There are some names that you get accustomed to seeing on the best board games in hobby stores and the collections of tabletop enthusiasts. Alongside considering factors like game mechanics and theming, a game designer who happens to have made a game you really loved before is usually a good indication that’ll enjoy their other work.
Red Rising is a futuristic, dystopian strategy game from the publishers of Wingspan and the designer behind Scythe, one of the top 50 board games on BoardGameGeek. While top 50 might not sound too impressive, consider the fact that BGG catalogues pretty much every board game ever created – being in the top 50 is a serious pedigree.
You can pick up Red Rising for just $10.99 at Amazon, after it received a pretty incredible discount of 54% off its $24 MSRP. Meanwhile, UK tabletop gamers can avail of an ever-so-slightly-more-modest 28% discount by choosing to buy it for £26.59 at Zatu.
Should you buy Red Rising?
While it’s definitely going to offer a little more to those who’ve read the source novels by Pierce Brown, you don’t have to be familiar with the setting of Red Rising to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, this game is a guaranteed spoiler-free experience, so if you do fancy checking out the books once you’ve played the game, that works too.
Perfect for fans of games like Terraforming Mars (or fans of Dune: Imperium - Uprising who want to give their brain a well-deserved break), Red Rising sees you play as one of fourteen castes all vying for power. While that means plenty of ground for competition between you and up to five of your friends, Red Rising also has a solo mode that’ll let you flex your strategy muscles even when you can’t get a playgroup together.
For more of Red Rising’s green flags, consider the fact that it's from the folks who brought you Wingspan and its Draconic spin-off, Wrymspan. We at Gamesradar+ also sing the praises of the futuristic bee-worker placement game, Apiary: another excellent pick from the publisher’s portfolio.
In the market for more savings? Swing by our round-up of the top board game deals. For some handy suggestions on what to play next, check out the best adult board games!
