Ra
Ra explained: auction tiles, Sun disks, Ra track, disasters, three epochs and scoring in the current 25th Century Games edition.
Draw tiles from the bag to build a shared auction row, or invoke Ra to force an auction using each player’s limited set of Sun disks.
Tiles score in different ways across three epochs, while disaster tiles and the advancing Ra track make waiting for a richer auction increasingly dangerous.
Why We Love It
Ra is an auction game where timing matters as much as price. Your Sun disks are fixed bids, so winning one lot also changes the strength of your future bidding options.
About Ra
Draw tiles from the bag to build a shared auction row, or invoke Ra to force an auction using each player’s limited set of Sun disks.
Tiles score in different ways across three epochs, while disaster tiles and the advancing Ra track make waiting for a richer auction increasingly dangerous.
Game at a Glance
Invoke Ra
Start an auction directly or trigger one through a Ra tile.
Evaluate the Lot
Every tile type scores differently across epochs.
Spend a Sun Disk
Bids come from fixed-value disks, not open-ended money.
Watch the Ra Track
The epoch can end before every player gets another auction.
Who Ra suits
Players who enjoy auctions but want stronger push-your-luck tension than a conventional money-bidding game.
Rules overview
On your turn, draw a tile, invoke Ra, or use another legal action. Drawn tiles usually enter the auction track; Ra tiles advance the Ra track and can force auctions. Players bid with one face-up Sun disk, and the highest bid takes the lot plus the central Sun disk. Each epoch ends when the Ra track fills or all players have used their Sun disks. Score tiles according to their category, then begin the next epoch.
Key decisions
Editorial analysis: Judge an auction by both its current tiles and the Sun disk you will receive from the center. A modest lot can be worthwhile if it upgrades your bidding power for the next epoch. Do not assume there will always be time for one more draw: the Ra track makes delay progressively riskier.
Common questions
How many epochs are played?
Three epochs.
Can I bid any number?
No. You bid one of your available Sun disks, so your possible bids are fixed.
Does every tile score the same way?
No. Tile categories have different timing and scoring rules, including permanent and epoch-specific effects.
Related games
Learn Ra in depth
Sources and edition notes
Facts checked September 16, 2026. Strategy sections are editorial analysis based on the identified rules rather than measured win-rate claims.