I love deck builders. I want them all.

I was admittedly late to join the deck building craze. I actually missed out on Dominion altogether, and my first exposure to the genre was with Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer. I downloaded the digital version from the app store on a whim because it popped up as a recommendation, and the rest is history. Since then, I’ve amassed a library of deck builders and their respective expansions, and I’m always on the lookout for more.

A major part of the reason I enjoy deck builders so much is that I prefer games that don’t lean too heavily on chance. Sure, anything with shuffling has chance built into the gameplay, but you can mostly overcome shuffling with good deck planning and synergy. And while I enjoy and appreciate the idea of a Magic style deck that is fine tuned beforehand, there’s something special about deck building games in that all of the cards are available to all of the players. I’m enamored by the idea that each player has the same opportunities and options presented to them, but will each end up with dramatically different decks and strategies. There's something very personal and pure about this. I just love it. So I always knew I wanted Motorsport to be a deck builder.

Now, while I love the genre, I am sober enough to recognize some of the pitfalls and pet-peeves typically associated with it, and I did my best to address these while I was designing the game. So, yes, it’s another deck builder. But let me explain some of Motorsport’s novel characteristics that give it a unique voice in the genre.

• The gameplay is kinetic. Especially after you familiarize yourself with the rules and cards, you’ll be rapidly moving and touching a lot of game components every turn. With the drawing of cards, refreshing of the Shop Front, playing of your hand, placement of Upgrades, and the advancement of the Events, you’ll be handling around fifteen cards a turn, all around the board. I mean, it’s a game about race cars... It needed to feel frenetic and fast. It would be a little silly otherwise. What I like most about this is that it feels like you’re doing a lot, but it doesn’t feel fiddly, or micromanage-y. It’s an active game. You’ll feel a bit like a croupier each turn.

• Another aspect of the game that I focused heavily on was making the value of the cards relative and dynamic. A common complaint about deck builders is that, while they may initially seem strategic, they are actually low on strategy because players simply purchase the best card they can afford each turn. In Motorsport, there will rarely be a “best” card available, and the definition of best will vary from player to player or turn to turn. Each card will support multiple strategies and can adapt as your deck evolves throughout a game. You won’t be locked into a strategy because of choices that you make during the first few turns of the game. This is because every Mod card in Motorsport carries all three of the game’s resources. You will decide which of those three resources you are playing a card towards, each time you play it.

To explain this, I’m going to use Ascension as a counter-example. This is not a knock against Ascension (I adore the game), but it will be an easy comparison to make.

You’ve probably played a game of Ascension where you manage to get some crazy good attack power cards on your first couple of turns, and you see a good amount of monsters on the board, so you decide to go for an attack based strategy. And then, low and behold, a few turns later, there are no monsters in the center row, none get drawn for what seems like the whole game, and you're stuck with an attack focused deck, killin’ cultists out of pure contempt, despite knowing it is a fruitless endeavor. You’ve lost, and it’s because of (what seemed like) a sound decision you made within the first few rounds of the game. This can be extremely frustrating.

In Motorsport, you are never locked into a single strategy based on purchase choices. This is because each card has multiple values. The three resources in Motorsport are Rep Points (used to purchase cards), Upgrade Points (used to make permanent Upgrades to your Vehicle), and Abilities (actions you can take to influence the game). Every card you purchase will have a value in all three of these resources, but you must choose which of the three you play a card for, each time you play it. This means each turn will result in multiple decisions as you determine how to play each card, and you will almost never end up with a “dead” hand. The value and strategy of a card isn’t locked in at the purchase point. Instead, it’s determined on a per turn basis as you decide how to play each card.

• The flow of a Motorsport game never feels stagnant or stuck. In other deck builders that utilize a center row, the game can sometimes get bogged down by cards that no one wants or no one can afford. With Motorsport’s Shop Front refresh mechanic, and the FIFO style of the center row where newly drawn cards push older cards out of play, the game will never feel clogged by unwanted cards. In fact, especially with more players, the center row will often be completely different by the time your next turn comes around. This also creates a sense of urgency. Think you might wait until your next turn to purchase that card you’ve been eyeballing? Think again!

• Motorsport’s single path to victory creates tension and conflict throughout the duration of the game. Other games often have multiple paths to victory. While this presents the players with more choice, it can often result in opponents playing in silos, not really interacting until the end of the game when it’s time to tally points. In Motorsport, there’s still room to develop a unique strategy, but the same stream of Events is coming to each and every player, so you better be ready to compete, every turn!

• Motorsport includes a solo mode. If you enjoy solitaire gaming experiences, you will love this. I have played for hundreds of hours!

• Theme! I said it in my last post, but there is nothing like Motorsport in the way of theme! If you are a motor head and love tuner culture, you will finally be able to get your fix with a tabletop game.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you a good idea of some of the unique traits of Motorsport. So, whether you’re a die hard deck builder, or someone thinking about trying out the genre, Motorsport will offer you a new experience!