Ra is back. The classic 1999 game from Reiner Knizia is here once again in all of its glory to reintroduce and in a lot of cases introduce for the first time this biding and collection game that has had people playing into four decades. Today we are going to look at this new campaign coming from 25th Century Games on Gamefound and see what the fuss is all about!
Ra is a fan-favorite game from 1999 designed by Reiner Knizia that takes place over three epochs in an Egyptian-themed style. The game is tile collection and auction combination game where players find ways to expand their collection of tiles by influencing Pharaohs, collecting monuments, building the Nile and paying homage to the Egyptian gods.
And now we have a brand-new print of this game coming from 25th Century Games. There are a lot of questions about this one and I want to explore what is the same and what is different in this version so you are prepared for what to expect!
What’s NOT new
Often times when a board game re-released a complaint often heard is that they “changed X, my favorite part” or that something needs to be done to fix a certain part of it. We can even look to recent titles that have shown us that fans of a game don’t want to see a lot of changes to what they love.
This new version of Ra is going to make a lot of long-term fans happy. The game is the same one you know and love-it still has the same options at each turn for the players and the same bidding system as the original. If you have played through the Ra auctions, the stress of collecting the right tiles at the right time and trying to push your luck before the last Ra tile is drawn-you will still get that experience here. There is everything you love about the original still packed into this classic game.
The theme as you would expect by the title is the same-you are still collecting tiles with all of the Egyptian flavor as the original. There is little that differs from previous version for this one, and most will know that it is a good thing. The gameplay is exactly what you expect and doesn’t change from the beauty of the one that many of you already know.
What IS new
With everything that is the same there are a few things that are different about this version. Let’s take a look at them and see how it affects the gameplay of Ra or the presentation of the game as a whole.
The art and design.
Yes the original was fine, and yes the design was solid. But friends-we have Ian O’Toole in the house for the art on this version of Ra! One of the things I love most about Ian and his art and graphic design is that he is a gamer. At least I assume he is because all of his design and work screams that he is. The design is always solid in his works and easy to follow and understand. He makes the iconography easy once you see the patterns-I never felt the need to recheck what something meant or stood for. The art on this game is hands-down the best of any version of Ra and I can’t wait to get it to the table in its final form!
The Ra track.
Ok, here is the one are of the game that is different from the original but I think it really helps clean it up a bit. In the past you would stack the Ra tiles on the board in a row as you progressed down the line drawing them from the bag. The difference in this version is a ship that sails down the top of the game board moving towards the end of the round. It’s not the way the original did it but to be honest I like it a lot more. And if you want to still do it the old-school way with using the drawn Ra tiles as the tile progression you are in luck-you can use the other side of the board and place them in the spaces just like the original did!
The board.
Now speaking of that game board, this board is a very small size in comparison. It is a minimalist board on the table, giving the tiles a chance to shine as they come out. It keeps the game tight on space and prevents it from feeling like a table hog-always a welcome feature at my table.
The Deluxe is deluxe.
Although I have not personally had a chance to get my hands on them I can tell you that the pictures already look amazing. The retail edition will be great but the deluxe edition will be outstanding! In the deluxe edition, tiles are going to be made of wood with a heat-adhered film to the tile so that it stands up to all the knocking around in the bag. The scoring tablets will be made of metal and will be some of the best “coins” in the game that you have seen! The bag is huge and leaves a ton of room for the tiles regardless of the retail or deluxe edition. I can’t wait to see how blinged-out this beauty is going to be!
Overall Thoughts:
Ra from 25th Century Games is going to be the definitive version of this game and one you are going to need for your collection. Whether you have played it for years or are brand new to the game this is a title you will love. The constant ping of an auction, the tile collection and battle for supremacy in the different categories will keep players coming back for more at your table. Everything you love about this Knizia classic is back with exceptional Ian O’Toole artwork framing this version. This is the game you start or finish a great board game day with. I have really enjoyed playing this game and cannot wait to see what the finished deluxe version looks like. So if the decision is up in the air for you don’t wait, this is the one you will want to have on your table! Make sure to check out the campaign over on Gamefound now and get a chance to grab this gem-the details can be found here:
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