I’ll be honest, I was ready to pack my bags and head to Petra the moment Renegade Games Studio announced this new addition to their game library. Passing Through Petra has a unique table presence, interesting mechanics and amazing box art. I anxiously awaited its release and ordered it as soon as it was available. The box is even more beautiful in person. And I get it, the box isn’t the game but just like a good book cover it helps to draw you in. So yes, I’ll continue to rave about that box art and display it on my shelf so others can appreciate it. Did you also know that the art and the game are based on a real location? I digress, but seriously go look it up after you read the rest of this review.
Did the game hold up to the hype I’d built around it for myself? In one word – yes. Designer, J. Alex Kevern created a unique experience that combines card drafting, set collection, and worker placement. Players take on the role of powerful citizens within Petra all trying to have the most influence over the city. The passage, known as “The Siq,” is built into the board. These chunky pieces hook together and connect to the board to create a place for the travelers to line up and make their way into the glorious city of Petra. Tiles are five different colors with art to represent each type of traders. They’re placed, at random, down the path to illustrate different travelers making their way to the glorious city. Players welcome these travelers into their markets to “trade.” Each player board is unique and provides different trading combinations for each player. I love this feature.
Players can only take one action each turn: they can go to the Village, Market, Siq, or Plaza. They choose these actions by moving their player token toward one of the options on a grid within the game board. This clever mechanism prevents a player from continually taking the same action. Once the player token is against the wall of the grid, they can no longer taken that action until they move another direction.
What I really love about this game is how it is simple to learn but requires a good, strategic plan. You have to be thinking several steps ahead in order to achieve your plan to victory. What’s even better, there are multiple paths to victory! As travelers move down your player board to your market you’re trying to match up the most advantageous trades. Not only that, but you have to watch what travelers will be coming into your city. Since the tiles are placed at random it could be a few turns before the color tile you need is back in an area you can choose it from. There’s a lot to consider!
The game ends once a player has placed all of their influence cubes throughout the city. The only drawback is the game immediately ends when the last cube is placed, there isn’t an opportunity for other players to take a final turn. This does prevent the need for tie breakers since there aren’t any other scoring options in the game. This is a minor drawback though and shouldn’t deter you from playing.
Final Thoughts
- The board is not the most exciting board you’ll ever bring to your table, but it’s thematic. It’s the desert, people!
- The 3-D “Siq” really does create a cool way to move your trader tiles into the city.
- On average, games will run about 60 minutes but it doesn’t drag at all.
- This game plays 2-4 players and we loved it at 2.
- Easier to learn than it appears with a little math incorporated into the trading.
So quit wasting time and go pack your bags! We’ve gotta get you to Petra!
The box is so pretty! 
The player market board in action. 
Each player’s market board is slightly different.