Sitting in your suite above the track, the crowd at the race looks and feels different. The binoculars allow you a close up view of your car’s driver. A relative newbie in the Grand Prix circuit, he does well. But, he didn’t earn one of the better starting positions. While sipping on your champagne, you’re approached by one of the track’s private stewards, “Would you like to place a bet before the race begins?”You hold up your index finger to stall as you scan the cars below again. “I’m going to wait. Please, come back in a bit.”
-----
Downforce by Wolfgang Kramer presents a Grand Prix race where winning the race doesn’t mean you’ll win the game. To win Downforceyou need to earn the most money. Money comes from having your car win and from the bets you place.
I played a couple of games of Downforce while at the St George Gaming Convention (STGCON) 2018 (website and Facebook). Both times was with a full group of 6 people.
Downforce has a dual strategy for playing and winning.
Game play is done by playing cards that control the length of movement every car takes. Each player owns one of the cars and you make more money if your car wins the race. But, you’re only moving the cars once every round as players take turns laying down cards.
Each card lists the cars and the amount of movement they can take. Not every car is represented on every card. Some might also only list one car. When it is your turn to lay down a card, you have to decide which will be the best to play. And, the one that moves your car the farthest might not be best one.Cars get jammed up in the corners and are not able to move any farther. This strategy can be used to block other players. If you end up in the pack, you have to get the cars in front of yours to move first to open up space.
Winning the race pays the car’s owner. Placing is only part of the way to earn cash. There are three additional times players make private bets on which car will win, place, and show. Each bet pays off at the end of the race. You can bet for any car, not just your own. It might even be advantageous to bet on another car you can move into a winning position in front of your car. In one of my games a player did just that as the two of them neared the finish line.
Where winning the race can provide a bounty for the owner, winning the bets can add up even better. At the end of the race the cash winnings are tallied and the player who won the most money wins the game.
Overall
The additional level of betting included in Downforce gives the game a different feel than games focused on winning the race. Even if you are trapped at the back of the pack and it is clear your car isn’t going to win, you still have a chance to win the game. This keeps everyone in the game until the numbers are tallied.
The mechanics of the movement requires some thinking and planning. Attempting to move your car the farthest, based on the cards you hold might not be the best strategy. I tried doing that at the start of the first game I played when I had the pole position. I jumped out to a great lead, then the other five players took their turns. I ended up jammed up and then blocked by other cars who overtook me in the corner.The only luck is how the cards are dealt at the beginning of the game. The rest is bidding, betting, and deciding which card to play from your hand.
I was invited back later in the day for another game. I did better. Both times where fun as everyone around the table watched how other players maneuvered through their visible strategy and focused on their private bets.
Downforce is one of a number of games from Wolfgang Kramer (wikipedia page) who has been an award winning game designer for over three decades.
Downforce is from Restoration Games and is designed for 2–6 players aged 14+ and expected to last 30–45 minutes.
Downforce is available on Amazon (link).
-----
The checkered flag drops for the winner. You look through your betting stubs and consider your winnings as you watch your driver make the last turn before the finish line. No, he didn’t win the race. But you still may have won the day.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment