This game is excellent with only one flaw that I can see. When people see the rules or the game in play it's a typical response for them to say "Woah, way to complicated for me!" All I can say to that is make them play! This game is fantastic but it takes two or three times of playing it through to completely understand it. Other reviews have given a decent explanation of the game so I won't bother you with it, but my one recommendation for people who want to teach their friends is don't let any rule that they are confused on go unexplained. What will happen is people will decide that economy is too hard to learn so I'm just not going to deal with it and only play military worlds. Make sure that the consume and produce phase are well explained or new comers will lose a huge portion of the game. I pick these two phases because they are the most complicated in my opinion. Once this game is grasped by all players though, it will become a gaming favorite no questions asked. I played this game for almost 6 hours with new people because each time we finished, they all learned a little more and had to try a new tactic. It's is a fabulous game and if you can beat the learning curve, (which is doable!) it is a must buy.

This is such a great game! It is simple and I play this with my pals every weekend! I suggest getting this game now!!! It is supremely amazing! I really like how you have to always be paying attention to win, this is not a luck game! I tried to teach my wife and she had trouble learning but it was easy for my friends. This is probably my best purchase of all time!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is hands down the best game that's come along in a long time. Extremely well balanced, high replayability, quick, fun, challenging, subtle, portable, and very easy to learn. Race for the Galaxy clearly benefits from unusually extensive playtesting and a rare (perhaps unique) attention to detail in the presentation of information on its components. This is the first game I've played in a long time that has required no referring to the rules or the excellent (but entirely unnecessary) play aides.

Race for the Galaxy brings all the atmosphere of Lehmann's earlier classic games (esp. 2038, Time Agent, and Throneworld) to a game that's much more accessible, and that for me, completely replaces both San Juan and Puerto Rico (which will now stay in the closet for quite some time) and (strangely perhaps) even Magic the Gathering.

This is a game that plays well with any number of players (up to 4; The Gathering Storm expansion adds solitaire play and a 5th player), and, despite some claims to the contrary, is highly interactive in the best way: it is simply impossible to win without paying close attention to what your opponents are up to, and guessing what they will do next.

Though it hasn't been my experience, some players (in reports I've read) find this game complex. I suspect this is really a matter of learning style, because everyone I've taught it to (including kids) has learned it in less than a minute. Often I'm stopped in mid sentence ("ah I get it, it's all on the cards by phase, and the symbols explain what happens") by players who are ready to start right away. Your mileage may vary.