9:30 - note that auctions after a Ra tile comes out and everyone passes do not clear the auction track. The auction track only gets cleared if everyone passes after a player invokes Ra while the auction track is full.
@@NoPunIncluded The rule where Ra tile (boat) auctions don't reset leads to my favorite part of the game though: Playing Ra Roulette. Last person with a sun disc gets to push their luck to see how many tiles they can get without busting (triggering the end of the epoch). Everybody just wishing they bust, groaning after every tile flip. It really injects some lightness and fun. It punctuates the round end riotously and re-engages people to think about other players.
Ra is such a great game for all the reasons you so eloquently elucidated. The "... a little bit country, a little bit roll and write..." line was really clever. The deluxe Pharaoh Edition is an incredible production that adds great visual and tactile elements to an already excellent game experience.
Yeah, the tension of when to call Ra vs when to draw an additional tile is super exciting and makes this such a special game. I like watching it almost as much as I enjoy playing it! - Chris
I too bought (Kickstarted) the massively overproduced Pharaoh's Edition for twice the price and I have zero regrets. I just love the tactile feel of the wooden tile and the metal coins. And the giant bag on its own has such great table presence. It's certainly my favorite auction game and I'll never turn down an opportunity to play it.
Modern Art and Ra share the #1 spot for my favorite auction game. They're both so good and yet have enough differences to make them distinct, I'll gladly play either of them and have a great time!
My friend bought Ra and playing it is such a joy every time. It's one of those games that is so fun to play with someone who hasn't played it before as you watch them discover just how truly good and fun it's knotty complications are
Played this game for the first time when I got my deluxe Kickstarter copy last year. Did not disappoint! It’s one of the lighter games I own, so I can actually play it with my parents. I had a hard time translating how the auctions actually worked from the rulebook, but once we figured it out, it was a very straightforward game, and lots of fun.
Sorry to correct you, but the correct way to invoke Ra is either to: a) chant "Ra-Ra-Rasputin", or b) paraphrase The Day Today (ua-cam.com/video/r3BO6GP9NMY/v-deo.htmlsi=etr9-7FdubBP_PxL&t=116) "I will not flinch from... Ra"
25th Century Games just texted me: "the regular reprint should be on store shelves in a couple of months. Deluxe reprint is going back on KS next month."
Great review. No mention of what is probably obvious to most people; that it is not great as a 2 player game which is why I ended up not keeping it : (
I didn't expect this to be my kind of boardgame but video got an instant like for Hudson Hawk, then I was pleasantly surprised that I also was sold on the game
RA is a fantastic game, and I love my UberPlay copy, although I did have to print and laminate custom player mats to help players remember scoring. I might ignore your well-intentioned advice and splurge for the deluxe version myself as it's one of my all-time favorites as well. Excellent video as always.
I really, really, really want the Pharoahe Edition, mainly because my fear of hands in bags breaking down the tiles (like Quacks of Quedlinburg). I was gifted an old version of Ra and enjoyed the game but I found the player board on this edition is a massive improvement. I hope there is going to be another reprint of the Pharoahe Edition on kickstarter sometime in summer.
I feel like the opening clip better describes the hilarious bidding auction game QI, from Allplay. It perfectly describes looking at the (hidden) bids and seeing 15.5k, 20k, 102k and 1.5 million and just erupting with laughter! Ra is an absolutely wonderful and funny time with friends. Does the standard edition include that huge bag too? Seeing it crumple after just tried to stand it up was very good.
Don’t you mean QE? That’s a great game. It’s a different feel from Ra but both are very easy games to teach. I have a hard time picking which I like better.
The sun discs make this auction game approachable for newer players too. Instead of having a continuous amount of money you can bid, you have a few discrete options to select. I find this mitigates the analysis paralysis that other auction games can have.
Agreed, this is the best pure auction game ever. I actually hated the first two times I played it. But it all clicked on the third game! This is why I give most all games at least 3 tries before throwing out.
It’s been a revelation to discover this classic via this new version. Ian O’Toole’s graphic design is so intuitive, that when we were teaching a new player the other week, that new player caught that we were scoring the Monuments wrong simply by the graphics displayed on the player boards. (We had been scoring monuments each round and not the final round only.)
