iOS Universal, Android •
If you’re one of our seven readers (and, if you’re reading this, you are! Thanks!), you might have noticed that we announced a mobile version of celebrated card game, Race for the Galaxy, last week and then promptly removed said story. No, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke or a prank on our part. Instead, it was me being an idiot. I received a press release for RftG last week and promptly posted the story only later realizing that the press release contained an embargo and I shouldn’t have spilled the beans until today. Now, after doing this for over six years I still haven’t grokked the purpose of embargoes on press releases but we also don’t want to be dicks, so we’ll try to abide by them as much as possible.
My inner voice just told me that none of you give a rat’s ass about any of this backstage nonsense and just want to know if RftG is coming to mobile or not. Yes, it is, and you’ll have it on iOS and Android on May 3.
Race for the Galaxy was released in 2007 and quickly became one of the most beloved card games of the decade. Created by Tom Lehman, the game uses role selection and a staggering system of iconography to tell the story of space exploration, expansion, and conquest.
Race for the Galaxy is a phase choosing game. Players secretly and simultaneously determine which one of seven phases they will lock in, then all reveal at once. Choosing a phase guarantees that it will happen for everyone, so advanced players will keep a close eye on rival civilizations to determine a phase that will benefit one’s empire the most while benefitting opponents the least. Will you build an engine to ramp up VP generation on cheapo production planets? Will you invest in exploration and settle rare and valuable VP rich planets? Or will you rush a military conquest to cut off your opponents before they have a chance to develop their strategy!
Yes, Race for the Galaxy is a euro and was one of the games to coin the phrase Multiplayer Solitaire. You can affect other players a bit with your phase selection but, for the most part, you’ll be building your own civilization and there’s not much anyone can do about it. Still, playing your hand skillfully is quite the puzzle to unravel and should give strategy and tactics lovers a go for their money.
Developed by Temple Gates Games, the mobile version will use the AI for RftG developed over the past 10 years by Keldon Jones. This is great news, as Keldon’s AI is basically the Deep Blue of RftG. I think I can safely say that RftG will have the best AI of any card or board game ever ported to a mobile device and, if you think I’m exaggerating, you can check out his AI now for PC/Mac and see how many wins you can pull off.
Besides solo play vs. the AI, RftG will also have online multiplayer, both asynchronous and real-time. The mobile release will run $7 and will have six additional starting planets included for free as well as both the Gathering Storm and Rebels vs. Imperium expansions available via IAP at launch.
The quick beta test will begin this Wednesday, and they’re accepting signups right now. Head over here and get in on RftG early.
No video for the digital version, but you can watch Kaja and Joanna from Starlit Citadel give an overview and review below.
Trying my best to put on a surprised face! Apparently there’s no emoji for that?
Apparently not, but we thank you for your fine acting performance nonetheless.
For anyone wanting to beta test Online play, my friend code is SY4HDVRR.
I clicked that Beta sign up link so hard my phone reset.
I’ve had the RFTG AI installed on every computer I’ve owned since he released it, so I’m very happy to hear they’re using it in the mobile versions.
I’ve already been accepted into the beta and I only applied a couple hours ago…here’s hoping you get in as well.
Applied this afternoon as well, and received the email link to download the app about ten minutes later… Now if only Sprint had decent service in my office… or country, for that matter…
I AM SO VERY, VERY SURPRISED!
(Did I do it right?)
And the 2017 award for Best Actor on a Forum goes to…
Fingers crossed!
For some reason, I thought this was a deckbuilder, but clearly not.
Nope, this pre-dates Dominion by a year.
I’ve been playing the beta for about an hour (haven’t tried multiplayer) and I think you can relax…it’s pretty great.
No invite yet, unless I’m unlucky or Android’s starting later, or both.
I’m MTLMMB33 if anyone is up for one.
Looks like this might be async…
Multiplayer can be asynchronous or real-time. Async can be kind of a pain with the role-selection, though.
Probably no worse than playing Puerto Rico (or Race for the Galaxy itself, though I’ve never done it) on Boardgame Arena.
I can live with it!
Ugh. Yes. Pausing the game EVERY time a role is selected? No, thanks. Pass.
I have a RFtG going async on BGA and it’s not awful, honestly. I’m up for it if you want to try it out.
Sure! Anybody else want to join us for that?
I’m up for 2-player if not.
I’d join if you dont mind me being a newbie, and not in the beta either.
Im unimpressed that my nemesis, hardco, gets a head start in the beta and I need a way to redress that somehow
Are you on boardgamearena? Snotty128 there as well?
edit: nevermind, found you on there and started a 3p, base game, no draft with @whovian223 to keep it simple while you learn it. Ask away if you have questions, either here or there!
It’s not much of a headstart, as @js619 and I are halfway through our first turn after two days!
Sorry, lack of notifications to blame for my slow moves!
I got sent a link, happy days! My friend code is 715JQWVV .
Has anyone spotted how to leave feedback? Ive glanced at their website, in the app, and in testflight, but nothing is jumping out at me
"Got #RaceForTheGalaxy beta feedback? Tell us @ bit.ly/Race_Feedback "
https://twitter.com/Temple_Gates/status/852238542872891392
(Still no beta access for me. Sad face)
Sorry our Android beta rollout has has some unforseen technical gumming-up. If you email me at beta@templegatesgames.com I can hook you up with a quick end-around access.
Email fired off at the speed of light.
And I’m IN!
Friend code: KRYFEE22
Am I forgetting how to play this? I thought in the 2P everyone picked two actions, but the app only lets me take one… bug or variation or me playing wrong all this time?
Sorry, I didn’t choose the “experienced 2 player” option, as I haven’t played the game for awhile.
That’s the 2p experienced variant. You can select it in the app, but as hardco said, he didn’t do that.
Ah, didn’t realize it was a variant. Thanks for setting me straight and no worries!
I’m in as well. Friend code: RXMKAWWW
Where’s the friend code stuff? I have a user ID – my usual one – but no fancy code that I can see.
If you go into ‘play online’ the friends menu is in the bottom left of that screen. The friends code is on the bottom left of the friends menu screen
“Duh” is how the kids put it, I believe.
I am SIQF4Z77
Geigerm and I both have the same friendslist bug where the add new friend button disappeared after we had 4 friends on the list, so Im not able to add TheDukester
Yeah same issue here. Added that to their feedback post on reddit.
My friend code is EDZV2755
Did you get an end of game screen in our game? All im getting is ‘complete’ in my multiplayer menu, and the option to abandon the game
It was 36-34 for me shown on a final score screen. Did you report it as a bug?
That was a tight game!
Ive just had the same problem in a game with @SleepingGiant . I will make a comment on their reddit page
In one of our games I picked the settle action, while you developed an expiditionary force. While deciding what I should settle I opened your tableau. It seems that skipped the settle phase and given your expiditionary force to me. I suspect there may be issues with looking at the other players tableau
That’s going to make this game a challenge… Too bad they don’t have game numbers we could just report so they could look at the history.
I received my invite for android yesterday.
I havent tried it yet due to lack of spare time though, but will try it this weekend
6QJGQGKK us my friend code. Never played it before, so if anybody is in for a beginner game add me…
I’ll create another game, and let’s see if we can duplicate the bug. Try to do the same thing…
Ive got a rough idea what I was doing before the bug. I’ll try again, but the server appears offline to me at the moment
Mine too… it’s said that since yesterday.
Yeah, asynchronous isn’t as bad as I’d feared. Given the choice, I’ll always play real-time or as close to real as I can get, but I won’t turn down any truly asynch games.
This is going to be great once the app is realesed and everyone can play.