What’s In That Game Box? – Ratrace (1973)

Box front of the 1973 Ratrace game

Ever scoured the Internet looking for what exactly you were missing from the old board game you pulled from your closet, only to find no succor in your time of need?  Well, stop that fruitless searching through endless google results, as this week we look at Waddingtons House of Games’ 1973 madcap game of social climbing, Ratrace.

A more indepth discussion the various releases of this game through the years, as well as its gameplay, can by found in a previous blog entry, titled, The Best Classic Board Games – RATRACE Game of Social Climbing What’s In That Game Box? deals specifically with the game’s contents, which are:

The game box (showing a family in various socio-economic costumes surrounding the Ratrace game board, all on a red background)

The game board (featuring a 36-space Lower Class game track, a 28-space Middle Class game track, a 20-space High Society game track, the Stock Exchange dice chart, and the Racetrack Tote Board)

Six wood player tokens (black, blue, brown, green, olive green, and red)

Two 6-sided dice

A supply of play money (in $10; $50; $100; $500; $,1000; $5,000; and $10,000 denominations)

Six Ratrace Credit Cards

Six Club Membership cards

Six Diploma cards

Nine BLACK’S Art Gallery cards, consisting of:

• Plaster Bust of Beethoven 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• Japanese Print 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• Genuine Ming Vase 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

Nine ROYAL’S Car Sales cards, consisting of:

• Radio for Car 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• Stereo for Car 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• Sports Car for Donna 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

Nine BROWN’S Sporting Goods cards, consisting of:

• Golf Clubs 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• Snowmobile 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• 30-Ft. Cabin Cruiser 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

Nine GREEN’S Furniture cards, consisting of:

• Automatic Washer 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• Colour TV 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• Colonial Dining Suite 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

Nine OLIVE’S Jewellery cards, consisting of:

• 17-Jewel Watch 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• 24-Karat Gold Ring 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• Diamond Necklace 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

Nine ROSE’S Clothes & Furs cards, consisting of:

• Latest-style Suit 100 STATUS SYMBOL WORKING CLASS [x3]
• Parisian Original 500 STATUS SYMBOL MIDDLE CLASS [x3]
• Mink Coat for Pamela 3000 STATUS SYMBOL HIGH SOCIETY [x3]

The game rules (laid out in a question & answer format)

Aside from the inner cardboard tray that holds the loose game parts, that’s it!  Just a quick note: the 1970, 1973, and 1974 releases of Ratrace all have the same number of parts, although they can be made from different materials (laminated paper versus cardstock, for instance), and all play the same way.  Have fun climbing the social ladder!

Status cards for the 1973 Ratrace game

Status cards for the 1973 Ratrace game

Game board and tokens for the 1973 Ratrace game.

The Best Classic Board Games – RATRACE Game of Social Climbing

There are so many good classic board games that it’s sometimes difficult to pick just one to reminisce about, but a few shine out a little brighter than the rest.  One of my all-time favorite board games is Ratrace, by Waddingtons House of Games.  The goal is simple: start from the bottom rung of the social ladder and claw your way up to the upper crust of society and be the first player to retire with $100,000 cash.  How you accomplish that goal is where the fun begins!

The 1970 Version of Ratrace

Players start the game with a business and $200 cash.   The businesses are color-coded: Rose’s Clothes & Furs; Olive’s Jewelry; Black’s Art Gallery; Brown’s Sporting Goods; Green’s Furniture; and Royal’s Car Sales (blue).  Each business gets nine Status Symbol cards to sell to the other players, three each of $100 cards for Working Class, $500 for Middle Class, and $3000 for High Society.   Players need money to make their own purchases, so everyone hopes to see their competing players land on their colored squares.

The game board has three tracks, one each for Working Class, Middle Class, and High Society.  Everyone starts on the Graduation Day square on the Working Class track.  From there opportunities present themselves: can you attend Night School and earn your diploma? Can you make it big (at long odds) at the Racetrack?  Will you be accepted into the Country Club and gain a Membership Card? Can you earn money at the Stock Exchange?  Players move around the track gaining Working Class status symbols, such as a New Car Radio or a 17-Jewel Watch.  Gain any three Status Symbol cards and you’re ready to move up to Middle Class – as long as you have a little cash and either your diploma or club membership.  Of course, you could get lucky and land on a Society Wedding space and move up without all the qualifications everyone needs.

The 1967 version of Ratrace

Middle class brings similar challenges and goals as the Working Class rung did, as players still need to buy Status Symbols (but more expensive!), get a Yacht Club membership or a University degree, and accumulate cash as they move through the game board.   But watch out! At this stage of the game the much-feared Divorce square could send you back to your Working Class roots.  Gaining entry into High Society is exactly the same as before: three Status Symbol cards, either a degree or club membership, and enough cash to afford the lifestyle.  And the pitfalls on this part of the game board or similar to Middle Class, but much more devastating when they happen.

What makes this game even more unique is the element of credit.  Yes, you can get a credit card in Ratrace.  If you don’t have the money to buy your Status Symbol cards – no problem: get it on credit.  The danger, though, comes from the Credit Due spaces on the game board.  If you land on one not only do you have to pay the full amount of your credit account, but you have to add an additional 10% as an interest payment.  So, as in real life, too much credit card spending can lead to your financial ruin!

The 1974 version of Ratrace

There have been several Ratrace games since it was released in 1967.  I know of editions put out in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1983, and 1994, each of which had some minor modification to the game pieces, but no change in the game mechanics.  Although the player tokens in the shape of actual rats in the 1983 black boxed version are fun, my favorite Ratrace game is the 1973 release in which the Status Symbol, Membership, Diploma, and Credit cards are on heavy card stock, and the game tokens are made of wood.  I enjoy playing a game that feels like its meant to last, and can handle a little family playing time, but I also like the natural material feel of the game pieces.  Other versions use laminated cards and plastic tokens, which, although they will last, just don’t have that same retro feel.  But, it’s a minor quibble, as any of the games still play the same.

The 1973 version of Ratrace

Ratrace is best played with at least three people, but it can be played with as little as two and as many as six.  The game suggests a starting age of 9, but anyone who understands the reasons why people want to “move up” in life will enjoy this game, regardless of age.  Another highly recommended classic board game!