Great Job Efka, now I want to own this Game in the fancy smancy Edition but am unable to get it because of license issues in germany in the latest campaign 😢
I love the sun discs. There's never a stage where one person runs away with it because they've managed to get all the money or anything. And as all the info is open there's not a moment here you don't bid for something because you don't realise it was actually super useful for someone else. An absolute, stone-cold classic of a game.
Uugghh, yes. I was surprised how obvious that was even when watching a video *of* the TV with motion smoothing on. On my phone, no less! Makes my skin crawl.
It is definitely one of my favourite movies. It bombed mostly because it arrived after Die Hard and people had forgotten that Bruce Willis is/was a comedy actor first, action second and wanted more action. "Do you want to play Nintendo with me?"
The tension of the clock running down and the end of the era is coming close. People start bidding on nonsense just so they don't go the whole round and get nothing. And then, other rounds when there is plenty of time on the clock and there is only one person left, who can let the track fill up as much as they want. And don't forget the push your luck, when you are the last player, but the next RA tile ends the round immediately...do you push for one more free tile, risking losing it all?
Of all of the games I’ve been completely underwhelmed by, this is the one that stands out as one I need to give another try. Especially as this edition adds the player board which is really needed. Until then, my favourite auction game is a toss-up between Modern Art and High Society.
We played this game so much the numbers wore off my bid chips (Uberplay version) and we sharpie'd them back on... twice. This version looks real nice, but I don't know, my old grubby copy has a lot of history.
I have a few different groups I play games with, and I got all of them addicted to Ra last year. We played it enough that I earned a reputation for being a horrible person to sit on your right because I invoke Ra so aggressively you'd think I'm a kid in a toy store who just wants to buy everything. Unrelated, I was thinking about buying some more shelves for my board games.
I whole hearted agree that 'Ra' is the best Auction game. The only other one I feel has come close is 'For Sale'. Everything else just gets lost in trying to not be Ra, and just doesn't scratch the itch.
I am a big fan of Power Grid and rank it ahead of RA as a more comprehensive gaming experience. However, if you want a tense, fun and competitive auction game than RA is the best.
I still believe Neue Heimat/The Estates is equally as good (I wouldn't want to have to choose between them)--especially in the shifting alliances and hence consequences of your bidding...ymmv...but as usual you do an excellent job explaining *why* Ra's design is so good.
Efka's favorite deck builder has to be (but won't be) original Clank! It won't be that because for some reason people don't super love that game? At least, I have never heard a reviewer say they like it. (Anyway, it's Dune: Imperium - Uprising, right?)
Great review, I totally want to grab a copy now but I can’t get over one thing in your review. It looked like you had motion smoothing enabled on your tv, yuck. Lolz, seriously love your reviews, I have just started Oathsworn with a group after watching your vid on it.
Favorite deck builder? It's gotta be Dominion, right? It's gotta be. I've played dozens upon dozens of "deck builders" and I still go back to Dominion time and time and time again. I'd be interested to know what deck builder game could be better than Dominion :D (with a few expansions thrown in, of course. The base game of Dominion by itself kinda stinks)
IMHO, literally any deckbuilder would be better than Dominion. I thought I hated deckbuilders foe a really long time. Turns out I just hate Dominion. Now a number of my top games are deckbuilders.
My last game of Ra was a terrible flop. The very few bad tiles that came off the bag during the whole game were negligible, so as soon as the max value token was in the center, the person with the second highest just won the bid and kept winning bids non stop, leaving us all in the dirt. It was weird, because for the whole game, there was no single time where winning the bid was not the better choice to make for whoever had the highest token, which obviously became always the same person. I never expected such a good game to be able to deliver such a horrible experience.
This sounds like a rules error, as adammiller suggests. It's not possible for one person to continually keep winning bids. Once you win three, you're out for the remainder of the round.
If the sun discs from the center were available immediately, this would always happen as soon as either of the top two were used. Who even cares about disasters if no one else can ever win a bid?
