How to Play RA for those who hate rulebooks (2024)

Hate reading rulebooks? So do I! This how to play RA guide was compiled to help you get the essential rules to get your game started fast.

Want to find out about RA? Click here to find out if this game is fun for you.

RA Setup Steps

1. Place Game Board: Center the game board in the play area.
2. Place Ra Statue: Set the Ra statue next to the game board.
3. Mix Tiles: Mix 180 tiles in a cloth bag.
4. Distribute Starting Tablets: Each player takes two 5-point tablets facedown; remaining tablets are placed faceup near the board.
5. Sort Sun Disks: Place sun disk “1” on the game board; sort remaining sun disks based on the number of players:
   • 2 players: use disks 1–9
   • 3 or 4 players: use disks 1–13
   • 5 players: use all 16 disks

1. Distribute Sun Disks: Randomly distribute sorted sun disks to players; each player places them faceup.

RA Gameplay

• Epochs: The game is played over three rounds called epochs.
• Turn Order: The player with the highest-numbered sun disk starts each epoch, with turns taken clockwise.
• Player Turns: Players take actions to place or take tiles; one player can take multiple turns in a row if others have no faceup sun disks.
• Auctions: Players use sun disks during auctions triggered by specific actions.

Actions Overview

• Available Actions: Players can:
  1. Draw a Tile
  2. Invoke Ra
  3. Spend God Tile(s)
• Turn Sequence: Players perform one action per turn; if they have no faceup sun disks, they skip their turn.

Draw a Tile

Draw a tile from the bag and place it faceup on the appropriate track:

• Ra tile: Place on the Ra track.
• Other tiles: Place on the auction track.

• If the auction track is full, this action cannot be performed.
• Ra Tiles Specifics:

• The first Ra tile each epoch starts on the indicated space based on player count.
• Subsequent Ra tiles are placed in the next empty space to the right.
• Drawing a Ra tile triggers an auction unless it fills the final space, ending the epoch.

Invoke Ra

• Player announces, “I invoke Ra,” and takes the Ra statue.
• An auction is triggered.

Spend God Tile(s)

• Players can use a god tile to take one non-god tile from the auction track.
• Used god tiles are returned to the game box.
• The taken tile is placed faceup in front of the player; disaster tiles are resolved immediately.
• Multiple god tiles can be spent in one action, taking one tile per god tile spent.
• Empty spaces left on the auction track can be filled by tiles drawn in future turns.

Auctions

• Triggers:
  1. Ra Tile Drawn: The player who draws the Ra tile becomes the Ra player, taking the Ra statue. An auction begins where all players can pass, and if all pass, tiles remain on the auction track.
  2. Invoke Ra Action: The player invoking Ra becomes the Ra player, taking the Ra statue. If all other players pass and the auction track is not full, the Ra player must bid. If the track is full and all pass, tiles are discarded to the game box.
• Post-Auction: Play continues with the player to the left of the Ra player.

Bidding with Sun Disks

• Bidding Process: Begins with the player to the left of the Ra player, continuing clockwise.
• Bid or Pass: Players may bid with one of their faceup sun disks by placing it on the board’s edge or pass. Bidding ends with the Ra player.
• Bid Values: The first bid can be any value; subsequent bids must be higher. If unable or unwilling to bid, players pass.
• Ra Player Obligation: The Ra player must bid if invoking Ra while the auction track is not full and others pass.

Winning an Auction

• Winning Bid: The highest bidder takes all auction track tiles and the sun disk from the sun space, placing them faceup and facedown, respectively.
• New Sun Disk Placement: The highest bidder places their winning sun disk faceup on the sun space for the next auction.
• Return Bids: Other bidders’ sun disks are returned faceup to them.
• Disaster Tiles: The highest bidder resolves any disaster tiles taken.

Tile and Sun Disk Organization

• Faceup Tiles: All player tiles must be kept faceup in front of them at all times.
• Visibility: Tiles must be organized to allow opponents to easily see and determine what tiles each player has.
• Sun Disks: Unused sun disks for the current epoch must also remain faceup.
• No Stacking/Covering: Players cannot fully stack or cover their tiles or sun disks.

Disasters

• Tile Types: Disasters are black-bordered, cracked tiles that force players to discard tiles.
• Types of Disaster Tiles:
  1. War: Affects civilization tiles.
  2. Funeral: Affects pharaoh tiles.
  3. Drought: Affects river tiles.
  4. Earthquake: Affects monument tiles.
• Discard Requirements:
  • For each disaster tile taken, discard two corresponding tiles plus the disaster tile itself.
  • If fewer than two corresponding tiles, discard as many as possible.
  • Drought Specifics: Discard flood tiles first.
  • Other Disasters: Players choose which corresponding tiles to discard.

Epochs Overview

• Total Epochs: Each game has three epochs.
• Scoring: Players gain or lose points based on their tiles at the end of each epoch. Final scoring occurs after the third epoch, ending the game.

Ending an Epoch

• Conditions:
  1. All players’ sun disks are facedown.
  2. A Ra tile is placed in the final space of the Ra track.
• Immediate End: Either condition ends the epoch immediately; a Ra tile in the final space does not trigger an auction.
• Cleanup: Discard all tiles from the Ra and auction tracks to the game box. The sun disk on the sun space remains on the board.

Post-Epoch Actions

• Scoring: Players score points based on their tiles.
• Tablets: Players take or return the appropriate number of tablets.
• Reset Sun Disks: Flip all sun disks faceup.
• Tile Discards: Discard all tiles without a scarab icon to the game box; scarab icon tiles remain for the entire game.
• Next Epoch: The player with the highest-numbered sun disk takes the first turn of the next epoch.

Scoring

• End of Epoch Scoring: Players score points based on their tiles and then take the appropriate number of tablets from the supply to track their scores.
• Scoring Reference: Use scoring reference cards to determine scores easily.

• Tablets:
  • Starting Tablets: Each player begins with two 5-point tablets.
  • Score Tracking: Players use tablet tokens to track scores.
  • Making Change: Players can exchange tablets with the supply to match their total score.
  • Hidden Scores: Tablets are kept facedown and hidden from opponents.
  • Minimum Score: If a player’s score would go below zero, it is set to zero instead.

End of Each Epoch

• Scoring and Discards: Players score points based on their tiles and discard tiles without a scarab icon.
• Pharaohs:
  • Most pharaoh tiles: +5 points (each tied player gains 5 points).
  • Fewest pharaoh tiles: -2 points (each tied player loses 2 points).
  • Same number of pharaoh tiles for all: No points gained or lost.

• Gold: +3 points for each gold tile.

• Gods: +2 points for each unspent god tile.

• River Tiles:
  • With flood tile: +1 point per river tile.
  • Without flood tile: Nile tiles worth 0 points.

• Civilization:
  • Zero civilization tiles: -5 points.
  • Three different types: +5 points.
  • Four different types: +10 points.
  • Five different types: +15 points.
  • No additional points for multiples of one type.

End of Third Epoch

• Sun Disks:
  • Highest total value: +5 points (each tied player gains 5 points).
  • Lowest total value: -5 points (each tied player loses 5 points).
  • Same total value for all: No points gained or lost.
• Monuments:
  • Groups of identical tiles:
    • Three: +5 points.
    • Four: +10 points.
    • Five: +15 points.
  • Different types:
    • Six or fewer: +1 point per type.
    • Seven: +10 points.
    • Eight: +15 points.

Winning the Game

• Highest score wins.
• In case of a tie, the player with the highest-numbered sun disk wins.