# Race for the Galaxy

> Digital strategy board game of empire building through card play and phase selection. (iPhone/iPad app by Temple Gates Games LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/race-for-the-galaxy/id1190675052 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Temple Gates Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190675051)
- Category: Games, Board, Card
- Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.10/5 from 178 App Store ratings · 185 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 88 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2017-05-06
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/race-for-the-galaxy/id1190675052/reviews.md

## What is Race for the Galaxy?

Race for the Galaxy is a strategy boardgame where players advance their empire by playing cards to build technological developments or to settle planets. Its core mechanic is a phase choosing game. Players secretly and simultaneously determine which one of seven phases they will lock in, all reveal at once, then execute the phases in order. Will you build an engine to ramp up VP generation on cheapo production planets? Will you invest in exploration and settle rare and valuable VP rich planets? Or will you rush a military conquest to cut off your opponents before they have a chance to develop their strategy?

Game Features

▪ 2 – 4 player with network multiplayer
▪ Single player mode with advanced neural network AI
▪ Five starting worlds and ninety settlement and development cards
▪ Free promo pack included: New Worlds with six additional starting planets
▪ Gathering Storm and Rebel Vs. Imperium expansions available immediately

## Key features

- Card-based empire building
- Simultaneous phase selection
- Single player AI mode
- Network multiplayer
- Multiple starting worlds
- Expansion content available

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $6.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Gathering Storm | $3.99 | one-time |
| Rebel vs Imperium | $3.99 | one-time |
| The Brink of War | $3.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #163 in Top Paid · Board (US App Store)
- #116 in Top Paid · Card (US App Store)

## What do users think of Race for the Galaxy?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Excellent adaptation of the board game
- 👍 Well-implemented user interface
- 🎮 Challenging AI opponents
- 💡 Includes promo home worlds and 2nd Edition cards
- 🕹️ Supports 4-player games

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔌 Online play is unreliable and prone to disconnects
- 📱 UI not optimized for smaller screens
- 🔢 Lack of scoring breakdown at the end of games
- 🎨 No colorblind mode

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Issues with the Colony Ship card not properly discarding
- Hard AI opponents using exploitative strategies
- DLC purchases not syncing across devices
- Multiplayer games sometimes timing out or being unrecoverable

**Most requested features**

- Add more expansions beyond the first two
- Implement local pass-and-play mode
- Provide more detailed tutorials and explanations
- Allow reviewing the final game state and player tableaus
- Add achievements and progression systems

## Recent user reviews (10 of 185)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/race-for-the-galaxy/id1190675052/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Very, very Good

*2026-05-10, version 1.09.2*

Great game with very competitive IA.

Worth investing the time to learn.

### 5/5 — Great adaptation, but wish other exps. would get implemented

*2026-02-20, version 1.09.2*

This app got updated to include the promo home worlds, and adjusted 2nd Edition cards!  AI opponents are just as good as the original Keldon’s AI (although easier difficulty levels are available).  Really wish we could get other expansions as well.

### 5/5 — Too bad the online server is fickle

*2025-11-23, version 1.09.2*

It just is never available when I want to play. This is a hidden gem amongst the board games on iOS. Just wish I could play other people.

### 4/5 — needs fixes

*2025-11-09, version 1.09.2*

I love this game and the AI is really awesome, but in the last couple of months the game has been crashing quite often.

### 5/5 — Help

*2025-05-28, version 1.09.2*

Game force quits when I open it can't play on iphone

### 3/5 — Purchased extra decks but the extra cards never showed up

*2025-02-08, version 1.09.2*

Love this game but after purchasing the expansion packs none of the expansion cards have shown up.

