A game about programming robots sound like the kind of thing that might get played at an educational summer camp. But what if I told you that these robots smash into each other, dodge laser fire and occassionally get smashed to bits? It sounds like a wild cartoon from the golden age of Looney Tunes but its actually a classic board game called Robo Rally.
Robo Rally is a board game that was designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast in 1994. Fans might be more familiar with his biggest collaboration with the publisher: Magic The Gathering. While Robo Rally never became a household name like Magic, it’s earned a spot of honor in many board game collections thanks to its wild action, easy to explain rules and animated anarchy.
Renegade Game Studios is taking advantage of its partnership with Hasbro for the opportunity to release two new editions of Robo Rally in its 30th year. One version gives the game a deluxe treatment befitting of an elder statesman of board gaming while the other adds in the most famous robots in the world to the game. The company sent me home from Gen Con with a pair of review copies for this article.
Robo Rally Rules
The object of Robo Rally is to be the first robot that makes it through all the checkpoints on the board in a specific order. Each player get dealt a random hand of program cards at the top of their turn. The more damage their robot has suffered the less cards they have to choose from to go forward, reverse or turn.
The robots get damaged from environmental effects on the board and other robots. The board can include all sorts of nasty obstacles like laser turrets, smashing walls, and conveyor belts that force movement. Hitting the checkpoints is rarely a straight line and sometimes bouncing off a fellow robot or an obstacle is the best way to take the lead.
Robo Rally 30th Anniversary Edition
Renegade Game Studios released a new edition of Robo Rally last year. The company also introduced a fresh batch of expansions that included new boards and upgrades. Robo Rally 30th Anniverary Edition offers fans who have been playing for decades a chance to enhance their game with newer, higher quality components.
Two more players can play out of this box meaning now up to 8 players can hit the floor. Usually, more players run the risk of slowing down game play but in this case 8 players just add more robots to blast, smash and crash into. This edition is also a limited print run so once they are gone, they are gone.
Robo Rally: Transformers
Robo Rally Transformers brings the epic struggle of the Autobots and the Decepticons to the frantic space of this timeless game. Optimus Prime and Megatron are both trying to rally the planet Velocitron to their side of the cause. The only way to capture their alien hearts it is to win the Speedia 500, a risky race across the entire planet.
This version of the game blows up the scale from a tightly packed factory floor to a world wide checkpoint scramble. Every charater has different abilities based on whether they are in their bot mode or transform into their alt mode. They also have new obstacles to overcome such as buildings, bombs and jump ramps.
Robo Rally 30th Anniversary Edition is due out on September 5th, 2024. Robo Rally Transformers is available now. Both games can be purchased directly from Renegade Game Studios, online retailers or at Friendly Local Gaming Stores.
