Heat: Pedal to the Metal

We like to pull out this game with people who don't enjoy Euro games. Tons of fun. Very kind to players who are falling behind. One can feel smart when playing. It's definitely one that rewards risk, but one still has to be careful.

When I first saw this I was sure it was not for me. Boy was I wrong. I really enjoy games that teach me something about a world I know nothing about, and Heat does exactly that for racing: I now understand why corners are everything. The whole game is about the next corner, and I love it. The hand management keeps growing on me with every play, I am really excited to drive a complete championship soon, and there is a high chance I end up owning every expansion. Bonus discovery: it works with my 6-year-old, who happily drives the Legends bot cars, and we have even done half races where he played real cards himself.

Rating it for what it is and how much it delivers on that. I bought all the expansions. Easy to teach and get to the table. Bots are super easy to run when you're low on players. Good choice for bringing friends out of Milton Bradley and into the wider hobby.

Easily the best pure racing game I’ve ever played. In-depth strategies of card management and reading your fellow players mean every round counts and sometimes patience is the key to victory. Also, one of the best automaton game systems I’ve ever played ensures you always have a full grid of challenging opponents.

Easily one of the best board games out there. Just the base game has a good amount of replayability, whether you're playing solo or with friends. Expansions are good additions content-wise, with most allowing for more cars on tracks, and are also recommended. It's easy to pick up, even with its different modules, the winner is often apparent only after all players finish their finals turns, and even veterans of the game won't have a huge advantage when playing against rookies. Everybody I've played this with was willing to play it again and explore the different options the game offers.