Death Roads: All Stars is not out yet, but I’ve been fortunate enough to play the game twice thanks to the accessibility and big presence of Tabletop Simulator during these times of subdued social interaction.

And I can definitely say I’m excited about the upcoming Kickstarter campaign on July 15th. The Knights of Unity is bringing Death Roads: All Stars to the masses and the impending metal moshpit of road rage will be sweet succor on the lips of boardgamers parched of demolition driving.

This time you don’t have to hold it in.

When that car swerves in front of you and cuts you off, simply unleash a salvo of missiles and blow it to smithereens.

If the car to your side drifts too close to you, pulverize its innards with a hydraulic punch.

And if it looks like that car that’s supposed to be following you is falling behind, leave it in the dust and let it wreck on its own.

That’s how driving should be, right?!

Death Roads: All Stars is a board game with fast card play and fierce driving. You either want to be the most skillful driver on the road or the only one left alive. And at that speed, you’d think that the skidding and sliding and dodging would be enough to worry about. But, no, because in the space of an hour, two to four players will also be slinging dangerous projectiles and making the road a deadly environment for their opponents. If you didn’t figure that out with the whole “death roads” part, you maybe won’t last long in this race…

What It Does

Death Roads is about three things: the cars, the people driving them, and the gear that will keep you alive (or kill anyone else).

Each car has its own distinct traits. Maybe it’s a little tougher than the others. Maybe it’s got better handling. Or it could be a well-rounded roadster. But it’s got a heart.

The soul, though, comes from the person behind the wheel. That’s where the game starts to ramp up. You pick a car. And the driver that goes with it will inform how you use the vehicle. And what upgrades you might use for a kit before you hit the road.

And the body is fleshed out with these weapons, defensive measures, and upgrades to the handling. The gear will protect you when the road won’t.

Half of the battle lies in finding the right combination of car, driver, and gear. If you get it right, you’ll have an advantage over the other drivers before the race begins.

Once on the road, players will have to balance driving the car and adapting to the maneuvers of their rivals. Positioning is key. Ruthlessness can pay off. And sometimes more than one driver will hunt down the leader. Everything is game, but it matters how you leverage your position relative to others.

Change gears to increase the efficiency or power of the cards you use. Utilize your skilled handling to making big moves or devastating attacks on the other cars around you. And beware of the potholes, narrowed lanes, and other asphalt mishaps that are bound to come speeding your way as the race drags on.

It’s a tactical turn-based experience that will be different every time depending on the composition of the driving team—car, driver, and upgrades—and the number of players.

How It Does It

Each piece of the game will influence the others and it makes for a satisfying bite of road rage.

Health is divided into four phases of deterioration before full destruction. Handling drops every turn as you play cards or perform actions.

The board never moves. You’ll not need to manage new board spaces as cars reach the end of one. Mechanically, the designers have adjusted for that by creating a surge-ahead and fall-behind system that works quite well. That keeps all of the action in the center of the table and the cars stay relatively close to each other.

Lanes can narrow, however, depending on player count and the different surprises that pop up in the event deck. That further tightens the physical environment of the game, to the benefit of the gameplay experience.

Do keep in mind that there is player elimination. But it also feels less devastating than other games because the most that a player will be out is 5-15 minutes, depending on the circumstances and the pace of the game. I don’t think I’d mind it much either when you’re sitting around a table with friends and watching the rest of the vehicular carnage unfold.

Rounds in the game work quite simply. Players draw their cards and then take turns using up their handling points to play cards and perform driver actions. Attacks are resolved and movements are made.

When that’s done, players will respond to the events deck and determine what happens to the cars on the road. Then, players figure out starting order for the next round, resolve any skidding that takes place (along with burns and stuns that affect the drivers), and start anew.

That process continues until one player has achieved the qualifying measures for an endgame event or when all but one car has been destroyed.

Why You Might Like It

Why You Might Not

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Death Roads: All Stars. There is a lot to explore here. Each time I’ve played, I’ve oohed and ahhed at the things other players were able to do with their drivers and cards.

Finding a groove between the car you pick, the driver you plop behind the wheel, and the big ole weapons you attach is a lot of fun.

The whole game is just a lot of fun. I never played Twisted Metal on the PlayStation 1, but I imagine it felt something like this. The metal mayhem that I felt when playing Burnout Paradise has been amplified here as I swerve away from other cars, steer toward them with a big cannon, or race ahead with oil slicks trailing behind me.

It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. And it hasn’t disappointed me yet. I want to check out other drivers. I want to experiment with other weapons. And I want to be the last one standing.

Winning feels good, obviously. But so does watching the chaos. And participating in it!

I’m looking forward to any special reveals in the upcoming Kickstarter because the more content that comes out, the better this game will get. And it’s already quite good, so I’m thoroughly anticipatory, which may not be grammatically correct but is definitely my state of mind.

If you want to check out Death Roads: All Stars, you can visit the game’s website or the Kickstarter draft page.

Want to smash other cars with hydraulic arms or blast them into oblivion? Death Roads: All Stars might be a game you should check out!

Let us know in the comments and give a recommendation for other games of which to share our first impressions.