Formula D
Enter the high-octane world of Formula D racing!
Formula D is the exciting game of professional racing on the most challenging tracks the world has ever seen. Smoke your tires, push your engine to the limit, and drive as fast as you dare. Every turn might be your last, so plan carefully and drive lucky. Keep control in those tricky bottlenecks, slipstream the drivers in front of you, and make your move at just the right time to slip past and claim first place.
This updated version of the classic racing game also includes daring illegal street races through crowded metropolitan streets and back alleys. The principles remain the same, but now you can customize your car, fire off nitrous in the straightaways, and drive as dirty as you want – if you can get away with it. New cars, new drivers, and new tracks await in this exciting twist on the original classic.
The rules of Formula D are easy to learn, but getting good at this game takes practice and smarts. With upgraded components including fully three-dimensional gear boxes, painted cars and beautifully illustrated race tracks, the new Formula D is guaranteed to get your blood racing. Basic rules will have you playing right out of the box, so climb in, buckle up, and start your engines!
User Reviews (16)
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Racing games are ancient: (Pachisi, mancala, backgammon and cribbage are good examples) and all these and their many variations offer the opportunity for gamers to experience a unique sort of play experience – the thrill of the race. It can be invigorating and aggravating. Formula D (and its predecessor Formula De’) offers that same experience with the Formula 1 racing theme. So, Let’s start our engines…
Style/Components: (Sweet ride!)
This game has a distinctive European edge…vibrant. The rulebook is very easy to read with ample illustrations and easy to follow rules. And the sturdy board, the player “dashboards” give the game a great look and feel. The original edition had paper tear-pads for the dashboards and the tiny cars were mono-colored, so these components give you more “bling” for the buck.
Gameplay: (Roll, baby roll!)
Roll and move. That’s it.
The main mechanic, the use of dice to represent gears of a formula 1 racer, is the foundational mechanic. The dice included (d4, d6, d8, d12, d20 and d30) represent 1st gear through 6th respectively and present the players with a movement range. (The d4 only offers 1 or 2, on the d12, you can only roll an 8-12 and so on.) Want to go faster? Roll a higher die. Slower? Down shift and roll a smaller numbered die. It’s easy. There are several other variables, but all of them rely on the player’s ability to choose the right gear/speed for the right stretch of track.
Formula D includes a basic game and an advanced game as well as a street-racing variant. In the basic game all cars have 18 “wear” points that are sort of like car “hit points.” You risk these points when you go too fast, blow through turns, and slam on the brakes. When all these points are used up, boom, out of the game.
In the advanced game, these points are divided between specific areas of your car. (Engine, Brakes, Tires, Body, etc) So you can’t use up any one set of these points, or… boom, out of the game. You also have the choice of using the character cards included in the game that customize the areas of the car even further.
The rules for movement and lane changing are simple – everything you need to know is listed on the game boards. The mechanics are simple and ingenious and do a very good job recreating in game segments what is in real life a continuous event. Not a small task but the mechanics achieve it winningly.
Value: (Not a lemon…)
You get a lot for your money with this game, especially with this new edition. Three levels of play, character abilities and cool dashboards. Ya, it’s worth the $60.
Audience: (Psst…everyone… try it.)
I recommend this game for family play and any avid or casual gamers that enjoy the genre of “race” games. Contrary to some opinions, it’s not as random as some think. You know the odds; you just have to be willing to take the risk. There is a good amount of turn planning and strategy. So, hey, power gamers and strategy gamers…give it a try.
Overall Review: (Smooth shifting joy!)
The game play is smooth and effective – simple. It places each driver in the position of risking their car by moving ahead, or lagging behind to play it safe with their car’s endurance. It’s the mark of a very good game: allowing the mechanics to take a back seat, (get it?) and the player’s decision-making abilities are the main focus. Another great quality of this game – as with most race games – is that all players have the same ability to succeed of fail. No player’s car is faster, or slower, it truly relies on the player to drive his or her car with skill. Luck and some individual abilities can play a role, but it’s balanced. The game is gorgeous; the components/artwork are well made – cool even. It is also notably, one of the very few 10 player games out there. Formula D is just one of those unique gems that after you play makes you want to play again. And with track expansions, the replay value is top gear!
