Best with 4 players
47 of 86 votes
Player-recommended age: 10+8 of 18 votes
Read the reviews
2-7
45'
10
Extensive use of text
Thunder Alley
Thunder Alley is a board game that simulates famous Indy races. Players can speed around oval tracks, using strategy and skill to win. Perfect for 2-7 players, with games lasting about 45 minutes.
Thunder Alley is a stock car racing game for 2-7 players with the feel and flexibility of a card-driven simulation. Players control not one car, but a team of 3-6 cars. Each race is not only a run for the checkered flag but an effort to maximize the score for every car on your team. Winning is important but if you race one car to the finish line, your team might end up outside of the winner’s circle looking in. Turns are fast, each play is important and the track situation is fluid. Movement in Thunder Alley allows for many cars to move with one play of the card. If you position yourself incorrectly, you might get left out of the draft and all alone. There are four different types of movement in the game and each has its place and time for use. Solo movement allows you to break away from the pack. Draft and pursuit movement are best used for keeping your team of cars together. Lead movement can create a pack of cars that move toward the front. But the wrong movement in the wrong situation can be disastrous. Experienced players will be able to identify the best type of movement for the current situation. Cars will suffer wear over the course of a race and eventually pit stops will be necessary. Tire wear, suspension difficulties, fuel issues, and major engine and transmission problems are all modeled in the game. If you feel lucky you might try to hold it together just a little bit longer in hopes that a yellow flag will come out and cause a mass rush into the pits. Waiting on a yellow that never comes can be maddening as the rest of the pack moves by your worn-out car. An events deck can make your strategy pay off or punish you for your failure to take precautions. Accidents, Yellow Flags, worsening track situations and deteriorating cars are all part of the game. Will a yellow flag save you or cut your momentum? Could all of your perfect strategy be derailed by those incoming rain clouds? Included in the game will be two very different race tracks, a tri-oval super speedway for wide-open free-wheeling racing and a short track for a tight wheel to wheel bumper car duel. Each track uses the same deck of racing cards but the cards that work best on one may be useless in the other. Drafting, teamwork, accidents, yellow flags, pit strategy, working to lead laps, and sprints to the finish are all included and bring the feel of racing to the game. Most racing games call for a large number of players to play the game at its best. An unusual bonus for Thunder Alley is the very playable and exciting two-player version with six cars on a side.
Thunder Alley is a stock car racing game for 2-7 players with the feel and flexibility of a card-driven simulation. Players control not one car, but a team of 3-6 cars. Each race is not only a run for the checkered flag but an effort to maximize the score for every car on your team. Winning is important but if you race one car to the finish line, your team might end up outside of the winner’s circle looking in. Turns are fast, each play is important and the track situation is fluid. Movement in Thunder Alley allows for many cars to move with one play of the card. If you position yourself incorrectly, you might get left out of the draft and all alone. There are four different types of movement in the game and each has its place and time for use. Solo movement allows you to break away from the pack. Draft and pursuit movement are best used for keeping your team of cars together. Lead movement can create a pack of cars that move toward the front. But the wrong movement in the wrong situation can be disastrous. Experienced players will be able to identify the best type of movement for the current situation. Cars will suffer wear over the course of a race and eventually pit stops will be necessary. Tire wear, suspension difficulties, fuel issues, and major engine and transmission problems are all modeled in the game. If you feel lucky you might try to hold it together just a little bit longer in hopes that a yellow flag will come out and cause a mass rush into the pits. Waiting on a yellow that never comes can be maddening as the rest of the pack moves by your worn-out car. An events deck can make your strategy pay off or punish you for your failure to take precautions. Accidents, Yellow Flags, worsening track situations and deteriorating cars are all part of the game. Will a yellow flag save you or cut your momentum? Could all of your perfect strategy be derailed by those incoming rain clouds? Included in the game will be two very different race tracks, a tri-oval super speedway for wide-open free-wheeling racing and a short track for a tight wheel to wheel bumper car duel. Each track uses the same deck of racing cards but the cards that work best on one may be useless in the other. Drafting, teamwork, accidents, yellow flags, pit strategy, working to lead laps, and sprints to the finish are all included and bring the feel of racing to the game. Most racing games call for a large number of players to play the game at its best. An unusual bonus for Thunder Alley is the very playable and exciting two-player version with six cars on a side.
How many players it plays best with · 86 votes on BoardGameGeek
1
0
0 say it plays best, 14 recommend it, 38 do not recommend it
2
4
4 say it plays best, 34 recommend it, 22 do not recommend it
3
11
11 say it plays best, 45 recommend it, 8 do not recommend it
4
47
47 say it plays best, 21 recommend it, 3 do not recommend it
5
36
36 say it plays best, 22 recommend it, 2 do not recommend it
6
14
14 say it plays best, 32 recommend it, 10 do not recommend it
7
11
11 say it plays best, 27 recommend it, 19 do not recommend it
7+
1
1 say it plays best, 1 recommend it, 35 do not recommend it
Best Suggested Not recommended
uplay user ratings:
No uplay reviews yet. Be the first!
A selection of reviews rated 8 or higher. BoardGameGeek.
BGG ratings are not included in the uplay average.
Flavorman2000BGG user
10.0/10
Playing a Season is where this game really shines. Over the course of the season you will have to manage your team and that will help balance out any bad draws you had throughout the season. Still the King of Racing games. Wish they would have created a Legacy version of this though. I do find that pitting often isn't needed, to negate this I remove most of the white damage cards or thought that if you play a white damage just take a small damage of your choice, to me cars should have to pit at some point in the race.
gotracer51BGG user
10.0/10
Incredible game. Endless replay ability excitement lasts the whole game but it's not so intense that if you have to worry about getting distracted. Anyone who loves board games or Nascar will love this game!
LipstickpaddyBGG user
10.0/10
Great to play in a league, rotating the tracks, especially if you have the expansions packs too which I own. Kids love it as well as adults, so if you like the idea of a social racing game, this one should fit the bill.
rhoxBGG user
10.0/10
Probably the best car racing game available to date! some very tactical card play mixed with great components this is very addictive. racing a team is so much better than just 1 car, Formula D has lost its crown! Not the best rule book but most questions are covered in the forums.
saabeeBGG user
10.0/10
Már nem mai darab (8 éves). Sokkal többet és jobbat adott, mint amire számítottam tőle. Szerintem egészen egyedi a kártya mechanika, amit használ, és ettől aztán igazán tematikussá is válik. Nyilván relatíve nagy szerencsefaktorral dolgozik, de így tudja csak igazán hozni a technikai sportok hangulatát. Aki a versenyzős játékokat szereti annak kötelező darab. Minden ízében a leképezi a nascart. Imádom, megy rá a 10-es!
Your review
Comments are moderated before publication: no links, insults or unrelated content. Respectful negative opinions are welcome.
