Roll for the Galaxy Digital App Story & Review

At a Glance: Roll for the Galaxy Digital App

“The galaxy is a big place, General. You provincial military

types don’t get far enough out to really see that.“

– Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary

Intro Story: Space Marines

The assault team zipped away from New Earth, heading into the depths of space. There were other planets out there—habitable planets with rich resources—and Emperor Yol wanted them under his control. After all, being an emperor isn’t all that majestic without stuff.

The call came in the early hours of the morning while Rhett was sleeping in his cot. They had only just arrived at New Earth five days ago, so he thought he’d have at least a little time to unwind. But, he was a space marine, and duty called.

“You know,” Rhett said to his seat mate, Sean, “as humans, we should be better at naming things.”

Sean grunted, still groggy from the early awakening.

“New Earth,” said Rhett. “It’s boring. Why not something snazzy, like ‘The Forgotten Octothorp’?”

Sean looked at Rhett and shook his head. “Octothorp? Rhett, I don’t think you’ve had enough rest since coming here.”

Rhett ignored his comrade in arms. “And then there’s the issue of ‘space marines.’ I mean, ‘marine’ has to do with water, right? So instead of putting ‘space’ before ‘marines,’ why not give our unit a more specified name?”

“Like what?” Sean asked. “‘The Vacuums’? I don’t think that would fly.”

“Yeah,” Rhett said, ponderous. “That wouldn’t fly indeed. In fact, that name would really suck.”

Sean rolled his eyes as Rhett’s grin spread across his face. 

“Oh, come on!” Rhett said, slapping his friend across the knee. “It was funny and you know it. I think—”

A voice boomed over the speakers in the shuttle they rode in. It was their commander.

“We’re getting close to our target. Remember, we want to be fast and efficient about this. No sightseeing until we are sure there are no hostiles present. The artifacts discovered on that planet must remain intact. We’ll be arriving at the Alien Rosetta Stone World in fifteen standard minutes…”

“Alright,” Sean whispered—or sighed, Rhett couldn’t tell which he was going for—as the commander kept talking. “I get it. We really do need to work on our naming conventions.”

Note: I was provided a complimentary copy of the digital version of Roll for the Galaxy for the purposes of review. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Overview and Roadmap

Roll for the Galaxy is a game of engine and tableau building, dice chucking and luck mitigation, and building a space empire. Phases are played simultaneously, and each player gets to choose which action location they want to activate, allowing for multiple actions to be taken on a single turn, depending on who activates what.

The themes of science fiction and building a space empire are there, but don’t seem to fit with the mechanics. At any rate, the gameplay is fast, fun, and addicting. 

This review has two parts. First, there is the Short Review, where various aspects of the game are discussed. Then comes the Gameplay Review, in which the setup and gameplay are discussed in detail, along with initial thoughts. Following the Gameplay Review section are some final thoughts and a final verdict of the game. Feel free to jump around, or read it all in one go.

Short Review

Roll for the Galaxy has long been a favorite for me and my wife. It’s dice-chucking goodness and multiplayer solitaire that is hard to beat. If you’re into that kind of thing, anyway. There is a lot of good to be said about Roll for the Galaxy, and the Roll for the Galaxy app from Temple Gates Games and Rio Grande Games streamlines the game even better.

With the digital app, you can play solo against AI (easy, medium, and hard difficulties) or against others online. The AI is actually very good at what it does and can be quite the challenge. It’s a fine option for a quick game; and, without having to wait for other players, you dictate the pace of the game. Playing against other humans is also enjoyable, but if you find yourself facing off against a player or two who takes hours—or a day or more—to take their turn, you might find the experience more frustrating than fun and relaxing. However, when setting up a game, you can decide how long turn limits are—anywhere from 30 minutes to a month, or even unlimited!

I think I prefer the 30-minute turns over anything else, simply because you can expect your opponent to be present (give or take 29 minutes) without having to wait excruciatingly long for them to take their turn. The 3-day option is nice if you’re going to be out and about, periodically checking your phone. This way you can still have a game in progress but not feel obligated to sit next to your phone, watching and waiting and hoping they take a turn soon. In my experience, the longest someone took to take a turn with this time limit was about 12-16 hours. Even then, we ended up playing the latter half of the game in real time, as we were both present for each other’s turns.

Roll for the Galaxy is a fine game in and of itself, but dang, I’m liking this app. I don’t always find myself drawn to digital implementations, but this one works and flows nicely. No setup, no upkeep; everything is automated for you. Speaking of which, you also have the option to auto-assign your dice. I didn’t think I’d use that option frequently (because since when does a computer know what I want?), but it’s actually right 98% of the time. Actually, I should say this is true when placing dice to worlds (as goods) and shipping from worlds, as well as placing the assigned dice to construction projects. I always assign my own dice. Sure, there are times I’ll switch a die to a different location, but that’s rare. And that helps speed up the game as well.

