Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Heat is a Formula 1 racing game as easy to learn as it is thrilling to play. You manage a hand of cards representing your car's speed: play more cards to go faster, but you'll gain 'heat' that can make you lose control in corners. The challenge is pushing your speed to the limit without overheating. Easy to bring to the table with family or friends, with a rush of adrenaline that rivals any heavier game.

Players: 1–6
Playing time: 30–60 min
Min. age: 10+
Year: 2022
Designer: Asger Harding Granerud, Daniel Skjold Pedersen

TypeFamily

ComplexityEasy

MechanicsHand management · Racing · Simultaneous selection · Push your luck

BGG8.0

Setup

Unfold the chosen circuit in the center of the table (the game includes double-sided circuits with varying corner difficulties)
Each player picks a car and receives their starting deck of 12 speed cards
Cars are placed on the starting grid in random order
Set each player's gear marker and heat tokens to their starting values
Decide how many laps to race (1-3 recommended for your first game)

ROUND STRUCTURE

Each turn all players simultaneously choose how many cards to play from hand and advance their car a number of spaces equal to the total value played.

CORNERS

If you enter a corner too fast (speed exceeds the corner limit), you must brake: discard cards until under the limit and receive 1 heat per card discarded.

GEAR SHIFTING

You may shift gears to draw additional cards. Each aggressive gear change generates extra heat. Managing your gear well is key to maintaining speed without overheating.

HEAT

Heat accumulates in your deck as useless cards. If you must draw and only heat cards remain, you slow down. Cool off by passing through the pit lane or using straights where you have speed headroom.

Victory conditions

The first car to cross the finish line after completing the agreed number of laps wins
If a car overheats (must take heat but none remain in the deck), it is eliminated from the race