Review: Ra (Designed by Reiner Knizia) - Up For Bids
In Codito Development's second app-adaptation of one of Reiner Knizia's most celebrated games, players compete to score the most fame after three epochs of Egyptian History, accumulating pharaohs, monuments, and civilizations as time passes each round. Like the game's table-top counterpart, Codito's Ra has a surprisingly short learning curve that lovers of board games, young and old, are sure to appreciate.
Features
Codito's developers have enriched this already complicated board game a great deal, emphasizing color-coding within an interface so touchable that nearly anything can be tapped for more details in a help menu. Even without reading the included (and lengthy) rules, the gameplay is so fluid that new players can enjoy a short learning curve while experienced players can quickly play through the game without the need for pick-up, scoring, or arguments.
The current version of the app offers stat tracking, eight AI opponents, and the ability to host five players at once, human or AI. Ra is also a universal app, offering all of these great gameplay options across all of your devices. In a recent tweet, Codito announced a new update was coming soon, and updates are planned for adding both Bluetooth and WiFi multiplayer options, as well as online multiplayer options.
The Good
Because Ra's three rounds are governed by the passing of time, the game offers innovative auctioning unlike most other board games and apps. Codito has done a tremendous translation of this table-top game, as it still feels and looks like a table game, but it plays like a video game. The possibly-intimidating ruleset can even be ignored, allowing players to focus more on playing the game than learning it, which with the highly-visual nature of Ra, is sure to take little time for most strategy enthusiasts.
The Bad Learning how to play Ra is the most complicated part of the game, but Codito has really eased this through the interface, so it's tough to cite this app for being difficult or hard to understand. All of the rules and scoring are easily accessible, and help boxes are even accessible in the options menu to help guide gameplay if needed.
Some players might tire of the Egyptian-themed music, but again, Codito has already included the ability to play your device's music instead. It would be tough to be dissatisfied with this game if you were interested in strategy games, board games, or turn-based strategy games and didn't mind some reading during your first few games.
The VerdictWith all the enhancements that Codito has brought to the tabl-err... screen of your device, Ra feels like a strategic board game that was created specifically for iOS, which is untrue. Ra is not a new game, it is a game that has already garnished great attention on its own. Codito's Ra for iOS is an AppAdvice Absolute Must for board game lovers. Let us know in the comments if you've joined in on the fun.