I’ll discuss some of the less-favorable aspects of the app further on, but over all, I think its implementation was done well and would recommend it…if you’re ok spending $9.99 on the app.

Immersion

The Roll for the Galaxy digital app is the same game as its physical counterpart, so your enjoyment and immersion factors will likely be the same. Unless its shaking dice, in which case you’re out of luck digitally.

I do find myself lost in the gameplay as I play the app. Whether it’s real-time against a human or just against the computer, the Roll for the Galaxy app is rather addicting. The story behind the theme is fairly non-existent, but its the mechanics (such as engine building) that really make this game what it is. And while there isn’t much of a story, the science fiction theme is still strong, and you know I’m always game for a good sci-fi theme.

Theme

Again, the theme is that of science fiction and is complimented by wonderful artwork. Thematically, you’re building your space empire. The mechanics don’t really help with that feeling, but that’s ok, since the mechanics make for a good game anyway. 

The sci-fi theme is strong, which I doubt it would have been had the art gone a different direction. Fortunately, I feel spacey enough while playing, and while the theme could really have been anything and still played the same (and still have been good), I welcome one of space any time.

Components

Components for the physical game varies immensely from this app version. With the physical game, you have a ton of dice of various colors, plastic cups (for shaking dice), a draw bag and tiles, player blind (so your actions are secret…until you reveal), and a fairly cheap player board. The dice are obviously the best components (cups are nice, too), and you do miss out on that in the digital iteration.

With digital, all you need is your mobile device. And possibly a power cable to charge your phone, as the Roll for the Galaxy app practically eats battery life for breakfast. At least, it does on mine. But the fact that you don’t need anything but your device to play the game is all kinds of wonderful.

Standout Performances

• Roll for the Galaxy anytime, anywhere!
• Play solo with bots or with other human players.
• Games can go much faster on the app.
• Space themed!
• Play with friends! Want to be my friend? My friend code is GN74BSXX.

Breaking the 4th Wall

In theater, breaking the fourth wall refers to when characters (or something else) directly address the audience, thus pulling them out of the narrative and making the astutely aware that they are, in fact, watching a performance and that’s it’s not actually real.

• No physical dice to roll.
• Eats the device’s battery.
• Might have to wait excessively long for other humans to take their turns.

Gameplay Review

First Impressions

This first impressions is going to cover the app in general, rather than the usual gameplay. I’ve been playing Roll for the Galaxy for years now, and upon first play, I can honestly say I was impressed with the digital app. It was intuitive, ran smoothly, and worked how I expected it to.

The tutorials are fast but are done well, especially for those unfamiliar with how to play. It didn’t take long for me to get the hang of the controls, either. In all, the app put on a great first impression for me.

Setup

Turn on your phone. Then launch the Roll for the Galaxy app.

You then choose to play against AI, or play online against actual humans. The setup procedure for both options are pretty straightforward and intuitive, so I won’t bore you with the details.

You may also consider plugging in your phone if it’s already on the verge of death, as this app is an energy eater. Heck, you might want to plug it in even if you’re still at half battery life. That is, if you plan on using your phone later. Then again, perhaps your phone is better than mine (mine is an iPhone 8), and it’s only me that’s having battery troubles.

Gameplay

Players new to the game should play the tutorial in its entirety. That way, you’re learning why things do what they do. Essentially, you’ll learn how to play quickly enough. Even if you are familiar with the physical gameplay of Roll for the Galaxy (and don’t worry, nothing has changed that I could tell), you might consider running through the tutorial anyway, so as to understand how to move stuff around and interact with the interface. 

The game is played until all of the victory point tokens are taken, or until a player has 12 tiles in front of them (your double-wide starting tile counts as two). Then, points are tallied from those you received from VP tokens as well as from the values on your developments and worlds and any other bonuses from your developments. Highest score wins.

There are five steps in each round:

1. Roll Dice

Roll your dice behind your player screen/blind. You don’t have to worry about hiding your results from anyone while playing the app, so this step is simply rolling.

2. Assign Dice

When assigning dice, they must be assigned to an action that matches its symbol. However, you are able to assign one of your dice to the Reassign spot, which allows you to then place an additional die on any action spot. There are many developments that allow you to relocate dice as well, which is a huge part of managing your rolls. Unless, of course, you roll perfectly all the time, in which case you won’t need those. For the rest of us that can’t roll dice worth beans, the reassign abilities are going to be important.

You also get to choose any die to activate any of the action phase tiles. This die can be of any result, regardless of where it’s being placed to activate. This is a great way to use dice you’d normally have to do without. 

3. Reveal

Once your dice are assigned to action phases, everyone reveals their dice placement. Each action phase that was activate by a player is available to everyone, so sometimes you place dice on a certain action phase even though you aren’t activating it, hoping that someone else will. 

