Ra is a classic Reiner Knizia game with an Ancient Egyptian theme. It is a push-your-luck, set collection auction game. Each turn you can take one action from the following options: draw a tile and add it to the lot on offer, start an auction, or use a previously-collected god tile to claim one tile from the lot.
A lot of tiles is auctioned in a single round. Players bid on the lot using tiles called “suns.” The winning sun tile is placed on the board as the first item in the next lot.
When a Ra tile is drawn an auction is triggered! It also advances a timer for the current epoch. A game lasts for three epochs, with players scoring points after each one. The game offers a short learning curve, and experienced players find it both fast-moving and a quick play.
One of the most enjoyable moments in the game happens when all players but one have used all of their sun tiles to win auctioned lots. The last remaining player gets to push her luck for great rewards, while risking the wrath of Ra for her greed!
In this episode Todd, David, and Paul investigate this beloved classic. With an Ancient Egyptian theme, “set collection” still refers to collecting tiles and not the god of deserts and storms. Give us a listen!
