Ra Review

Intro

Reiner Knizia's Ra takes you on a journey through ancient Egypt where pharaohs rise and fall, monuments reach toward the heavens, and the Nile floods bring both bounty and destruction. This 1999 classic blends auction mechanics with set collection in a way that feels both elegant and cutthroat. The game accommodates 2-5 players in about an hour, though it really shines with 3-4 people at the table. With a BoardGameGeek rating of 7.67 and recent induction into their Hall of Fame, Ra has proven its staying power. The rules are straightforward enough for newcomers to grasp quickly, but the tactical depth will keep experienced gamers coming back.

How It Plays

Ra unfolds across three epochs (think of them as rounds), each representing 500 years of Egyptian history. Players start with a set of sun tokens bearing different values, which serve as both bidding currency and victory points. The central board displays a track where tiles get added throughout the game.

On your turn, you either draw a tile from the bag and add it to the track, use a god tile to snag something specific, or call an auction by shouting "Ra!" When tiles hit the track, they might trigger an immediate auction if you draw a Ra tile or fill up the track. Here's where things get spicy: once you bid in an auction, you're committed. The winner takes all tiles currently on the track and gives up their sun token, receiving the sun that was previously in the center of the board.

The tiles you collect fall into several categories. Civilization tiles give you points if you have the most of certain types at the end of an epoch. Monument tiles accumulate over all three epochs for big endgame scoring. Pharaoh tiles provide immediate points, while Nile and flood tiles work together to either reward you handsomely or leave you high and dry. Disaster tiles force you to discard previous gains, and god tiles give you special actions.

The twist? Once you've used all your suns in an epoch, you're done bidding until the next one begins. This creates a delicious tension where you might find yourself sitting on the sidelines while others continue to auction, or you might be the lone bidder grabbing tiles unopposed.

Highlights

The auction system in Ra is pure genius. Unlike typical auctions where you can drop out early, here you're locked into your bid once you make it. This creates genuine tension in every decision. Do you jump in early with a high bid to secure tiles you need, or wait and risk someone else taking them? The psychological warfare around the table is intense.

What really sets Ra apart is how it handles the economy. Your sun tokens are both your bidding power and your points, creating this beautiful constraint where spending more doesn't always mean getting more. Sometimes a low-value sun can win you a crucial auction late in an epoch when everyone else has spent their big tokens.

The set collection creates meaningful decisions on every auction. You're not just grabbing tiles willy-nilly; you need to think about what works together. Monuments are useless unless you collect different types. Civilization tiles only pay out if you have enough of them. The Nile system can swing from massive points to devastating penalties based on flood tiles.

Despite all this complexity, Ra flows beautifully. Turns are quick, downtime is minimal, and the game builds to natural crescendos as each epoch winds down. You'll find yourself constantly evaluating risk versus reward, especially when deciding whether to invoke Ra and force an auction.

The theme actually enhances the gameplay rather than feeling pasted on. The rise and fall of pharaohs, the importance of the Nile's flooding cycle, and the long-term monument building all make thematic sense while serving mechanical purposes.

Criticisms

Ra can be absolutely brutal to newcomers. The scoring system, while logical, isn't intuitive at first glance. New players often struggle to evaluate whether a set of tiles is worth bidding on, leading to either overly conservative play or costly mistakes. The game doesn't hold your hand, and a few bad decisions early on can put you in a hole that's tough to climb out of.

The luck factor bothers some players. Tile draws are random, and sometimes the tiles you desperately need just don't come up. Disaster tiles can undo careful planning in a single draw. While skilled players can mitigate these swings over multiple games, any single game can feel like it hinged more on what came out of the bag than on your decisions.

With fewer than three players, Ra loses much of its magic. The auction tension disappears when there aren't enough people competing for tiles. Even with three, it can feel a bit restrained compared to the chaos and excitement of a four or five-player game. If your regular gaming group is just two people, this probably isn't the game for you.

Conclusion

Ra is a masterclass in auction design that rewards players who can read the table, manage risk, and adapt to changing circumstances. If you enjoy games where every decision matters and psychological warfare is as important as mathematical optimization, you'll love this. It's perfect for groups that appreciate elegant mechanics wrapped in a theme that actually enhances the experience. The game has earned its classic status by being simultaneously accessible and deep, quick-playing yet memorable. Just be prepared for a learning curve, and don't expect to master it in your first few plays. Ra rewards patience and punishes hubris, much like the ancient civilization it celebrates.