Race For The Galaxy VS Roll For The Galaxy - Board Game Review & Runthrough

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The Board Game Sanctuary Presents:
A Board Game Face Off!
Race For The Galaxy Vs Roll For The Galaxy
Race For The Galaxy (2007)
Roll For The Galaxy (2014)
Designer: Tom Lehmann (Race For The Galaxy & Roll For The Galaxy)
Designer: Wei-HWa Huang (Roll For The Galaxy)
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
This video aims to compare Race for the Galaxy with Roll for the Galaxy to see which game is better and suits the needs of different gaming groups. You get to decide which is better.
Race for the Galaxy is a galactic space civilisation game where players race to explore, develop, settle, consume, trade and produce goods to build the most prosperous empire in the fastest and most efficient time possible. Players use cards as currency and select action cards in secret. Gameplay works as players select the actions to be activated and receive associated bonuses. It is a tableau building game where players trigger card effects to gain bonuses and victory points.
Roll for the Galaxy is a dice version of the game Race for the Galaxy where players use dice as workers to help establish, develop, explore, settle, populate and ship goods in order to build the fastest space empire possible. Actions are triggered by allocating dice secretly to the five actions and revealing them to other players. Players cycle the dice as they are used and the range of colours match to the different types of goods available.
It is an evenly face to face match between an old favourite and a newcomer. Who will win this fight?
You Decide!
The Board Game Sanctuary aims to share the hobby of board gaming with the community in a passionate, fun and light hearted way that introduces the world of gaming to newcomers.

[@kimlim9530]

Thanks for a great review, comparing them side by side helps me decide what to get first!

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

You are very welcome. Both are very fun games. :)

[@PapaMist]

Enjoyed how you emphasized the accessibility of one game to the other, as well as the contrast of each game and how they targeted different player demographics. Thank you for this. I am always looking for thematically rich and accessible games to introduce people too as superior socially enjoyable palliatives to most video games.

[@grahampannell4369]

"look at the customised dice... like your sprinkles on your fairy bread" lol, my favourite line. It's not just the comparison with fairy bread, it's the assumption that everyone has fairy bread as standard. Thanks for the detailed review, and the tip to try Roll first.

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

I often play Roll for Galaxy whilst eating fairy bread. :D Your'e Welcome Graham. :D

[@rahulkalita5527]

I love the components for Roll For The Galaxy and also the theme, but if we compare gameplay and flow Race is a much superior game. And also the app for Race is incredible.

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

I have gotta get the app! :)

[@courtneymorrissette7793]

Thanks for this! I wasn't sure if we should start with roll or race, I think Roll for the Galaxy will be much easier to teach people. I will most likely end up with both though

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

Roll For the Galaxy is so much fun. You'll love it. Moving from Roll to Race is a relatively easy transition :D

[@gabrielesimionato1210]

I think I accidentally saw this game's playtesting while on a trip in Minsk. I actually knew one of the designers.

[@unsane604]

Everyone should start with Roll, and then move on to Race, leaving Roll behind. Exceptions: light game players, and dice game lovers.

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

You summed this up so well!

[@kosterix123]

In that reasoning ppl should start Puerto Rico the card game and then play the board game - which is ridiculous, as PR the card game plainly sucks.

[@Cheddarific]

How much time do you save from Race by learning to play Roll first? Maybe a couple hours? Race is a board game that we all learned and loved without Roll. Sure, Roll is like a tutorial for Race in some ways, but it's a tutorial that costs $50 and is not needed. Any gaming group that will enjoy Race can handle it right from the box without needing to be spoon fed for a couple hours beforehand. My suggestion for the majority of us (who can't drop $100+ dollars on all these Galaxy games and expansions: go with your gut and buy the one that will hit the table more often. For lighter crowds, that's likely Roll.

[@fightingkitchen7960]

So basically, Race is better since you’re leaving Roll behind. I don’t think everyone can afford both.

[@fightingkitchen7960]

I understand how to play both of the games & if I were to get only 1 what would you recommend? Which is better if we just put the accessibility of Roll for the galaxy aside?

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

Race for the galaxy is better in terms of the card play and multi use of the cards, whereas roll for the galaxy is fun in terms of using the dice rolls and managing the resource / actions that you have. I personally prefer roll for the galaxy. But deeper strategists prefer race for the galaxy.

[@fightingkitchen7960]

@@BoardGameSanctuary Ok. Thank you by the way for the video & the reply!

[@Mangina9000]

I already have almost everything from this franchise except the Roll expansion. I started design on a variant that created more player interaction for RftG, as the Dominion-like solitaire aspect can be kind of a drag , Those big screens in Roll are actually kind of depressing and make me feel like I'm playing myself, and it's hard to see the tiny tableau tiles at 4 feet.. As it turns out, it's challenging to introduce interaction without disrupting the natural, organic flow of the rounds. I do love the components and art in almost all these, though I wish they hadn't made 2 exclusive expansions fork into a dead end. Still great games though.

[@xy1981ca]

I love race. But I've never played physical copies of either race or roll. I play on PC with Keldon AI. I think it's the best & free way to learn how to play race.

[@northlakeghost]

Love this review!! I feel like Race is better for 2, but Roll might be better for, say, a group of four. For me, Race wins out overall... maybe just because I played it first but I just feel like it's such a special game.

[@carstenmuller8137]

I decided myself for Roll for the Galaxy. I know a lot of good card games , but not much a lot of good dice games ;-)

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

Roll is really fun. There are plenty of other dice games out there. Steam Punk Rally might be worth checking out because it uses dice and cards together. :)

[@melvinj.124]

I've put my race for the galaxy in a little box and placed it in my roll for the galaxy box

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

Such a neat idea. Two Awesome Games in 1. Brilliant! :D

[@Garuda989]

That's a very helpful review. Thanks heaps!

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

You're Welcome. They are both really fantastic games!

[@sab6261]

You did mention player counts, but I disagree that Roll scales well from 2-5. My opinion jibes with BGG's: Roll is only good at 3 & 4. I do agree that Race is best at 2 and would go further and say you should only play it at 2. In summary: 2 people? Play Race. 3 or 4 people? Play Roll (or the progenitor Puerto Rico). 5 people? Play something else.

[@LeeroyPorkins]

I am leaning towards Roll as it's less intimidating to me & Roll would scratch my Alien Frontiers itch

[@pragyatfutela]

I learnt a new word today "plethora" :)

[@Eric-f4b]

I bought both. Kept only roll. It has more fun stuff going on, while Race feels samey. If you buy Rivalry you will have the amazing deal game and alien orb. So fun to build your own die. I bought TM: Ares to replace Race, as this game is similar, but also has more stuff going on. And upgraded phase cards! That's my two cents.

[@kamillewan4636]

Yep, that was helpfull review. Thx :)

[@BoardGameSanctuary]

Thanks Kamil. Enjoy the games!

[@birgitbacher6934]

roll wins;)

[@Cheddarific]

If Race is so hard for your gaming group that you think it is good to teach them with Roll, then Race is probably not right for your gaming group!

[@kosterix123]

Roll = stupid dice with stupid cups. Cannot be taken seriously. Also you are constantly gambling. Race takes itself more seriously, focus on strategy and combos. A plus for Race is that you can play solo (with the expansion). Can Roll do that? A big minus vs both is the table space requirement, also I don't like the fact that both are just clones for Puerto Rico which I already have. Last minus is that everyone feels they are playing solitaire. Both boxes are stupidly large.

[@fightingkitchen7960]

There’s a fan made solo mode (I think) for Roll.