My husband and I play this game a lot together. Learning to play and set up are both very short. Game lasts 20-30 minutes and involves collecting cards to get points and betting.

The bag that accompanies the game is too small for the game cards, so we use a plastic bag.

Overall great fun!

Ra is one of those European style board games that are so different from the the old standard American fair. If you long grown tired of Monopoly, Parchesi, Trivial Pursuit, etc... Ra is worth a look. If you have already tried and like Ticket to Ride, Carcasonne, or Settlers of Catan, then this is another great choice.

So, what's Ra like?

It's easy to learn, easy to play, but requires thought to master. I probably wouldn't recommend Ra for anyone younger than beginning teen agers. The game is attractively themed around the Kindoms of ancient Egypt. A game lasts about 45 minutes.

Who would like this game?

Players that like a lot of interaction with each other and head to head confrontation. Players that like choices that can make big differences in the outcome. Players that like to take some risks and push their luck.

How does Ra play?

The theme is Egyptian, but the idea is all about collecting sets of pieces (like sets of cards in Rummy or Ticket to Ride). The sets vary in value, but the unique part is that players bid for groups of pieces in a very simple, once-around fashion.

So, why would this be fun? Ah. Bidding is open and everyone can see who will win the bid, *if* they choose to bid. So a great part of the game is to force auctions when the value of the pieces up for auction would force high bidders to either waste their bid on a lower value than they want, or to let the lot go to a lower bidder. Also, the game is played in three rounds. But the rounds end a little unpredictably. The last players who haven't used all their bids in a round are faced with a "push your luck" dilema: either take the lot of pieces showing, or continue adding pieces hoping the round won't end first (where upon all the pieces and any remaining bids are lost).

In short, Ra is all about risks. Do I grab an auction set now, or risk waiting? Do I force an auction and risk getting stuck with something I may not want? Do I pass on a bid, and risk letting someone else get what they want?

My family loves to get together with friends and play games for hours. We wanted to add a game to our collection that was not too hard for my 9 year old daughter but challenging enough for the adults. Ra is easy enough for my daughter to play but the strategies are a too complex for her to win in a serious game. So, we play fun games with her on family nights and transform into competitive mode when we have game nights with friends. Ra gives opportunities for each player to pursue their own strategy and also to interfere with other player's road to victory. A good game for a little "gotcha".

The one negative about Ra is that only 5 players can play at a time. We sometimes have more adults and one or two people are left out for a game.