3 things: 1. I bought the fancy version and if you play with kids it's practically a necessity - it makes it so much easier for little hands and just gives a wonderful clicky-clacky tactile feel that my 7 and 10 year old love, and which I do as well. 2. The giant wooden Ra is absolutely necessary and the game is unplayable without it. If you aren't grabbing it with a flourish while declaring "I invoke Ra!" you are objectively playing wrong. 3. Watching your face as you bit that "sandwich" (I get the analogy but...a dry bagel and a slice of dead animal does not a sandwich make) makes me want to make a better sandwich and mail it to you.
How do you rate it with just 2 players? I’ve had it for ages (Pharoh edition too) but yet to make it to the table. I don’t know yr favourite deck builder, but it should be Challengers! but might be Ascension?
9:30 - note that auctions after a Ra tile comes out and everyone passes do not clear the auction track. The auction track only gets cleared if everyone passes after a player invokes Ra while the auction track is full.
I did explain that wrong, but in my defence, the text at the end of the video does say I am a dufus.
WHAT!?!?! I played Ra like 50 times and I totallt missed this. I've allways played it the way Efka described it. But your rule seems much more fun!
@@NoPunIncluded The rule where Ra tile (boat) auctions don't reset leads to my favorite part of the game though: Playing Ra Roulette. Last person with a sun disc gets to push their luck to see how many tiles they can get without busting (triggering the end of the epoch).
Everybody just wishing they bust, groaning after every tile flip. It really injects some lightness and fun. It punctuates the round end riotously and re-engages people to think about other players.
I like how all the favourite games so far have ONE BIG WOODEN PIECE that didn't really need to exist
Forgot to mention the table chanting "Ra, Ra, Ra!" as the final player in a round is pushing their luck to not draw a red tile!
Lover of the Egyptian Queen ?
Egypte greatest Bid Machine ?
It was a shame how he carried on
Lover of the Egyptian Queen ?
Egypt greatest Bid Machine ?
It was a shame how he carried on
I am enraptured by the dancing Ra box at 6:05 and onwards. Groove little god box, groove.
Ra is such a great game for all the reasons you so eloquently elucidated. The "... a little bit country, a little bit roll and write..." line was really clever. The deluxe Pharaoh Edition is an incredible production that adds great visual and tactile elements to an already excellent game experience.
5:07 - "It's actually 'Sphinx me baby one more time.'"
Bastet was the Egyptian Goddess of pleasure, protection, and other forms of healthy, kinky fun. You, have missed the joke.
Yeah, the tension of when to call Ra vs when to draw an additional tile is super exciting and makes this such a special game. I like watching it almost as much as I enjoy playing it! - Chris
I finally understand how this game works even though I have listened to multiple others explain it - thank you! Sounds like it could be amazing.
You have made me really understand this game for the first time, seems really interesting! Thanks 😊👍
Amazing! Glad I helped.
The Bargain Hunt episode with Richard E Grant and Bruce Willis is my favourite Bargain Hunt episode
I too bought (Kickstarted) the massively overproduced Pharaoh's Edition for twice the price and I have zero regrets. I just love the tactile feel of the wooden tile and the metal coins. And the giant bag on its own has such great table presence. It's certainly my favorite auction game and I'll never turn down an opportunity to play it.
Great enthusiastic and thorough explanation on what makes RA amazing. Keep up the terrific work. Love the channel. - chad
I love hearing you go into fantastic detail of these kinds of (modern) classics! Would love to see more of these!
Loved this explanation 😄 and love you’re energy dude haha 👌🏼
Modern Art and Ra share the #1 spot for my favorite auction game. They're both so good and yet have enough differences to make them distinct, I'll gladly play either of them and have a great time!
My friend bought Ra and playing it is such a joy every time. It's one of those games that is so fun to play with someone who hasn't played it before as you watch them discover just how truly good and fun it's knotty complications are
Ra, Modern Art and For Sale. Maybe Power Grid if you want to go fully Euro. Auction heaven.
Don't forget Knizia's other great auction games Amun-Re and Taj Mahal.
All winners. I’d throw QE in there as well!
