Ra - Sun God Edition - Traders Expansion Included
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Invoking Ra at the wrong time can ruin everything. At the right time, it builds an entire era. This is Ra — and this is its most lavish edition.
What it's about
The most acclaimed auction game ever — in acrylic
Since 1999, Ra has been considered one of the great classics of modern board gaming. Designed by Reiner Knizia, published by 25th Century Games with illustrations by Ian O'Toole, it is an auction and set collection game set in ancient Egypt — elegant, tense, immediate.
The Sun God Edition is the most luxurious version ever produced: transparent acrylic tiles and tablets instead of cardboard. Each tile catches the light and stands out visually from any other edition. The box also includes the Traders expansion, complete with acrylic tiles, ready to play with no additional purchases.
Three eras, dozens of auctions, only one sun god who decides everything. Who will invoke Ra at the right time — and who won't — will find out in less than an hour.
Ra was inducted into the BGG Hall of Fame in 2025 — one of only ten games selected in history, alongside Catan, Pandemic, and Puerto Rico. It's no coincidence.
Ra's place in game history
The acrylic tiles of the Sun God Edition are not just an aesthetic upgrade: the weight and transparency concretely and unexpectedly change the tactile experience of each auction.
From the game experience
Ra: Sun God Edition
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, game history, and play sessionsWhat's in the box
A production you can feel in your hand
180 acrylic tiles
All auction tiles in transparent acrylic. They catch the light, convey physical weight, and stand out clearly on any table. An upgrade you can see and feel.
Sun tokens and acrylic tablets
The 16 sun tokens and 80 score tablets are made of acrylic. The production is consistent from the first tile to the last scored point. No compromise.
Traders expansion included
The Traders expansion is in the box, with acrylic tiles like the base game. It adds new merchant tiles and trading mechanics. No additional purchase needed.
Artwork by Ian O'Toole
Original illustrations by Ian O'Toole — the same artist as Ra, Rheinlander, and Tigris & Euphrates 25th Century. A consistent, refined Egyptian palette, far from any previous edition.
Every time someone invokes Ra, time stops. Everyone looks at the bag. This is the feeling that lasts for years.
📖RulebookEnglish
A five-moment game
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first tile comes out of the bag
A pharaoh. Then a civilization. Then a flood. The lot grows slowly, and each player holds their breath — adding another tile could improve everything, or invoke Ra and lose control of the auction. The tension begins here, in the first round.
Someone invokes Ra — and it wasn't the right time
The Ra track fills up too quickly. Someone bids on a lot they don't really want — they just want to make their opponent pay. Those without the right sun cannot bid. Those who have it must choose whether to sacrifice it now or wait for the lot of a lifetime.
End of the epoch — someone loses everything
The epoch ends. Those without pharaohs lose points. Those without monuments gain nothing. Civilizations vanish if you haven't protected them. Everything resets and starts again — but positions have changed, and those who seemed to be ahead are already behind.
The game-changing lot
Third epoch. A lot comes out with three monuments, two pharaohs, a flood. It's the lot that can win the game. Everyone wants it. The highest sun is already used. Who will bid more? Who will withdraw, letting the opponent pay too much? The table is silent for ten seconds.
The final score reveals everything
Monuments are counted — duplicates are worthless, variety is everything. Pharaohs reveal their verdicts. The final sun adds the last twist. Those who seemed to be losing were actually secretly ahead. Everyone wants to know how. Let's play again immediately.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Two options. Dozens of consequences. An auction system that never gets old.
Draw from the bag and place the tile in the auction area. If Ra is drawn, advance the marker on the track. If the Ra track fills up, the epoch ends and is scored.
You can choose to invoke Ra instead of drawing. This triggers an auction on the current lot. Only one bid per player; the player with the highest sun wins the lot and swaps their sun with the central one.
After three Ra tiles are drawn, an epoch ends. Some tiles remain for the entire game, others vanish. Those with fewer pharaohs lose points. Civilizations disappear — everything restarts.
After three epochs, all remaining tiles, monument sets, pharaoh majority, and the value of the owned sun are counted. The highest score wins the kingdom.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make the difference
Invoking Ra: an act of war or desperation
You can bid on a lot you don't want — just to make your opponent pay. This possibility transforms every draw into a strategic calculation: those with low suns are vulnerable, those with high suns can bluff.
