Review of the board game “Heat” | Zing

Are you a big fan of racing games, but tired of playing only on PC or console? In the board game Heat, you have the opportunity to race on selected race tracks, the cards of which pave your way to victory. You can read about how this works in practice in the following lines.

• Number of players: 16
• Play time: 60 minutes
• Price: 1469 CZK (Alsa)
• Age: 10+

Racing can be a challenge in the heat

In the board game Heat, you have the opportunity to dive into the formula and start racing on some tracks. In total, you are offered four racing tracks, on which you have the opportunity to drive your car. The range of races includes tracks in the USA, France, Great Britain and Italy. Each of them tests the player in its own way. Some you will immediately blow away, while others can break your neck in a turn. They differ from each other, among other things, in that they are stretched out over a different number of rounds.

Then you will choose the formula by which you will race. The chosen suit is linked to the main cards of that suit, because the cards are what the figure stands on. No dice, no counters. Prim plays cards and works the game board. In this case, each player moves the shifter token during the round during the simultaneous phase. It can be moved down a step or, conversely, up a step. Here’s how you work the car without penalty: if you want to move the pedal up or down two steps, you need to draw one Heat card.

Once you’re in gear, it’s time to play as many speed cards as you have in your gear. However, your competitors can’t see the cards you’ve played. The first player adds up the value of the cards, then if there’s a stress card in the cards, you add the value of the next base speed card you get. The one on the last step can move one extra space and/or gain one cooldown if you add 1 to your speed.

The next part of this phase is all about activating the symbols available to you. In the basic game, this involves cooling the engine, which involves placing heat cards on your car’s play mat. If you end up driving next to or behind another car, you have the option to use the air bag once per turn to move two spaces forward. Assuming you cross the corner boundary during the pass, you must estimate the formula speed. When it exceeds the value of the given point, you must use as many heat cards as make up the difference.

If you don’t have any, you’ll be eliminated, after which you must place the formula before the turn and put it in first gear, adding one or two tension cards to the deck. After this stage, you can discard the speed cards. However, the tension and heat cards remain in your hand. The last move is to draw cards from the deck so that at the end you have seven cards in your hand. After you’ve completed a predetermined number of laps, the winner is the one who crosses the finish line first.

So those are the basics, but Heat also has a wider range of modules for you to use to enrich the game and thus increase the overall difficulty. There is a garage module where you can customize your kart. If you prefer weather, that option is not missing here, as well as a single player mode or a championship, which is a series of races that you complete in certain conditions. The modifiers are interesting and overall, in my opinion, each of them is worth a look.

Heat: Heavy Rain Adds Another Player and New Tracks

Did you find the basic version of Heat too easy even after expanding it with some modules? Well, here is the Heat: Heavy Rain expansion, which includes a track in Japan and Mexico. But that’s not all. In addition, there is another toy car, thanks to which another participant has the opportunity to start the game, who can participate both on new tracks and beyond.

However, you can expect unprecedented conditions on the new tracks. Japan, for example, is known for its puddles that make it difficult to slow down, making the Heat maps challenging to play. The AI ​​can be more aggressive, and there is an element of harassment in some layouts. Heat: Heavy Rain is, in my opinion, a worthy expansion that, due to its qualities, is worth paying attention to first when you want to make room for another player or just make the base game special with new tracks that are worth it.

Heat is one of the pearls of the genre.

There aren’t many racing games on the tabletop scene, at least not of good quality. Heat is one of the best you can find. I have to appreciate the track handling, the core gameplay idea, and the add-ons that can be used to increase the overall challenge. With the Heat: Heavy Rain expansion, you can improve the replayability with new tracks and options. If you’re considering the game, it’s a good idea to get the expansion right away.

Heat is one of the attractive projects, the gameplay of which is very good. If you are a fan of racing, I would not be afraid to buy this thing, because thanks to the modules it will suit both more demanding people and beginners.

We would like to thank Czech distributor Blackfire for providing us with a copy of Heat and Heat: Heavy Rain.