@@pfefferle74 Hollywood Golden Age FTW.
The estates. Best bidding game.
Played this game for the first time when I got my deluxe Kickstarter copy last year. Did not disappoint! It’s one of the lighter games I own, so I can actually play it with my parents. I had a hard time translating how the auctions actually worked from the rulebook, but once we figured it out, it was a very straightforward game, and lots of fun.
Sorry to correct you, but the correct way to invoke Ra is either to:
a) chant "Ra-Ra-Rasputin", or
b) paraphrase The Day Today (ua-cam.com/video/r3BO6GP9NMY/v-deo.htmlsi=etr9-7FdubBP_PxL&t=116) "I will not flinch from... Ra"
Thanks for your consistently excellent and thoughtful videos!
25th Century Games just texted me: "the regular reprint should be on store shelves in a couple of months. Deluxe reprint is going back on KS next month."
getting back the sun disk of the last won auction, and putting your own sun disk up for grabs is such a clever mechanic
You really captured why I love Ra! The Sun Disk system is so good.
Great review. No mention of what is probably obvious to most people; that it is not great as a 2 player game which is why I ended up not keeping it : (
This is a great series. I'm always excited to get away from all the new releases and hear about the amazing games that already exist.
Love the video. Perfect ratio of game info and humor.
Fantastic review, im a fan.
I didn't expect this to be my kind of boardgame but video got an instant like for Hudson Hawk, then I was pleasantly surprised that I also was sold on the game
RA is a fantastic game, and I love my UberPlay copy, although I did have to print and laminate custom player mats to help players remember scoring. I might ignore your well-intentioned advice and splurge for the deluxe version myself as it's one of my all-time favorites as well. Excellent video as always.
Ra is also one of my favorite auction games; it’s probably between that and Nidavellir.
Great review concept, nice length, fully happy....thanks
I really, really, really want the Pharoahe Edition, mainly because my fear of hands in bags breaking down the tiles (like Quacks of Quedlinburg). I was gifted an old version of Ra and enjoyed the game but I found the player board on this edition is a massive improvement. I hope there is going to be another reprint of the Pharoahe Edition on kickstarter sometime in summer.
I feel like the opening clip better describes the hilarious bidding auction game QI, from Allplay. It perfectly describes looking at the (hidden) bids and seeing 15.5k, 20k, 102k and 1.5 million and just erupting with laughter! Ra is an absolutely wonderful and funny time with friends. Does the standard edition include that huge bag too? Seeing it crumple after just tried to stand it up was very good.
bah, sorry, that's another thing that's different. the bag is (slightly) smaller and not free-standing
Don’t you mean QE? That’s a great game. It’s a different feel from Ra but both are very easy games to teach. I have a hard time picking which I like better.
I think it would be very Efka to come out and say his favorite deckbuilder is just Dominion.
I love the sun discs in Ra especially. I wish those got explored in other games as a core economy that doesn't rely on literal money.
Ra is truly a gorgeous production that a classic deserves. The fixed numbers for bidding is so key to making this an open and accessible game.
The sun discs make this auction game approachable for newer players too. Instead of having a continuous amount of money you can bid, you have a few discrete options to select. I find this mitigates the analysis paralysis that other auction games can have.
Agreed, this is the best pure auction game ever. I actually hated the first two times I played it. But it all clicked on the third game! This is why I give most all games at least 3 tries before throwing out.
0:24 I think Anubis is chilling in the bottom right
Love the subtle doggo ear!
Fun review. Loved the humor! Subbed. 😁
The headband suits you, looking sharp! Great content as ever! ☀️🐦
It’s been a revelation to discover this classic via this new version. Ian O’Toole’s graphic design is so intuitive, that when we were teaching a new player the other week, that new player caught that we were scoring the Monuments wrong simply by the graphics displayed on the player boards. (We had been scoring monuments each round and not the final round only.)
All these favourite games! What a great series 😊
Great Job Efka, now I want to own this Game in the fancy smancy Edition but am unable to get it because of license issues in germany in the latest campaign 😢
My sincerest recommendation is to get the standard edition
I love the sun discs. There's never a stage where one person runs away with it because they've managed to get all the money or anything. And as all the info is open there's not a moment here you don't bid for something because you don't realise it was actually super useful for someone else. An absolute, stone-cold classic of a game.