### 3/5 — Great for your tablet but not for your phone

*2025-01-14, version 1.09.2*

Great game. Just got all the expansions and it works great. My favorite expansion is Gathering Storm. It kinda has a terraforming mars vibe with the goals needing accomplished. However, while it’s good for the iPad or tablet, it’s not good for the phone vision-wise. On my phone I can hardly see the cards and would have to press and hold the card to see what it is before playing it. If there’s a way to fix that, that would be great. Otherwise, great game

### 5/5 — Insanely great!

*2024-12-31*

I accidentally found this game. At first, it is into,idating. Nothing really made sense. Then, after struggling a few times, I reread the instructions and had a better understanding of what was being referred to, etc. Now, I cannot stop playing it. It’s fast, incredibly robust, and requires thinking on your feat. The variation in strategy and need to adjust mid game makes this game particularly fun. I never played or owned the analog card game, but may buy it just because of this app. Well done. Awesome!

### 3/5 — Wondeful app (but notifications didn’t work any more)

*2024-10-14, version 1.09.2*

Is it possible to fix the notifications system, it didn’t work any more

### 4/5 — Extensions with French iOS

*2024-09-26, version 1.09.2*

Having a French iOS, I’m unable to purchase the different extensions through the Store menu.
The price is in US $ and the « Buy » button is inactive . Does it mean that it only works through the US App Store?

## Frequently asked questions about Race for the Galaxy

### What is Race for the Galaxy?

Race for the Galaxy is a digital version of a popular strategy board game. Players compete to build the most successful space empire by playing cards to develop technologies and settle planets. The core gameplay involves secretly choosing and revealing phases simultaneously, then executing them in order.

### What are the key features of the app?

The app features a core mechanic of simultaneous phase selection, allowing for deep strategic play. It supports 2-4 player network multiplayer and a single-player mode against an advanced AI. Players can choose from five starting worlds and utilize a variety of settlement and development cards.

### How is the app monetized?

The app is free to download and play, with in-app purchases available for expansion content. This includes a free promo pack with additional starting planets and the option to purchase the 'Gathering Storm' and 'Rebel Vs. Imperium' expansions.

### Can I play against friends?

Yes, the app offers network multiplayer for 2 to 4 players. This allows you to compete against friends or other players online, bringing the strategic board game experience to a digital platform.

### What kind of strategies can I employ?

The game offers diverse strategic paths. You can focus on building an engine to generate victory points efficiently, explore and settle valuable planets, or pursue a military conquest to hinder your opponents' development.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.09.2 — 2018-10-21

Race 2nd Edition updates
- More color-blind friendly
- Balance adjustments to 5 base game cards
Performance and stability improvements
1.09.1 Fixes an issue with tapping buttons near the screen edge on iOS 11 or above
1.09.2 Fixes and issue with Merchant Guild scoring

### 1.09.1 — 2018-10-17

Race 2nd Edition updates
- More color-blind friendly
- Balance adjustments to 5 base game cards
Performance and stability improvements
1.09.1 Fixes an issue with tapping buttons near the screen edge on iOS 11 or above

### 1.09 — 2018-10-15

Race 2nd Edition updates
- More color-blind friendly
- Balance adjustments to 5 base game cards
Performance and stability improvements

### 1.08 — 2018-04-27

Fix an issue causing corrupted multiplayer games
Other minor fixes
Server compatibility update

### 1.07 — 2018-01-10

Brink of War expansion
Ability to recompute stats
Other fixes and improvements

## Apps similar to Race for the Galaxy

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Terra Mystica](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terra-mystica/id1162168455) | 3.4 (75) | $9.99 | Games |
| [RISK: Global Domination](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/risk-global-domination/id1051334048) | 4.7 (187,581) | Free | Games |
| [Terraforming Mars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terraforming-mars/id1353471030) | 4.5 (7,460) | $8.99 | Games |
| [Stratego® Online](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stratego-online/id6448176350) | 3.4 (197) | Free | Games |
| [Catan Universe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catan-universe/id1220346113) | 3.8 (30,848) | Free | Games |
| [Dune: Imperium](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dune-imperium/id1575414319) | 4.9 (4,697) | $10.99 | Games |

## More apps by Temple Gates Games LLC

- [Roll for the Galaxy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roll-for-the-galaxy/id1324815218)
- [Shards of Infinity](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shards-of-infinity/id1450361296)
- [Dominion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dominion/id1476461085)

All apps by Temple Gates Games LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1190675051

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*