First of all, I’d like to thank BoardGaming.com for this game; I was one of July’s contest winners! These guys have done an awesome job with this site and to be giving away games on top of that is almost too awesome.
In this game you control a racecar traveling around a track by rolling dice. By shifting up gears, you can roll larger dice to go faster, however, you must remain slow and cautions near corners to avoid damaging or destroying your car. So the game is a constant balance between speed and control and wild luck.
The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s essentially 2 (or more) games in one. There are 2 boards, two types of cars, and many optional rules that add complexity and flavor to the game. In fact, the basic game is really just sophisticated dice-rolling while the advanced rules incorporate strategy / role playing elements. This makes it very replayable and fun for a wide audience.
I played this game with a mixed group of 6 people from casual to hardcore. Many of them rolled their eyes as I read the sometimes tedious basic rules, however, we all managed to have a pretty good time. It was a good social experience and even downright exciting at times. Although, at the end of the game, the general consensus was that it might actually be more fun with the added complexity of the advanced rules.
The components were a mixed bag. The gear shift and dice felt really fun to use. Nearly everything is double-sided maximizing the variety you can get out of one set. However, the split board was awkward and didn’t always lay flat. The car pieces were very small making it difficult to remember which car was yours and to place it on the right tile.
GAMEPLAY
Players take turns rolling a dice to move their cars around the track pushing their luck to take the turns as quickly as possible. Cars must slow for the turns as they “stop” in them a number of times depending how tight and twisting it is. If cars overshoot or stop next to other cars they take damage. Take too much damage and the car crashes. I recommend playing with the basic rules unless all of the players have had a chance to play. The small finagling when using the advanced rules for drafting, weather, and multiple categories for car damage can slow the game down greatly.
COMPONENTS
The game board is so big it come in two pieces. You need a large board and the folded sections will need some use to get them flat but its not a big problem. The molded components are all simple and nicely crafted. The car models come in two sets of five color combinations which is too bad but some simple model paint can correct that if you require.
THEME
The gear mechanic is a prefect match for the game as players push their cars to the limit. Damage points are slowly and sometimes not so slowly chipped away as cars rub bodies and rev engines to the limit.
WHO IS IT FOR?
If play with 2 to 4 players consider racing two cars each. The rules are simple but the game can bog down with too much chatter. To keep younger players involved keep the race short at a single lap. Ages 6 and up can enjoy the basic version of the game with strong guidance from an adult. One lap five player 45 minutes to an hour.
I bought this game quite awhile ago because my wife and I both love racing. I read some good reviews online and when I saw it in the store, I just had to buy it. I have not regretted it since, and I have purchased additional tracks since then.
The basic game is easy to learn and teach to others although once you get familiar with the rules, you will most likely want to learn the advanced rules which adds more enjoyment and strategy to the game.
The game is dice driven so there is luck involved, but this is a family board game that represents racing and the enjoyment of racing, so in my opinion it doesn’t take away the fun from playing the game, but in a way it adds to it.
Players have to think ahead and adjust the speed of their cars according to the track (each die represents a certain gear)and at the same time, take risks to remain in the lead or to not fall too far behind.
The game can last as long as you like, but usually my wife and I play for 3 laps.
The more cars on the track, the more fun it is, so if you are playing with only 2 people I suggest you each use 2 or 3 cars each. There is not too much micromanagement so it’s not too difficult to play with multiple cars each.
During the game, your car may sustain damage (hitting other cars, driving over debris, braking or overshooting a corner…) and if too much damage is sustained, your car may be eliminated. You can always make a pit stop to fix your car when you approach the finish line, and depending on the weather, you can change the type of tires that are on your car.
The components are well made and the boards are very sturdy. Each board represents a different race track and all tracks have different challenges. Other tracks can be bought separately, although it will take some time before you become board with the tracks that come in the base game (unless you play every single day…).
Remember to make racing car noises when moving your car because this will add to the excitement and always keep your eyes on the road ahead.
