Are you ready to race around the board? Do you think you can maneuver your way around your opponents and be the last one standing? Then you’re ready for RayRacers! Stake your claim on as much of the board as you can, and avoid getting cut off at all costs and you can cruise your way to a victory! Let’s check it out.

What Is It?

Tile Placement – Each round, players will simultaneously play one to three of their Ray-Line cards to extend their path. Breakthru cards can be used to go through another player’s line, when possible, to avoid crashes. Reverse cards can be played on top of another card to change the direction your line is headed.

Hand Management – Players will choose which cards they’ll play each round from the 3 they draw. They have to consider multiple factors in regards to where their line is going, trying to avoid crashes, and not using all their cards of a certain type too quickly and then putting themselves in a bad position later.

Player Elimination – When a player is cut-off, they are out of the round; last player standing wins.

Who Is It For?

  • 2 to 4 Players – It’s definitely more competitive with a larger player count, but I thought it scaled appropriately and was fine at any count
  • Ages 10 & Up – Fairly simple rules and gameplay; the strategies of knowing how not to get cut off might be more difficult for some younger players
  • Fans of abstract spacial puzzles (like Tsuro), tile placement, and simultaneous play
  • Players who don’t mind player elimination

PROS

  • Small rule set; accessible to a wide-range of players
  • Quick set-up
  • Simultaneous play helps turns move quickly, which is nice since players may be eliminated and have to wait for the round the finish to be back in
  • The winner of a round scores a point, and you need to score 2 points to win the game. I think that works well in a game like this so that even if a player is out early in a round they still have a chance to do better in the next round and maybe even win the game!
  • Reverse and Breakthru cards add a layer to the strategy and can mean players still have a chance even when it’s not looking good for them

CONS

  • I didn’t feel like I was “racing,” since you’re just trying to be the last player standing and not reach a goal first. And though turns are simultaneous, they are not timed or speed-based; you have time to think about what card(s) you’ll play before doing so simultaneously, so you don’t feel rushed
  • Length – The game can definitely overstay its welcome if it takes too many rounds for a player to reach 2 points (for example, if in a 4 player game, every player wins 1 round, meaning you have to play 5 rounds to get a final winner)
  • Rules – The rules had a few typos which was a little distracting in such a short rulebook

Final Thoughts

I thought the game was fine. I guess I was a little distracted by the title and expected more of a traditional race, but it was more of an abstract game where you’re just trying to avoid being cut off.

I could not help but compare it to Tsuro, which I feel is a classic in this category. It was similar in nature, but felt fresh since it gave each player their own deck, and more opportunity for strategy because of the Breakthru and Reverse cards.

Personally, it didn’t really grip me, but if you like abstract, spacial puzzles, then this might be worth checking out!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 5/10

Designer – John Carimando
Artist – John Carimando
Publisher – Gamey LLC
MSRP – $23.00
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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