Rio Grande Games Jump Drive - A Race for The Galaxy Card Game (RIO537)

Jumpdrive has been described as the "light" version of Race(RftG) and it is true to a degree. Same basic principles apply: there are 4 types of planets, playing developments costs 1 less, military planets are played based on your military strength, playing planets gives you a card draw at end of turn, and currency is discarded cards. But you can play 2 cards, paying full price for both when necessary. Each card has a victory point(vp) number and a $ amount. At the end of your turn, you add up your vp's and add them to total score, then add you $ and draw a card for each. The race is to 50 vp's and adds up quickly in a few turns. Most games will be around 6-8 turns with some luck helping. The games will be short( 10-15 mins maybe) once you get the hang of it.This is a great card game if you want to teach someone the basic principles before diving into the more complex workings of RftG. It plays quite different to Race, so it holds it's own as a game. Jumpdrive is more like "The City" card game (from Eagle-Gryphon Games) in space for comparison. The creator for all 3 is Tom Lehman, which is why they are similar. This is a fairly easy game to learn how to play, but a little more complicated to get good at. But after a few plays it should start to click. Card draw is the luck aspect of this game, if you have a bad initial hand or draw not helpful cards, that's just how it goes. But the good part is it's not a long game and easily lends itself to shuffle up and play again. A fun game to play overall, it's quick and addictive.

Simple and fun board game. It's a pity that the outer box was slightly dented when received!

I love Race for the Galaxy. It's a venerable card game that's held its appeal for well over a decade. So when Jump Drive came out five years ago positioned as "an introduction to Race for the Galaxy" I didn't get a copy. Why would I need a dumbed down version of one of my favorite games? Friends, I made a mistake!Jump Drive delivers much of what's fun about Race in a condensed form. The complexity has been reduced from the original. You can play a game in 15 minutes easily with experienced players. But the core theme of the original, which was challenging you to make the most of what you find as you go along, is perhaps even more evident and pressing.You start with a hand of seven cards that you must reduce to five. This gives you a chance to choose a starting direction for the game. On each turn, all players simultaneously choose to build zero or one development card, then choose to settle zero or one world. Both kinds of cards can provide victory points and income and may have special abilities and attributes (military power, e.g.). After player cards, which you pay for by discarding other cards, as in the original, you collect victory points for your whole tableau and draw cards according to the total income of your empire.It's quick, fun, and full of hard choices. It's a great game, with a lot more substance than most "filler" games that take a similar amount of time.But perhaps the best part doesn't come in the box. There is a fan-made solitaire campaign mode that makes Jump Drive the most engaging solo game that I've come across. I've logged literally hundreds of solo games in the last few months. A solo game takes less time than a traditional solitaire card game and yet provides a thematic game experience. I can't recommend it enough! I never play solo board games, but this one has become my number one way to pass a few minutes between things.

Some have termed this Race for the Galaxy on training wheels. It is in a very good way. After playing this game; a new player can play and enjoy Race or Roll for the Galaxy on a basic level.About a year ago, I attempted to learn Roll for the Galaxy. The player board looked like a bunch of hieroglyphics. Another player patiently tried to explain the rules. I left in literal tears of frustration. If only I had played Jump Drive first!The turn structure is simple. The player can settle a world, place a development, explore, or settle and place a development at the same time. Then players pay by discarding as instructed. Finally, players collect income and victory points from the cards played during that turn. When a player reaches 50 victory points other players play their final turn. The one with the most victory points wins. Jump Drive is a fast game. It takes 15-20 minutes.It has a Star Wars feel to it; except you're playing for the Empire. ☺️

This is a great game. Certain to be a game night start-of-the-night filler and staple for the next 20 game nights. And you will still get the itch to play it after that. It is quick, not too hard to learn (for Race for the Galaxy players even easier) and it is a lot of fun. It can be very luck-based, but no fear if you did not get lucky this go-round, play it again.

Easy to learn. Fast to play. Not a lot of depth but what do you expect from a game you can finish in 15 min. What I like most is that just like in RFTG you can stumble on a strategy and just blow everyone away. Or your opponent does, there is a lot of randomness but if you get bad cards and have a bad game, it's not so bad, it's over in under 15 min and maybe you'll have better luck next time.

LOVE THIS GAME! OK, so full disclosure. I love the entire Race family of games (Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy...) and while this makes me somewhat predisposed to like Jump Drive, I hasten to point out that this is its own game all by itself. It is, if you will, a step between knowing nothing and being able to play Race for the Galaxy, 2 player, in about 20 minutes. It's a great way to introduce a newbie into the Race games but it's also a great game all by itself, as a fun way to pass the evening.

I like it, it's quick and easy to explain to newbies. It's a great lunch hour game (you can get a few rounds in an hour). The main downside is sometimes you feel like you are playing solitaire. Race/Roll both have some sort of player interaction motivator but not Jump. Ultimately though, it's fine. Worth the under $20 price. Small box fits in bags with ease. Easy to take with you and set up.

Lovely little game. Very easy to pick up, and plays very quickly (<20mins after one or two learning games). Great sense of escalation and tension as the game comes to a close. In particular, this is a highly recommended purchase for people who enjoy Race for the Galaxy but find it difficult to teach all of the iconography; this game will expose people to many of the symbols and concepts of RftG, while being a distinct and enjoyable game unto itself.

Follows the style of race and roll for the galaxy and gives a delightful quick fix. Excellent.

Great game. Quicker version of race for the galaxy, works well for 2 players

Ein Spiel dauert in Etwa 10-15 Minuten selbst mit unerfahrenen Spielern. Die Regeln und das Spielkonzept ist leicht zu verstehen, besonders wenn man davor bereits Roll oder Race for the Galaxy gespielt hat. Im Wesentlichen baut man sein galaktisches Imperium aus und versucht über Kombinationen von Karten schnell viele Punkte zu machen. Super Spiel für Zwischendurch!

Una vez que le agarras la onda es muy divertido e interesante!