I knew it. In a collection of best games ever, this gem must be included.
I find it really interseting when ppl just don't notice (or prefer) their TVs have Motion Smoothing turned on
Uugghh, yes. I was surprised how obvious that was even when watching a video *of* the TV with motion smoothing on. On my phone, no less! Makes my skin crawl.
You had me at the Hudson Hawk clip.
It is definitely one of my favourite movies. It bombed mostly because it arrived after Die Hard and people had forgotten that Bruce Willis is/was a comedy actor first, action second and wanted more action. "Do you want to play Nintendo with me?"
The tension of the clock running down and the end of the era is coming close. People start bidding on nonsense just so they don't go the whole round and get nothing. And then, other rounds when there is plenty of time on the clock and there is only one person left, who can let the track fill up as much as they want. And don't forget the push your luck, when you are the last player, but the next RA tile ends the round immediately...do you push for one more free tile, risking losing it all?
I'm very happy with my Uberplay copy, but I do want to put together a compatible version of those clever player boards
Of all of the games I’ve been completely underwhelmed by, this is the one that stands out as one I need to give another try. Especially as this edition adds the player board which is really needed. Until then, my favourite auction game is a toss-up between Modern Art and High Society.
We played this game so much the numbers wore off my bid chips (Uberplay version) and we sharpie'd them back on... twice. This version looks real nice, but I don't know, my old grubby copy has a lot of history.
Wonderfully layered 2 times. I just missed the lettuce layer bagel. :)
Great Quinns impression at 08:14.
thanks, i wasn't doing one
Look I'm just saying that deluxe edition feels fantastic with those wooden tiles.
I have a few different groups I play games with, and I got all of them addicted to Ra last year. We played it enough that I earned a reputation for being a horrible person to sit on your right because I invoke Ra so aggressively you'd think I'm a kid in a toy store who just wants to buy everything. Unrelated, I was thinking about buying some more shelves for my board games.
I whole hearted agree that 'Ra' is the best Auction game. The only other one I feel has come close is 'For Sale'.
Everything else just gets lost in trying to not be Ra, and just doesn't scratch the itch.
3 months and still waiting for your favorite deck building game.. 😢
Seems like a great game!
And "Hudson Hawk" is the greatest movie of all time (or at least 1991).
so, so, SO good. For a quicker/lighter experience with similar feels, see High Society (Also from the good Dr)
You gotta check out Priests of Ra. Great reimplementation of the game.
I want Ra and I've never played it but I really want that deluxe version 😅. I'm going to wait for a reprint.
I’m not into auction games, so I passed on Ra. But I absolutely love the OTHER Ra: The dice game.
"I love Bargain Hunt" 🤣
I love you guys ❤
I am a big fan of Power Grid and rank it ahead of RA as a more comprehensive gaming experience. However, if you want a tense, fun and competitive auction game than RA is the best.
For Sale is my favorite auction game, but Ra is also excellent.
I still believe Neue Heimat/The Estates is equally as good (I wouldn't want to have to choose between them)--especially in the shifting alliances and hence consequences of your bidding...ymmv...but as usual you do an excellent job explaining *why* Ra's design is so good.
Ra is fantastic. Love it.
It's one of the best auction systems, if it had more tiles to pick from it would be unstoppable
Efka's favorite deck builder has to be (but won't be) original Clank! It won't be that because for some reason people don't super love that game? At least, I have never heard a reviewer say they like it.
(Anyway, it's Dune: Imperium - Uprising, right?)
I also love Ra, like you! Its my favorite game 🌞
It's a good game filler but far from being best or most popular in my collection. Nice review as usually!
Ra also wins at being an auction game that works for two because it simulates a third mad lad playing the game and you get a character to blame.
Fav deck builder I'd say Dune Imperium, but can we even call it (just) a deck builder?
Ra is absolutely a top 10 game in my eyes.
Sphinx me bastard one more time 🤣 This game is much different than I had imagined. Seems pretty fun!
