Ramses Return is the first LEGO board game that could be considered a continuation from a previous game. In Ramses Pyramid, the heroes had to struggle to get inside the pyramid while avoiding the mummy’s curse. In Ramses Return, you’ve already made it into the pyramid and the goal now is to be the first to collect three unique gold treasures.
Much of the game play is similar to the first game. There is still a memory component that controls your characters movement. Watch out though, the mummy still roams these passages looking to curse any who would dare take its treasure.
Building Ramses Return, a LEGO Board Game
The entire play area is built off a sixteen-by-sixteen dark tan plate. This massive plate is fairly new. Only a handful of sets released in 2011 have this piece, which makes for a very sturdy construction.
One end has a small pyramid archway for the mummy to start in. The rest of the board is set out in grids with the use of tan tiles. Eight jumper plates are placed around the central start point. These are for the small temple domes that contain colored cones. On the whole, there is very little to put together.
How to Play Ramses Return, a LEGO Board Game
Once the board is set up, have the youngest player roll the dice. Play will continue clockwise from them. The dice will determine what you do each turn.
The roll will have two types of outcomes. Either a colored side will come up or the mummy tile with three dots will be revealed. If the mummy comes up, do these two things in any order. Move the mummy three spaces around the outside of the board clockwise. Move your character up to three spaces. You cannot move diagonally or through spaces that have a domed temple or the mummy.
If you land on a space that has a colored cone or treasure you do not have, you must stop there. Remove that treasure or cone and put it into your collection. Your turn ends.
If the LEGO dice reveals a colored side, two things may happen. If you have a cone that is the same colors as one of the tiles revealed by the dice, you can move your character up to two spaces. Same rules apply as when moving your character with the mummy tile. The difference is the mummy does not move.
If you do not have the right colored cone, you must then guess which temple dome that color is under. When guessing, remove the temple and let no other player see. If you guess correctly, reveal it, move your character up to two spaces, and place the temple dome back on the board. If you don’t guess correctly, keep the cone inside hidden and place it back on the board.
When you return a dome temple onto the board, you can place it in any of the empty spaces. You may not block all the spaces adjacent to the starting space though. There needs to be at least one way for a hero to go.
The game ends when one player has captured three unique gold treasures. There are four possible. These treasures are the gold cone, gold goblet, gold scepter, and gold crown. The later two are represented by a telescope and five pointed rock respectively.
Interesting Elements in Ramses Return, a LEGO Board Game
The dice is always a unique piece for every LEGO board game. You may also enjoy the mummy tile that is put on the dice. Beyond this, everyone is interested to see what microfigures are included. The ones in this set seem to resemble characters found in the Pharaoh’s Quest line, but no official connection has been made.
The large plate and tiles are especially nice for building a rustic scene. Additionally, the treasures are also nice. They are not metallic in color, but rather the pearl gold version. This does not make them that special, but they are nice to have.
You will also receive a nice selection of colored cones and tan domes that can fit over them. The domes are still fairly unusual and have not been fully utilized by many builders. This set will give you six domes and more than twice that many cones.
Ratings for Ramses Return, a LEGO Board Game
Originality: 4.5 out of 5 Studs. There are some similarities to the first Ramses game, but this game definitely feels unique.
Replay Value: 4 out of 5 Studs. If you are into memory games, this game has a twist you may enjoy. It’s also fairly fast to play.
Fun Factor: 4 out of 5 Studs. Starting this game off may be a little slow, but once it starts, it will not take long to finish. The design also makes it feel like you are on a treasure hunt.
Unique Parts: 4 out of 5 Studs. Aside from the large plate and microfigures, you can find all these parts in other places.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Studs. This is a very solid entry in the LEGO board game genre. It’s fast to build and play and will challenge your memory.
Recommendations
This is a must if you have Ramses Pyramid. The two games compliment each other very well. Builders will also like the types of pieces this set offers. On the whole, it is a good game to start with if you’ve never played a LEGO board game before.
List of LEGO Board Games to Search For
There are many other LEGO board games currently out and many expected to be released in the future. Here is a list of known board games (current and future) and their set number. Just a note: they are not necessarily being released in order of set number.
- Robo Champ, set #3835
- Magikus, set #3836
- Monster 4, set #3837
- Lava Dragon, set #3838
- Race 3000, set #3839
- Pirate Code, set #3840
- Minotaurus, set #3841
- Lunar Command, set #3842
- Ramses Pyramid, set #3843
- Creationary, set #3844
- Shave a Sheep, set #3845
- UFO Attack, set #3846
- Magma Monster, set #3847
- Pirate Plank, set #3848
- Orient Bazaar, set #3849
- Meteor Strike, set #3850
- Atlantis Treasure, set #3851
- Sun Block, set #3852
- Banana Balance, set #3853
- Frog Rush, set #3854
- Ramses Return, set #3855
- NinjaGO - the board game, set #3856
- Heroica: Draida Bay, set #3857
- Heroica: Waldurk Forest, set #3858
- Heroica: Caverns of Nathuz, set #3859
- Heroica: Castle Fortaan, set #3860
- LEGO Champion, set #3861
- Harry Potter Hogwarts, set #3862
What Sets Have Been Reviewed?
Instead of guessing which sets have or have not been reviewed, go to LEGO Board Games to get an overview. This article will briefly discuss each set in brief and let you know what sets are still on the horizon.
William Reed - With a B.A. in Communications and an intense love of LEGO, Will journeys forth to share and educate others about LEGO.
