Race for the Galaxy

Overview

Race for the Galaxy is a card-driven engine-building game where players build galactic civilizations by playing cards representing worlds and developments. Each round, players simultaneously choose action cards to select which phases occur. Cards serve triple duty: as items to build, as currency to pay costs, and as goods to consume or sell. The player with the most victory points wins.

Components

Component	Quantity
Start world cards (numbered 0-4)	5
Game cards (worlds and developments)	109
Player action card sets (7 cards each)	4 sets
Duplicate action cards (for 2-player variant)	8
Summary sheets	4
VP chips (1, 5, 10 point denominations)	28

Setup

1. Place 12 VP chips per player in a common pool (use 1 and 5 VP chips). Set aside 10 VP chips for final round.
2. Each player takes a set of 7 action cards.
3. Shuffle and deal 1 start world face-up to each player (or use numbered preset for first game).
4. Shuffle remaining start worlds into the game card deck. Deal 6 cards to each player; each discards 2 face-down. Remaining cards form the draw pile.

Turn Structure

Each round:

1. Select phase: Each player secretly chooses one action card.
2. Reveal: All chosen action cards are revealed simultaneously.
3. Execute phases: In order (I-V), execute only the phases that were selected. The selecting player(s) get a bonus. All players participate in each active phase.
4. Discard action cards (retrieved at start of next round).

Actions

Phase I: Explore

Draw cards from the supply, keep some. Bonus: draw more or keep more depending on which Explore card was chosen.

Phase II: Develop

Play a development card from hand into your tableau. Pay its cost by discarding that many cards from hand. Bonus: pay 1 fewer card.

Phase III: Settle

Play a world card from hand into your tableau. Non-military worlds: pay cost by discarding cards. Military worlds: must have sufficient military strength from existing cards (no cards discarded). Bonus: draw a card after settling.

Phase IV: Consume

Use consume powers on your tableau cards to discard goods for VP chips or card draws. Two Consume variants: Trade (sell one good for cards first) or 2x VP (double VP chips gained).

Phase V: Produce

Place a card face-down on each production world without a good (as its “good”). Bonus: produce on one windfall world.

Card Powers

Cards in your tableau provide ongoing powers that modify phases – reducing costs, increasing military, allowing extra draws, converting goods more efficiently, etc.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends at the end of the round in which either:

• The VP chip pool is depleted, OR
• Any player has 12 or more cards in their tableau.

Final score = VP chips earned + VP values printed on tableau cards + bonus VP from certain 6-cost developments.

The player with the highest total wins. Tiebreaker: most goods + cards in hand.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Cards are the universal currency: to build, you discard cards from hand equal to the cost.
• Windfall worlds produce a good only when settled (or via Produce bonus). Production worlds produce each round a Produce phase occurs.
• Military worlds do not require card payment; instead your total military strength must meet or exceed the world’s defense.
• Some developments grant VP based on specific card types in your tableau.
• If the draw pile runs out, shuffle the discard pile.

Player Reference

Phase	Action	Bonus
I: Explore	Draw cards, keep some	Draw +1/+5 or Keep +1
II: Develop	Build a development (pay cards)	-1 cost
III: Settle	Place a world (pay cards or use military)	Draw 1 card
IV: Consume	Use goods for VP or cards	Trade first or 2x VP
V: Produce	Produce goods on production worlds	1 windfall production