Ara is a game of strategy, diplomacy, and, economics. The game was created to be a strategy game that balances economic and military competition.

You must gather resources while building an army to conquer other nations on a planet of the future. There are three different units you may purchase: Mobs, Hovertanks, and Ships. The attack mechanic is dice based where certain numbers score casualties, and casualty shots are taken. There is a track around the outside of the board that you go around for the purpose of a random event generator as well as a time keeper, as you cycle through seasons where you may either only build or only gather resources