Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
Steampunk Rally is a strategy game that incorporates steampunk as more than just a bit of chrome. Using a unique dice-placement mechanism, players take on the roles of famous inventors from the turn of the last century like Nikola Tesla and Marie Curie, constructing fantastical contraptions that make use of steam, heat and electricity in an attempt to win a no-holds-barred race through the Swiss alps.
Each round starts with a card draft in which players carefully select machine parts to add to their invention and one-shot boost cards to aid them or hinder opponents. Players also have the option of discarding drafted cards for dice or cogs to power their invention, but they must make this tricky choice when each card is drafted.
Then, after venting dice to revitalize their machines, players roll their dice and use them to activate machine parts which provide things like movement, shielding, and additional dice with which to activate more parts. Driving through terrain causes damage, and if a player's damage gauge ends up in the red at the end of the turn, they must lose parts from their invention. These will need to be replaced in the draft phase, constantly forcing players to discover new synergies.
Year Published
2015
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 8
This page: 8
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–8 of 8
Video IKc0MTcOIjs
Friendly Ties general_discussion at 27:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11787 · mention_pk 34555
Click to watch at 27:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Simultaneous play for many players
- Frankenstein-like engine construction with gas/dice resources
Cons
- Setup and understanding can be dense for newcomers
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Furnace
- Gizmos
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- furnace hits the my definition of an engine builder.
- it's a feeling not a mechanism.
- Terraforming Mars as being like a quintessential engine building game to me.
- Concordia... your hand in and of itself is an engine that you are building towards.
- Steampunk Rally matches your definition and it also matches mine in that it is you're making this frankenstein's monster of a racing machine.
- Golem is where you stack the cards and then you keep reactivating them.
- Darwin's Journey comes to mind.
- Dominion is deck builders but can build engines; it sits in a spectrum.
- Villages, vineyards, and aging workers can feel engine-like but not always.
- income is not an engine.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video gDPiRltkLJg
Cardboard Harold interview at 9:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9852 · mention_pk 29025
Click to watch at 9:24
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- vibrant theme
- dynamic drafting and engine-building feel
- engaging head-to-head play
Cons
- rules can be dense for new players
Thematic elements
- engineering and competition
- steampunk racing
Comparison games
- Brass
- Santorini
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-drafting / engine-building — Build a racing engine for your vehicle using cards and mats to maximize speed.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We wanted to just have become like this entity that would make games and be very awesome at switching styles.
- passion first
- we like freedom but sometimes after working on a project with a lot of freedom, it's nice to have things laid out and know where you're going.
- we have a very little sense of ego... I'm going to feel equally proud of the end product if she touched it, if we worked both of us on it.
- we want to work as a couple on the same games together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cAqxssgXz_M
Unknown Channel top_10_list at 20:20
video_pk 8952 · mention_pk 26425
Click to watch at 20:20
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice placement into slots to power large devices — dice results are allocated to slots to drive constructing large contraptions and movement.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- tableau builders feature a wide and diverse range of markets and currencies
- the beauty of this mechanism is the chain reactions that it creates when you take your turn
- it's a really nice feedback loop
- the world feels bigger than your own little player area
- tableau building is a core, solid mechanic that many designers build around
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qzHP6VMKCIw
Off and Great Games top_10_list at 6:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8795 · mention_pk 25936
Click to watch at 6:37
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Dynamic dice-driven racing theme
- Interesting machine concepts and variability
Cons
- Rules complexity can be a hurdle for casual players
Thematic elements
- Steampunk engineering
Comparison games
- Steampunk Fusion
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — draft dice to build rolling machines
- engine-building — assemble machines to gain speed and points
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a beautiful game
- dice are mean
- you gotta feed your birds
- travel with it
- it's a quintessential dice rolling game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 46pNaqmHgvc
Unknown top_10_list at 21:46 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 8456 · mention_pk 24865
Click to watch at 21:46
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
- Interesting engine-building twist with a fast pace
Cons
- Some players feel it lacks depth compared to heavier titles
Thematic elements
- Steampunk engineering and competitive racing
- Steampunk era with engines, racing, and racing gadgetry
- quirky, mechanical innovation theme
Comparison games
- Ankh
- Blood Rage
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- engine-building / dice drafting — Players draft dice and allocate to machines to optimize speed and efficiency.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- El Grande is the Godfather of the area control games
- the longevity of Pandemic uh this can't be denied
- it's basically descent with Star Wars slapped on
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video miaTx2EupNw
Adam Porter general_discussion at 10:27 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6239 · mention_pk 18489
Click to watch at 10:27
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Interesting Euro-mechanics blended with movement
Cons
- Complex to learn for beginners
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Engine-building with movement points — Players build an engine that generates movement points to traverse a track.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Dice are not the answer in a first-time design.
- They are toxic. They destroy your first designs.
- Meaningful interesting decisions… the decisions have to mean something.
- Even if you have all sorts of other unique stuff going on in your game that roll for combat just overwhelms it.
- Monopoly has a bit of both, chaotic, entertaining momentarily but ultimately frustrating.
- Event decks can be devastating to your design if they wipe out progress or resources.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2Zzqtc2Q8mg
general_discussion at 12:29 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2737 · mention_pk 8050
Click to watch at 12:29
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- steampunk engineering/racing
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice drafting — Draft dice to optimize engine construction and track progress
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- There are really two groups of designers
- the attempt to make all games playable by all people is a lofty ideal
- colorblind accessibility was at the forefront of our minds as we designed
- stand up for your views it's important that you collectively produce a product which you as designer can be proud of
- publishers need inventors just as much as we need them
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CJpphMca5eo
OFPG Voices general_discussion at 13:47 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1581 · mention_pk 4577
Click to watch at 13:47
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- diverse female inventor characters integrated into gameplay
- engaging engine-building and race pacing
- accessible and thematic
Cons
- can feel heavy for new players
- multiplayer balance requires setup
Thematic elements
- inventors, engineering, competition
- Late-19th-century steampunk racing
- engine-building with racing and drafting
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- deck-building / drafting — Draft cards to build machines.
- engine-building — Assemble parts to improve machine speed and options.
- hand management — Manage cards in hand to execute optimal turns.
- racing — Move along a track based on engine output.
- set collection — Collect different invention types to optimize build.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we are celebrating women's History Month
- women are the backbone of our world and should be recognized as such
- it's one of those games that seems simple but is more complex than meets the eye
- I guarantee if you like these type of games you will love this one
- this is a great game
- this would be an ideal game to play this month
- they've also come out with a new version called steampunk rally Fusion
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–8 of 8