Suns change hands
The winner of an auction hands over their sun and takes the central one. The sun's value determines who can bid more — and the final sun is worth points. Managing suns is a game within a game.
Asymmetrical scoring by category
Pharaohs: majority and minority. Monuments: zero for duplicates, a lot for variety. Civilizations: you lose points if you have zero. Each tile type has its own logic — and understanding it requires more than one game.
The pressure of the Ra timer
Every Ra drawn brings the end of the epoch closer. Those who don't yet have the tiles they want are under pressure. Those who already have what they need can speed up the end of the round, leaving opponents empty-handed.
Monuments reward the long game
Unlike almost everything else in the game, monuments are only worth points at the end — and only if they are distinct. Those who accumulate them seem to lose points for two entire epochs. Then they win at the final count, and no one knows how.
The Sun God Edition: authentic acrylic
The difference between the standard and this edition is not just aesthetic: acrylic gives physical weight to every choice. Moving an acrylic tile on the table has a different impact. It's a production designed for those who play this game for years.
How it ends
Three epochs, one pharaoh, one winner
Points come from all directions — and many are hidden until the final score. Ra is one of those games where the winner is never obvious until the last count.
Victory
- The player with the most points after three complete scoring epochs
- Varied monuments, majority of pharaohs, Nile and floods, complete civilizations, high-value suns
- Final monument points often overturn rankings that seemed solidified
Penalties
- No civilization at the end of an epoch: -5 points
- Fewer pharaohs than anyone else: -2 points per epoch
- No Nile at the end of the game: 0 points for Nile and floods (zero, not a penalty)
Ra was inducted into the BGG Hall of Fame in 2025. In 25 years, it hasn't lost an ounce of depth. The Sun God Edition is the most beautiful way to bring it to the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Ra: Sun God Edition
What is the difference between the Sun God Edition and the Pharaoh Edition?
The Pharaoh Edition has wooden tiles and metal tablets. The Sun God Edition has transparent acrylic tiles and tablets. Both include artwork by Ian O'Toole and deluxe production by 25th Century Games. The Sun God Edition also includes the Traders expansion with acrylic tiles. The rules are identical.
Is it worth it compared to a standard version of Ra?
It depends on how much production quality matters to you. The game is identical. The Sun God Edition is for those who want to own the definitive version of one of the best designed games ever — with a table presence that economic editions cannot replicate. If you play Ra often, the investment makes sense.
Is it suitable for those who have never played Ra?
Yes, and it's a great entry point. Ra is one of the most accessible auction games ever designed: the rules can be explained in ten minutes, and the first game is already enjoyable. The complexity emerges from reading your opponents, not from the rulebook.
With how many players does it work best?
With 4 or 5 players, Ra is at its best — auctions are more contested, sun management is tenser, and interactions multiply bluffing situations. With 3, it's already solid. With 2, it works but loses some of the unpredictability that makes the game legendary.
Does the Traders expansion change the game much?
It adds trader tiles that introduce trading mechanics and additional points. It doesn't completely overhaul the base game but expands strategic options, especially for those who have already mastered the core system. Recommended after a few games of the standard game.
Is Ra: Sun God Edition available in Italian?
This is the English edition published by 25th Century Games. The text is minimal — almost everything is visual and iconographic. The rulebook is in English, but it's short and very clear. The language barrier is practically non-existent for those familiar with board games.
Ra: Sun God Edition is the deluxe acrylic version of Reiner Knizia's classic auction and set-collection game for 2–5 players (ages 12+, duration 30–60 min). Published by 25th Century Games with artwork by Ian O'Toole. Includes the Traders expansion with acrylic tiles. Main mechanic: once-around auction with variable-value sun tokens across three Egyptian epochs. Tiles for pharaohs, monuments, civilizations, Nile, floods, and disasters. Ra was inducted into the BGG Hall of Fame in 2025. The Sun God Edition differs from the Pharaoh Edition in its transparent acrylic components instead of wood and metal. English edition. Available on FroGames.it.
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