In Bala Ra, you take on the role of a jealous god, attempting to win the devotion of the native tribes to become acknowledged as the one true deity.
Each round, you earn influence points, which you can use to expand your domain – building blocks of woodland, desert, mountains, sea, lowland and/or swamp, as you see fit, across the board – or to recruit followers, who give you special powers. These powers might give you extra strength in battle, make it easier to expand your kingdom, sabotage your opponent, or assist your quest in some other way.
Each player/god starts the game with three loyal tribes, and victory is achieved by securing the worship of two tribes of a rival god by surrounding their village-markers with your own blocks, whether by brute force in battle or by more subtle means, with the help of your followers.