About game:

Charioteer is a strategic racing game that plays in one-two hours (heavily dependent on number of contenders to victory). Each player controls a chariot in the Circus Maximus of ancient Rome. There is really a lot of action, and it happens quickly, with simultaneous move selection (that I want to stress, as even with six players there are no lags).


Movement is determined by melding sets from a hand of cards – initially that might be a bit mind-blowing, but after 2-3 turns all is clear (believe me, everybody goes through that learning process). Every card does more than one thing, and it takes multiple matching cards to make a move. Moves come in four colors, and each has a special advantage. Play a red move to attack your opponents, yellow to recover from disruption, black to turn a sharp corner, and green to sprint.


Each racer begins the game with different abilities, and they improve their skills as the race progresses, leading to big bonuses in their favorite types of moves – really like this, as that adds variety to each game and speeds up the second part of the race. Show the emperor the kind of move he prefers, and a racer’s skills will increase even faster.

It’s not always clear who’s winning the race. Being in front of the pack may not be as important as developing a critical skill, collecting powerful tokens, or keeping damage low. Whip icons allow those who have fallen behind to surge back into competition. I have seen last lap (there are three in total) sprints which completely changed the order at finish.


So, would you stand-up to the task, use your assets wisely, please the public & emperor and in the end win the race?

Number of players:

Answer to that question will probably show one of the key advantages of this game. You can play from two (not recommended) up to six players (strongly recommended, largest competition and fun!)

Playing time:

Even with six players, you should finish the game within maximum two hours. The element of the game which speeds up the gameplay and tempo is of course skills development which significantly impacts how far your chariot can go.

Complexity:

Definitely a light conflict game – would not call it a wargame for sure. You can explain all the rules in like ten minutes and immediately start plunge into the race!

What I like:
  • The game supports from 2 to 6 players. However, the larger numbers (5 and 6) give the most fun, interaction and joy. I appreciate it is possible to play a duel or 3-chariot games; still, the title shines with as many challengers as possible.
  • No downtimes – now, you might think that with many players we would have a lot of breaks and waiting time? No way! The game has fast but not simplistic method of deciding the moves by all players (simultaneously) and then their execution (sequentially).
  • Negative interaction – that is a must for me in chariot races; here you can not only harm one but all opponents when using red cards. It is a bit abstract but straightforward. Do it wisely and you should benefit a lot!
  • Time to play – the game is fast, easily played in maximum two hours. The set-up is simple and with proper storage solution (check one here) also very quick.
What I do not like or would like to see in the game:
  • I was pretty disappointed with the game components; the cards are pretty simplistic – you have there all the information, it is clearly written but I would expect something more beautiful. The same goes for the board – nice it is mounted; but that brownish color is something which simply puts me off.

  • One thing which I lack and expected to feel is theme. I believe a lot has to do with the way components were created – especially cards – but honestly, you do not feel that you are part of exciting Ancient Rome Chariot Race. Does it change the fact you have a lot of fun from that game? No. Did I expected more? Definitely!
For whom?

This is a particularly good game for larger gatherings with friends or simply conventions. Ability to play with as many as six people, quick time to explain the rules and gameplay with up to two hours makes it a perfect title for such occasions.

More about the game:

And now let us have a look at the materials created by me plus some pictures of components:

A detailed presentation of components and some game mechanics.
Overview of the game-play area – two mounted maps!
A close-up on the chariots as they enter the sharp corner of the track.
Great Storage Solutions from Cube4Me

VERDICT:

To sum up, I had fun playing this game multiple times. Matt Calkins definitely does not disappoint – what we are getting here is a solid product, allowing for a wonderful time spent with bunch of friends (the more the better) and is perfect for conventions and larger gatherings. I am not especially fond of components and lack of theme feel; still, this game will definitely hit the table of our boardgames group in the future!

Have fun!