The formula 1 racing game Heat: Pedal to the Metal continues to idle on the BoardGameGeek hotness rankings two years after it hit shelves. It remains wildly popular among gamers for being approachable, fast-paced, and expandable so it still feels new and exciting race after race. Advanced gameplay options like Garage Module (which let’s players customize and upgrade their cars) and the Legends Module (allowing for solo play or adding additional automated opponents) is bolstered by an expansive catalog of fan-made maps, rules mods, and 3D printable components that can be accessed for free on forums like BGG and reddit.
A year after I reviewed it on this blog, Heat: Pedal to the Metal may just be my favorite board game. It hits my table more than any other game that size and I take any opportunity to teach it to friends and family. I think there is no perfect metric for measuring a favorite game, but one that you’re always excited to play is a great indication that you really really like it. So last month I organized a Heat Grand Prix event with my local game store, Games of Berkeley, to share my appreciation of the game with others and take gameplay to a slightly more competitive level.
Heat lends itself well to organized play. The Championship System introduces three and four race series where players push it across the finish line across different maps and accumulate points based on their standing. In between races, players draft new upgrade cards so their car becomes gradually better for each succeeding race. The Championship System employs all optional modules, including Weather and Road Conditions for added variety on the track, and Sponsorship cards that players can earn at the start of each race and by meeting certain speedy conditions going around one corner each map designated as the Press Corner.
I have never really played board games competitively before—that is, in competition (I’m always sort of competitive). But I was compelled to start a Heat Grand Prix after learning about the annual World Series of Board Gaming in Las Vegas and reading inspiring accounts of folks organizing their own successful tabletop tournaments. My aim was to attract interest from people in the same boat as myself: gamers who want to share an experience playing a fantastic game with the added motivation of a little prize on the line.
Games of Berkeley was my first LGS after moving out to the Bay Area in 2019 and my employer for about five years. I love the space and the community at the shop so it was a natural pick for a venue. I worked with their amazing Event Coordinator to make the Grand Prix a sponsored event, get it on their event calendar, and set up pre-registration for $10 per racer which goes into the prize pool distributed at the end of the Grand Prix. I even worked up a pretty rad flier on Canva. The event was open to all players, whether they had experience with the game or not. I would arrive early the day of the Grand Prix to set up, go over the rules, and facilitate a practice lap for those who want it.
We ended up with a modest, manageable turnout—four racers plus myself for a neat five. For ease we opted not to use Legends to fill out our numbers. Everyone was more or less familiar with the rules and the optional Advanced Play modules, so I quickly refreshed the group on the Championship System. The game offers three series, or seasons, to choose from (1961, 1962, and 1963) each specifying which maps to use as well as a special condition for each race. For example, Race #1 from the 1961 season suggests to use the Great Britain map and notes “First three drivers to cross the Finish Line on the 1st lap immediately gain a Sponsorship card.” Again, for ease, I opted to play through a modified version of the 1961 season: Great Britain, Mexico (from the Heavy Rain expansion), then Italy. The only real reason for the modification was I was super excited to try some of the content from the expansion.
With only one or two minor, situational misunderstandings of some rules, the event went off without a hitch. Drafting Garage Module cards before each race was a lot more strategic than I had imagined. For instance, players were really eager to pick Brakes cards that help at lower speeds for the tight turns on the Mexico map, while I opted for some speed boosts that would send me on the long straightaway on the final Italy map—Brakes be darned, give me more speed!
The racers particularly liked the Sponsorship cards. We collectively found their one-time bonuses really impactful on the game and deployed them prudently at first. But by the end we were tactically using their boons to take high-risk-high-reward turns. Since Sponsorship cards are not recycled back into the discard pile and are instead discarded from the game, players need to wait for the opportune time to use them. And this obliged us to explore moves that otherwise would not have been possible without the added inducement, like speeding through two corners (including the Press Corner) on the same turn to take the lead on the final lap of the Mexico race.
Reflecting on things to change for next time, I am considering adding a fourth race to the Grand Prix as there was definitely time for it given the group that showed up. We wrapped up the event in just about three hours. However, if there are players less familiar with the game, the play time may be a bit longer. I will probably prepare a fourth race for the next Grand Prix and judge whether there will be time for it depending on the mix of participants who come to play.
I also want to alter the pre-race draft system for Garage Module cards. It was enjoyable seeing how the cars got better and better with each race, but I think it would also be exciting for all the players to have powerful, bustin’ cars throughout the entire event. Maybe it was just the Great Britain map which I have played countless times, but the first race was definitely less intense than the others with fewer upgrade cards in play. Perhaps we can draft three upgrade cards before the first race, and then before each subsequent race, draft one more card and choose whether we want to discard an existing upgrade to replace it with the one that was just drafted. This would retain the feeling of changing and upgrading the car as the event progressed while giving the players more customized options on the first and second races.
I am hosting the next Heat: Pedal to the Metal Grand Prix at Games of Berkeley on Sunday October 27 at 1:00 PM. As before, I will be there early to set up, explain the rules to any interested new players, and facilitate a practice lap at 12:30 PM. If you are Bay Area based, I would love to see you there!
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