Currently on Kickstarter: Rallyman GT Resurrects Acclaimed Rally Racing Board Game
Of the dozens upon dozens of motorsports board games that have graced gamers’ tables over the years, few have earned the acclaim that Rallyman has. Though it has received multiple re-releases over the years, Rallyman is an uncommon game to find — and can cost a pretty penny. For those reasons, although I’ve reviewed dozens of automotive racing games for The News Wheel, I’ve never had the opportunity to play Rallyman.
That’s why I was excited to learn that Holy Grail Games is reviving Rallyman, injecting it with new material, and re-branding it as Rallyman GT. The publisher’s campaign to fund this new production is currently looking for supporters via Kickstarter.
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Rallyman returns to tabletops as Rallyman GT, published by Holy Grail Games
The original Rallyman (2009)
A self-published title that debuted in 2009, Rallyman was the creation of rally racing enthusiast and novice driver Jean-Christophe Bouvier. His dedication to the high-speed sport compelled him to spend nearly a decade developing an accurate yet understandable simulation of rally racing that people could play at home. Whereas other racing games adapted motorsports racing into heavy, intricate strategic systems, Rallyman aimed to promote the sport by emphasizing its speed, luck-pushing risks, and wide appeal.
Holy Grail Games’ resurrection of Rallyman as Rallyman GT bears the same gameplay as its predecessor. Roll the dice to determine where you can move your car on the track, either carefully rolling one at a time or rolling them all at once and potentially taking damage to your vehicle. You can definitely see the influences of Formula De in Rallyman, which was Bouvier’s inspiration for his own game.
The highlights for this revamped version include new artwork by Loic Muzy (who contributed to Fireteam Zero, Mythic Battles, and OrcQuest) and a modular track to increase replay value. The path is now a customizable turn-by-turn track utilizing 32 double-sided hexagon tiles, so every race is different. The basic retail version of the game is packed with goodies, like six plastic car replicas, 11 unique dice, dashboards for every player, and hundreds of tokens. Kickstarter backers will get additional perks like a 3D bride track segment and new types of tires.
As of today, the Kickstarter campaign for Rallyman GT has attracted over 1,100 backers and garnered €50,000, over 250 percent past its initial funding goal. The anticipated release date of Rallyman GT isn’t until November 2019, so you can already start on next year’s Christmas shopping by funding a copy today.
If you’ve been looking for a fast-paced, simple, yet immersive racing board game you can play with your friends and family, I suggest you support Rallyman GT on Kickstarter.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.