Heat: Pedal to the Metal review

Days on Wonder | 1–6 players | 8+ | 30-60 minutes

In this racing game, published by Days of Wonder, players put themselves in the driver's seat of intense car races as they try to cross the finish line first. During setup, players may choose any of the four included race tracks, although it is recommended to play on the USA track for your first game. Each player then chooses a color, takes its matching components, and shuffles their speed cards, starting upgrade cards, and stress cards together to form their personal draw deck. Before the race begins, players randomly determine the turn order by adding their cars to the track, while everyone simultaneously draws seven cards to form their starting hand.

Each round consists of four mandatory steps and up to five situational actions. The first two steps are resolved simultaneously, with players shifting their gear to determine how many cards they can play that round and then playing those cards face down. Steps three through nine are resolved one player at a time, starting with the player whose car is furthest ahead. During these remaining steps, players reveal their cards, move their car based on their speed value, and resolve various effects such as adrenaline when you're in last place, cooling down, boosting, slipstreaming, and checking a corner's speed limit. Players then discard cards and replenish their hands. The first player to cross the finish line after completing a number of laps wins the race.

The game also comes with several advanced modules that can be played individually or in any combination. In the Garage module, players build their own customized car with three upgrade cards instead of using the starting upgrade cards. In the Legends module, automated drivers are added to the game, either to compete against in solo mode or as additional opponents in multiplayer games. The Weather and Road Conditions module allows players to modify the track by adding tokens with various effects, forcing them to adapt their strategy throughout the race. If you've mastered all the modules, you can challenge yourself with the Championship system, in which players compete in multiple races to form an entire season. To top it all off, there is even a Tournament mode for players looking for a different and more competitive challenge.

Impressions

At first glance, this game looks rather complex due to its thick box, but the core gameplay is actually very simple and plays incredibly smoothly. Each player starts with the same cards shuffled into their own draw deck, with the only difference being the seven cards they randomly draw to form their starting hand. The most interesting and challenging element of the game for me is the heat cards. These cards are added to a player's draw deck when shifting an additional gear or boosting their speed value, eventually filling their hand with cards that provide no movement. The only way to get rid of them is by cooling down, which requires shifting into lower gears. This is a clever mechanism that encourages players to use their heat at the right time while also knowing when it's necessary to slow down.

I also really enjoyed the slipstream mechanism, which makes it easier for players to catch up and keeps each race nerve-wracking from start to finish. The game comes with a great selection of advanced modules. Combined with the number of included race tracks, this creates a huge amount of variety and replayability. Considering everything that's included, I think the price offers great value. You can play a quick and straightforward race, or commit to an entire season through the Championship system.

The artwork and components also match the theme perfectly and help create an immersive racing experience. Overall, I think this is a fantastic racing game, especially for players who already enjoy games with a racing theme. It's very beginner-friendly, and you can even adjust the length of the races to suit your preferences.