4. Phases

Players do each phase simultaneously. The five action phases (known as phases in the rule book) are:

Explore: Get money or new worlds/developments to settle and build.

Develop: Place all dice assigned to this phase to your top development tile. When that development tile has dice on it equal to its value (don’t forget any modifiers if you have them!), place the development in your tableau. Any ability on that development is now ready to be used.

Settle: Place all dice assigned to this phase to your top world tile. As with the development tile, place this world into your tableau once the number of dice on it reaches the tile’s value. Gain dice or any other benefit upon placing the tile.

Produce: This phase turns dice into goods. Place a die (i.e. good) onto any world that is not a grey world. 

Ship: Here, you have two options. You may use your shipper die to either trade or consume. Trading gives you money based on the world’s color. Consuming gives you victory points from the world (1 point, regardless of color), an additional 1 VP if the good matches the world’s color, and an additional 1 VP if the color of the shipper die matches the good’s world color. So, you can get up to 3 VPs if all three match.

Note that any die not used during an action phase (i.e. was assigned to a phase that was not activated) returns to your cup for the next round.

5. Manage Empire

After all dice have been played according to their phases, there are four more things to do.

1. Recruit

Any dice you have left over in your citizenry can join your cup. Simply pay $1 for each die you wish to place in your cup. If your money goes to zero, it moves back up to $1 after this segment.

2. Recall

If you wish, you may take back any dice from your construction zone (i.e. developers and settlers) as well as goods stuck on your worlds. These recalled dice go back into your cup. This does not cost money.

3. Reset

Flip all phase tiles back to their X side.

4. Check for Game End

If the victory point pool is empty, the game is over. If a player has 12 (or more) tiles in their tableau (counting the double starting tile as two), the game is over. Points score from worlds and developments (i.e. each one is worth the tile’s value), development bonuses (from 6+ developments), and VP tokens. The player with the most points is the winner!

Thoughts on Gameplay

The gameplay for Roll for the Galaxy, be it the app or the physical version, is great. While there is a lot of dice rolling, there are many ways to manipulate those results in order to get what you want/need. The special, colored dice have different results on them (including wild), so you can try and stack your dice with ones that will help you in your tasks. 

As for the app’s gameplay, it’s the same as the physical game in every way, except that the app is more streamlined and has less upkeep. I found the app to play faster as well (at least against AI), as I wasn’t having to wait for other players to figure their way out of their analysis paralysis and make a move. The AI is certainly competitive and is fun to play against. Other humans are fun to play against as well, but you do have to be careful if you don’t want to wait too long.

One thing I really enjoy about Roll for the Galaxy is the tableau building. Placing worlds that react well with certain developments is rather satisfying. Plus, it can speed up my placement of worlds and developments, and that’s always a good thing. 

Solo Play

While there is no “official” solo variant for the game, the app does let you play with competitive AI, which is a lot of fun still. In fact, I’m tempted to play against the computer more often than with actual humans, simply because the competitive nature is most certainly there, and I can zip through a game in no time.

I have always loved Roll for the Galaxy, and I’ve always wanted to play it solo. With the app, I get my RftG fix without having to wait on others. If you’re a fan of the game and don’t want to wait for anyone else to get it to the table, this app is your solution.

Final Thoughts

I really like the game, and this app was made so well. While perhaps a bit pricey for my blood, the Roll for the Galaxy digital app has already given me a ton of playtime and will continue to do so. I don’t play the digital version of games often, but I’ve been catching myself wanting to play Roll for the Galaxy on my phone more often than not. 

The app is solid, and it is very much welcome in my folder of board game apps. In fact, it’s near the front of the list. If you like the game, you’ll like the app. If you love the game, you’ll love the app. At least, that’s how it was for me. 

Roll for the Galaxy Digital App: Final Verdict

While you already know what I think about the game, this final verdict will be directed more toward the app. Did it fulfill its purpose as a good digital implementation? Was it easy to use and understand? The answer is yes. It’s a very fun game, and the app certainly does it justice.

All that said, I’m giving it a verdict of Two Captivating Thumbs. Or, in other words, it’s right up there with Captivating, but not so much that it entirely ascends to that level. Still, the Roll for the Galaxy digital app is a very good app and game, and it will certainly stand the tests of time.

Verdict Scale (Lowest to Highest)

The Final Verdict is based on a scale of 1-7, although this scale is not numbered. Instead, it uses thematically appropriate words to describe the performance of the game.

Tomatoes – This game was emotionally taxing and difficult to finish.

Uninspiring – This game had me daydreaming about other games.

Lackluster – This game had its moments, but it probably won’t see much table time.

Laodicean – This game is decent. It works. There’s a reason people like it.

Two Thumbs Up – This game is very good.

Captivating – This game is outstanding! It’s more than good; it’s practically a staple.

Standing Ovation – This is the best game you will ever play. Period.

Read short fiction inspired by board games at our stories page!

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