a phase that occurs, but the players who chose that phase get a bonus.
Game end is triggered either when a player has built a civilization of 12 cards or when the pool of VP chips is exhausted. Each player then totals the victory points in their tableau plus any VP chips earned during play.
Detailed Overview
Race for the Galaxy tells a story of galactic discovery and expansion through a single deck of cards. Every card in the deck represents either a world that you might settle or a development that you might implement. Cards placed into your tableau represent your current achievements -- worlds you have colonized, technology you now wield -- while cards in your hand represent the options currently available to you.
To play a card, discard the number of cards equal to its cost, representing other opportunities you must forgo to concentrate on your current course. Once in your tableau, a card provides special powers during the game and, at the end, its listed number of victory points. Many worlds, once placed, also produce goods that can be traded for more cards or consumed for VP chips.