Ra is so dang good! Medici just barely inches it out (sorry, centimeters it out) for me, but they are both the best in their class.
Great review, I totally want to grab a copy now but I can’t get over one thing in your review. It looked like you had motion smoothing enabled on your tv, yuck. Lolz, seriously love your reviews, I have just started Oathsworn with a group after watching your vid on it.
I knew Ra was an auction game, but that “pulling from the bag” mechanic is exactly the Knizia wrinkle that makes me want to buy it
Loved the intro
Huh I never felt tht's what auction games were about. They should be those kinda auctions then!
Favorite deck builder? It's gotta be Dominion, right? It's gotta be. I've played dozens upon dozens of "deck builders" and I still go back to Dominion time and time and time again. I'd be interested to know what deck builder game could be better than Dominion :D (with a few expansions thrown in, of course. The base game of Dominion by itself kinda stinks)
IMHO, literally any deckbuilder would be better than Dominion. I thought I hated deckbuilders foe a really long time. Turns out I just hate Dominion. Now a number of my top games are deckbuilders.
this vid was *really* well paced - is this also a metaphor for Ra?
Ra! My favourite game of all time.
We love Ra and splurged!
That intro goes hard
My last game of Ra was a terrible flop. The very few bad tiles that came off the bag during the whole game were negligible, so as soon as the max value token was in the center, the person with the second highest just won the bid and kept winning bids non stop, leaving us all in the dirt. It was weird, because for the whole game, there was no single time where winning the bid was not the better choice to make for whoever had the highest token, which obviously became always the same person. I never expected such a good game to be able to deliver such a horrible experience.
ooph that sounds rough
Did they know that the sun disk they won goes face down onto their board and cannot be used until the next epoch?
This sounds like a rules error, as adammiller suggests. It's not possible for one person to continually keep winning bids. Once you win three, you're out for the remainder of the round.
@@treasuretrevor it seems the owner of the game really screwed up then!
If the sun discs from the center were available immediately, this would always happen as soon as either of the top two were used. Who even cares about disasters if no one else can ever win a bid?
‘Its a little dry’ 😂
Undaunted Stalingrad? As your favorite deckbuilder
3 things:
1. I bought the fancy version and if you play with kids it's practically a necessity - it makes it so much easier for little hands and just gives a wonderful clicky-clacky tactile feel that my 7 and 10 year old love, and which I do as well.
2. The giant wooden Ra is absolutely necessary and the game is unplayable without it. If you aren't grabbing it with a flourish while declaring "I invoke Ra!" you are objectively playing wrong.
3. Watching your face as you bit that "sandwich" (I get the analogy but...a dry bagel and a slice of dead animal does not a sandwich make) makes me want to make a better sandwich and mail it to you.
Send the sandwich _book_ _rate_ it's cheaper.
excellent game, the upgraded wooden pieces will make this one last far into the future!
I'm a person who never considers buying any board game... except Ra.
This is a stellar series... But I dont get why Ra over Modern Art
You're in the minority. Ra is generally more highly regarded.
Reprint deluxe! Reprint deluxe! Reprint deluxe! Ra! Ra! Ra!
I'm gonna guess the next one is Gee-Dubya-Tee (even though, imo, it's not *really* a deck-builder, more of a deck management on a big old rondel)
It won't be but I hope your favourite deck builder is Heart of Crown
The Deluxe version is a bit $, which is the "correct" newest non deluxe version of the game? Priests 2009?
Impossible to get in The Netherlands right now 😢. Does anyone know if it's gonna be reprinted?
it will be reprinted
How do you rate it with just 2 players? I’ve had it for ages (Pharoh edition too) but yet to make it to the table.
I don’t know yr favourite deck builder, but it should be Challengers! but might be Ascension?
do not play Ra at two, it's abysmal
@@NoPunIncluded This was my thought, I think I need to ‘learn’ it then take it to our group nights. Thanks!
what if you are dealt a 15 and a 16? what's to keep you from winning every auction in an infinite loop?
Once you use your sun dial token it is gone and does not return to you.
See 02:12