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(More customer reviews)Ra the Dice Game is Reiner Knizia's offshoot to his successful Ra (the tile) Game. Ra the Dice Game is published by Rio Grande Games so you know the quality of the components is going to be pretty good.
In Ra the Dice Game, players roll five different colored dice. Like Yahtzee, players are allowed to keep the dice they want and reroll the dice they don't. There are various symbols on the dice. Players use these symbols to place their wooden cubes to various parts of the board in order to maximize their scores. The player with the highest score after three epochs (read: game rounds), is declared the winner.
Players are not allowed to reroll any "Ra" dice. These dice move the game forward like the Ra tiles move the game forward in the original game. If you roll 3 Ra dice, you score 3 points. If you roll 4 or more Ra dice, you declare a disaster instead of scoring 3 points. Disasters force your opponents to lose two cubes they placed on the board, thus reducing their scoring potential.
Players will try to score points in several areas on the board. Players place cubes on the board to in accordance with the dice they rolled. These cubes will go in one of four areas: 1. Pharaohs; 2. the Nile; 3. Civilizations; 4. Monuments. The player who has the most pharoahs will score 5 points; the player with the least will lose two. Any player with three or more civilizations will score points; players with no civilizations will lose five. Players will need to boost their Nile and flood markers to get some points for the Nile area. Players can score immediate points by rolling pairs of Ankhs (wilds) or three Ras.
Unlike the other areas, players score points for their monuments at the end of the game. Monument scoring is based upon how many monuments you have in each row and how many you have in each column. Thus, you can block an opponent by claiming some of the monument squares he was vying.
Ra the Dice Game has excellent components. The dice are high quality. The symbols are molded into the dice so the dice will last many years. The board is quite attractive and gives you the sense that you are in Egypt. The box has adequate storage for the game and its components. The box is smaller than most so Ra the Dice Game won't take up lots of space on your gaming shelf.
It takes only 30 minutes to play a game of Ra the Dice Game--and there is minimal set up. You can enjoy a game in no time once you understand the rules.
Ra the Dice Game definitely captures the scoring elements of Ra (the tile game). The way you score pharoahs, civilizations, monuments and the Nile is quite similiar. Having said that, I still like the original Ra better. The lack of auctions in Ra the Dice Game makes it a lesser experience.
Due to its brevity, Ra the Dice Game would make a decent gateway game. Nongamers who are familiar with Yahtzee may wander into the gaming hobby via Ra the Dice Game. I recommend Ra the Dice Game as a gateway game but I recommend the original Ra for the more serious gamers.
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The game spans 1500 years of Egyptian history. Over many dynasties you seek to expand your power and fame by influencing Pharaohs, building monuments, farming on the Nile, and advancing your civilization. All this for the glory of the Sun God Ra!
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