Pros:
-Supports larger groups (up to 10 players)
-Visually appealing
-Low skill, high strategy
-Fun variety of characters in the advanced game
Cons:
-Slow paced. It’s a race car game, yet it doesn’t really feel like a race.
-Cars are low quality. I understand they need to be small but I was disappointed by the quality.
-Faceless generic characters in the basic version.
Summary:
Fun for a big group but not as much fun as I thought it’d be. I don’t regret buying it but I don’t see it getting much play in our group.
I have seen this game a few times and thought it was pretty interesting. I am not a racing fan, but have enjoyed some racing video games. The rules are pretty simple and the dice really make the game interesting. There is a lot of decision making to make as you go around the tracks. It is a game that is fun to play with a bunch of people, but just as fun to sit down and race a bunch of cars that you are controlling yourself. The dice add a random component to it, but the fun part of it is planning ahead to the next curve and the risk and reward factor, Really awesome!
This game is a great personality test for others. Will they play it conservative and get lapped or will they risk it all … only to crash and burn?
Formula D is a great push your luck kind of game. The basic rules are easy enough for many young children to follow, and it can play up to ten. It can be a loud game as every one cheers at spectacular luck (bad or good).
The advanced rules open up the door for more replay value as the player has more options on how to deal with damage and special abilities even come into play.
The components are top notch, and the little dashboards are a nice touch that add a lot to the experience.
i picked this one because we get together often with family and my 9 year old nephew always complains that our games are too complex for him to play. Not this one! The rules are easy to learn but the game is a lot of fun! You feel like a race car driver taking the turns, shifting gears, speeding down the straightaways. It is loads of fun for up to 10 people. But the closer you get to 10 people the more fun it is!
Best league game, by far! With as many maps as we have in our group (over 20) we can have season after season of unique years. We put a little money in the kitty and have some great house rules to make the game fast and FUN!
This is a great board game to play whether you are a petrol-head, a board gamer, or a bored gamer (bad joke, sorry). Racing fans will love playing on tracks that they know and love, and the life like options for racing. The average person can easily pick up and play the advance rules with minimal effort. I have only played with 3 racers at a time, but I can imagine having 4+ causing for a crowded track and some entertaining racing. Real racing has battles for different positions, not just fighting for first. Play time for 4 racers is around an hour on the Monaco track.
The game also comes with rules for weather affects and tire options. I have not yet played with these options but I do look forward to it. Replay value remains high as a player can choose on the the unique drivers who have unique abilities, and additional tracks can be found online or in local gaming shops.
House rules can easily add more to this. I want to create some kind of Mario kart item system to make it really interesting! Do yourself a favor, buy this game.
If racing games is your thing, this is one to pick up.
3 laps right? Yeah if you can survive! Those with a speed fetish who think they can just roll and move around this track to a win should walk away. This game has a strategy locked deep within the winding curves of the race tracks.
Repeat plays will help you understand this is a great game. How long will it take for your opponent to start swearing after you just blocked the remaining lane going into a tight curve and he is in 4th gear?
The more players, the longer it takes, and a whole lot of downtime, using the rules fitted with the game. It shouldn’t be played with too few or too many players. 6 is my absolute maximum, as more just drags it out too much.
There’s really not much to do to affect the outcome of the game. If the first players get a good run, they will win. Only nearing the end will the chances be greater, and the order of victory might change, but rarely because a player overtakes another. An accident has to happen.
But for a driving game with 3-5 players it’s ok, and it’s fun to be able to shift up and down and throw the dice to see how far you’re able to go. But there’s not much to this game, and I don’t understand how people can play this over and over again, and why there are so many maps to it.
It’s a popular game, no doubt, but I can’t see why.
It ain’t easy to get over this game, even thought it looks very simple and non-strategic. Corners, especially exiting is prime thing here!
i like this game but i think rallyman is a better game components are great good beer and pretzels game
Setup:
Fun from turn 1. Easy rules. Complex interactions.
The gears are fantastic.
Time&Space:
Board does not take up too much space, and you can take away those race track parts that everyone passed already.
You should play with the character effects, everyone will instantly role-play the character. Game does not take long.
verdict:
For an old game, amazing. Only minus is player elimination: once your last hit point is gone, you’re eliminated.