Grand Prix

This is a really great racing game that has added some fun variation to our afternoon gaming sessions. I have been enjoying playing it with my son and we have started keeping track of team points for a racing season, which puts this game high on our list for replayability. While I know next to nothing about Formula 1 racing, the rules keep the game moving and create a type of strategy situation on the track that I haven't seen in other games. I noticed from the website that the designer is seeking input on the rules. After I do a few more races I'll sit down and think through any suggestions I might have but so far I like things they way they are. Races are unpredictable, competitive, fast paced, change rapidly but reward strategy, and require teamwork. All things that are high on my list of enjoyability factors.My ten year old son and I picked up how to play this game really quickly. I read the rules the night before and he and I spread it out on the table and went at it. Granted, he and I have been playing a lot of table top games so I wasn't surprised, but he found the strategy side of pushing and pulling cars on the track really competitive and enjoyable. Pit stops pulled his cars out of line and threw off his plans, which he didn't like, and the random events create caution lanes which mess up the race just like what I've seen in actual F1 races. This kind of unpredicability and racing strategy made races fun and really replayable for us. There are four racetracks in the main box which is enough for months of play, especially as races happen annually on the same tracks in real life. I saw there is an expansion box of more tracks in the works and I'll place a pre-order because I enjoy spending afternoons playing these kinds of games with my son. The rest of the details are standard for GMT's products. The counters are great, no stack of rule charts and arcane details to memorize, the color printing is aligned and well done, the game boards are solid particle board and nice to look at, and the rule book is done well and organized so it's easy to read. One comment notes that the light/dark sides of the race car counters aren't really contrasting enough, which I agree with. A darker dark side or maybe the addition of a black border would help differentiate when you play a car and flip it over. There are a lot of colors in this game so any help keeping things in order is useful. As I said above I can't comment on how well this game realistically depicts actual F1 races but it does more or less abstract some things like pit stops, car wear, pulling lines of cars, and lapping. Those elements of the game's design are obvious choices to keep play moving and fun, and we liked how these rules worked in our races. Overall this is a solid and well designed game. It has been a welcome, fun break from our Combat Commander and Star Wars Legion battles and has joined our regular rotation although CC:Pacific has kind of edged it out recently.

Really enjoy this game, although it could do with more counters for higher player counts. I've played it solo as 11 teams and ran out of some of the wear markers. Wouldbe good it GMT could make an extra sheet of tokens available to buy.

A very good reconstruction based on Formula One. With four new tracks in production this promises to be a F1 fans collection with accurately reproduced race circuits, realistic racing events, etc. If you are a real fanatic you could buy and paint miniature cars and if you have a 3D printer then you could make curbs, stands, grandstands, VIP lounges, Pit Garages (or alternatively visit Shapeways)... the list is endless!I would highly recommend this game to anyone who likes F1 and gaming with family or friends!Douglas T. In reply to your statement "Looking forward to real F1 teams and tracks - current and historical. License might be easier with the new FOC owners" I have been in direct contact with Jeff Horger himself and he says, "due to licensing and the possibility of libel claims from drivers/teams, there is no possibility of real drivers or constructors within the game." If you want that extra realism you will have to either create Team Garage sheets yourself or visit Board Game Geek/Grand Prix and look under Files where a number of us have our own Team Garage sheets (mine are under the nickname PCofTQY), or follow Jeff Horger on Facebook where I have also posted them.Merry Christmas to all,Martin Underwoodaka PCofTQYUK Grand Prix gamer

This is a good game but when it comes to replicating a F1 race it just does not feel right. THUNDER ALLEY did a better job with NASCAR. 12-19-2017 FOLLOW-UP. Since I am a fan of formula 1 I have played the game over a hundred times. I had worn our the original counters and had to order a new set. I have changed my mind about the game and upgraded the rating to 5 stars. It does a better job of replicating formula one races than I had originally thought. One has to use radically different tactics when playing this game to ROLLING THUNDER. In this game one wants to keep the integrity of a line until the final dash to the finish line. Most games I have played now average two or three turns. There is really no adverse penalty to acquiring a major wear. After one turn a player has to pit because of the mandatory tire change. Even if a car has a major engine wear the player only needs to stay on the pits the two turns needed to change tires. He does not have to repair the major wear. Once one learns all of the unique tactics, the flow of the game is pretty good.

I've really enjoyed this game. Like watching F1 and this is a reasonable game-sim of real racing (no it's not perfect, but no game really is). with that said given the character of current F1 racing could it be "better"; yes it probably could. That said, at the end of the day, the question is: "is the game fun?". Answer: Yes!

Great game, I just wish the car counter sheet wasn't so similar light/dark on both sides. Not sure what the rationale on that was.

Just opened it today. Very nice production. I'm anxious to try GP out. Odd thing about the car counter sheet. It says "Front" on both sides and is a bit hard to tell one side from the other. Will probably add a black stripe to the backs since there will be a few libations consumed each session. Looking forward to real F1 teams and tracks - current and historical. License might be easier with the new FOC owners.