Apocalypse Road is a hand management, racing game.
Title: Apocalypse Road
Year Published: 2020
Designer: Jeff Horger, Carla Horger
Publisher: GMT Games
Players: 2-10
Game Time: ~90 mins
Set-up Time: ~5 mins
Ages: 14+
Theme: Post-apocalyptic destructive car racing
Mechanisms: Hand Management, Racing
How to win: Score all of your points by completing laps and taking out opponents
Game Description
In the bleak future, after the collapse of our modern technological world, most of the structures we hold dear today are no longer effective. The things that brought us comfort and ease have fallen into disrepair and disuse. Through it all people still choose to compete and challenge each other in the various arenas. Auto racing is one of these sports that will not die. But the rules no longer apply.
How to play Apocalypse Road
Learn how to play Apocalypse Road in this X minute video that covers all the rules.
Theme
I do like the theme. I’ve always liked destruction derby style games, like Destruction Derby on the PS1 back in the day.
Setup & Rulebook
The setup is fiddly but fine. Putting the cars out is the worst part as they’re so small and you need to have them all the right side up.
The rulebook is OK at the top level but it doesn’t do anything to help answer those little questions. After reading the rules thread on BGG people seem to agree the rulebook is lacking detail.
Components & Artwork
Small tokens as is GMT Games want. The cars are printed backwards which means when flipping them over you need to do it horizontally rather than vertically which feels more natural.
The art is OK on the tracks, it’s very smooth. The cars are fine but too small to see in any real detail.
Ease of Teaching & Accessibility
Teaching is fine IF everyone understands the movement rules. Once people have got that down it’s a very smooth and quick game.
The small pieces and a lot of similar team colours will be a barrier to access for vision impaired and colour blind people.
Apocalypse Road Summary
So I’ve had a few racing games in my collection throughout the years. I still have Downforce which is more of a betting game and Wacky Races which is racing and combat and weirdly the closest match to Apocalypse Road.
I did like Thunder Alley. This is pure racing where you tactically manoeuvre while trying to manage the many different damage types. I didn’t pick it up because the closer a game is to a sports simulation the harder it is to get people to play in my experience.
This adds shooting and ramming. So while you’re trying to survive, manoeuvre and make laps to get points you also have another goal.
Yes, checking speeds, armour and weapons are tedious and ramming is very overpowered compared to a missile for some reason but it adds more fun. It also adds more appeal.
Apocalypse Road Round-Up
Taking a really good racing system and adding in a bit of shooting and ramming really works for me, they just need to tidy up the rules and balance out ramming.
Rating
I give it 7/10