Ratzia

Mafia bidders flip loot cards and outbid each other with cheques, until the police show up, in a card version of Ra.

Designer: Reiner Knizia
Published by: AMIGO
Editions by: 25th Century Games, Primigenio, Dragonfly Publishing

Think Ra, the Knizia auction classic, but with the mafia and a card deck. In Razzia!, from 2004, you are a mobster bidding on loot stolen last night: cars, jewels, even whole nightclubs. On your turn you flip a booty card, and once the lot has enough juicy items, or a policeman appears, bidding opens. Payment comes in cheques, and once they are all spent, or enough cops arrive to raid the building, the round ends. Then you score what you collected, though some cards are discarded and others stay for later rounds. The player with the highest total wins. It is a nerve-testing auction game with a push-your-luck core.

Mafia re-theme of Knizia's RaBid with limited cheques on stolen goodsCop cards can end the round suddenly

Who it's for

You like auction games with a push-your-luck edge, or you already know Ra and want a card version. Three or four players is ideal.

Not for you if…

You hate pushing your luck or losing a lot because of someone else's timing. If you want a calm auction, look elsewhere.

Vibe's take

Sly and nerve-racking. You keep flipping because the lot is not good enough yet, then a cop shows up and the whole thing ends on someone else's turn.