Crash Derby
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Everyone starts together. Only one makes it whole. The others have already decided on the second round.
What it's about
Armored karts, programmable gears, and a lot, a lot of scrap metal
Crash Derby is born from the collaboration between three Czech designers — Ondra Cigánek, Ivan Dostál, and Olda Rejl — and Prusa Research, the same company behind the world's most popular 3D printers. The result is a racing and crashing game designed to be modified, expanded, and printed at home by the community.
At its core is a never-before-seen three-gear system: each gear determines which actions you can or must perform in that round. Shift into the wrong gear at the wrong time and you're stuck on the track — in the worst possible spot — while others crash into you.
Publisher Albi delivers Crash Derby in a polished box, but the real value lies in its open philosophy: right at launch, you'll find alternative kart models, obstacles, and variants downloadable on Printables. No two copies of Crash Derby will ever be the same.
The three-gear system is not a detail: it's the heart of the game. Every round you're forced to deal with the gear you're in — and with those who have already figured out how to use it better than you.
The secret of Crash Derby in one line
Designed with Prusa Research to be expanded by the community: new karts, new obstacles, new rules. The box is the starting point, not the limit.
From the game experience
Crash Derby
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsYour arsenal
What you control in each game
Your armored kart
Each player drives their own vehicle with unique characteristics. Fast or durable — choose how to tackle the track.
The 3-gear system
The engaged gear determines the available actions each round. Shifting into the wrong one leaves you empty-handed at the worst moment.
Modular track
Modular tiles for an ever-changing track. Each configuration changes the trajectories, traps, and hot spots of the clash.
Print & Play content
Alternative karts, additional obstacles, and new mechanics downloadable on Printables. No copy of Crash Derby will ever be the same.
In a few hours, someone will still be cursing that gear shifted at the wrong time. It always happens with Crash Derby.
📖RulesEnglish · Official PDF
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Engines on, first gear
Karts are placed, the three-gear system is explained — five minutes and we're off. Everyone already knows who they want to ram first. The track is ready. The problem is, everyone else has the same plan.
The wrong gear at the wrong time
Someone shifts into second thinking they're clever. Then they discover that gear doesn't allow them to steer. They go straight off-track while everyone around them laughs. The table heats up immediately.
The first deliberate collision
It's not an accident — it was planned. One of the players spent two rounds maneuvering to get exactly there, in that position, for that impact. The hit kart slows down. The culprit smiles. Revenge is already on the agenda.
The move no one had calculated
There's always a moment when someone uses the gears in a way no one expected — a combination of actions that blocks three opponents simultaneously or opens up an impossible trajectory. The table falls silent for a second. Then it explodes.
Someone crosses the finish line. Or survives.
The game ends. The winner celebrates for five seconds. Then everything is packed away, already wondering which track configuration to try next time — and who's paying for the bodywork damage.
How to play
The flow of each round
Three gears, four actions, five minutes to learn. Then it takes three games to truly master the system.
At the start of the round, each player chooses which gear to engage: low, medium, or high. The gear determines which actions you can or must perform — it's not a neutral choice.
Based on the selected gear, you plan your moves: accelerate, steer, ram, brake. Some actions are available, others are blocked. Planning is simultaneous — you don't see what others are doing.
Actions are revealed in order. Karts move, ram each other, and block one another. Each collision has immediate consequences — damage, slowdowns, forced positioning.
At the end of the round, track position is assessed, and you start again with gear selection. Those in front cannot afford to slow down. Those behind must catch up — and usually do so by force.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Original three-gear system
You don't have a list of free actions — you have a gear that determines what you can do. Every choice is a trade-off: speed versus maneuverability, attack versus defense.
Infinitely variable modular track
Tiles combine into ever-changing configurations. Tight turns, long straights, dangerous intersections — each setup creates completely different game dynamics.
Collisions with real consequences
Ramming isn't just an action — it's a declaration of war. Damage slows, displaces, blocks. And those who suffer it already have a response in mind for the next round.
Expandable with Print & Play
Designed with Prusa Research to be modified by the community. On Printables, you'll already find new karts, obstacles, and variants downloadable and printable at home — with more to come.
Simultaneous programming under pressure
You plan without seeing what others are doing. The moment of revelation is always a surprise — pleasant for those who guessed right, brutal for those who trusted their plan too much.
Short but intense games
45–75 minutes, no downtime. Every round counts, every gear choice is a decision. There's no "waiting" turn — you're always in the game, even when you're repairing damage.
How it ends
One way to win, many to lose
In Crash Derby, victory is simple to state — incredibly difficult to achieve when everyone has the same goal and the same violent intentions.
Victory
- Be the first to cross the finish line with your kart
- Or be the only one left on the track with a working vehicle
- The finish line is unforgiving — a second late is a defeat
Elimination
- Your kart accumulates damage until it stops permanently
- You are rammed off the track with no possibility of re-entry
- The wrong gear at the wrong time can cost you everything in a single round
Crash Derby is one of those games you only truly understand by playing it — and that you want to replay immediately after the first game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crash Derby FAQ
Is the three-gear system really that central?
Yes — it's the heart of the game, not a detail. Every round, the gear choice precedes everything else and constrains your available actions. You can have the best kart in a perfect position: if you've engaged the wrong gear, you can't do anything useful. This creates tension and regrets in industrial quantities.
What distinguishes it from other kart or racing games?
The gear system is unprecedented in this genre. You don't just manage speed and position — you manage your options from round to round. The result is a game where planning counts almost as much as reacting to unforeseen events, and where player vendettas are always deliberate, never accidental.
How does Print & Play work with Prusa Research?
On Printables.com — Prusa's platform — additional content for Crash Derby is already available: alternative kart models, new obstacles, and track variants. You don't need to 3D print everything: some elements can also be 2D printed. The platform is open to the community, so content continues to grow.
Is it suitable for casual players?
Yes. The rules are explained in a matter of minutes, and the gear system is understood by playing — the first game is already fluid. Unpredictability balances a lot of experience: casual players are not penalized as much as in a Eurogame, because collisions and surprises level the playing field.
With how many players does it work best?
With 4 players, the track is full, collisions are frequent, and chaos is at its maximum — it's the most fun and chaotic experience. With 2, it becomes more tactical and personal: every move is a conscious choice, every clash is deliberate. With 3, an interesting balance is found.
Is it available in Italian?
The game is produced by Albi, a Czech publisher. The language of the edition available on FroGames is English. The mechanics are mainly visual, and the rulebook is simple — the language barrier is minimal, but texts and cards are in English.
Crash Derby is a competitive kart racing and combat board game for 2–4 players (ages 10+, duration 45–75 min). Designed by Ondra Cigánek, Ivan Dostál, and Olda Rejl, artwork by Jiří Světinský, published by Albi in collaboration with Prusa Research. Core mechanic: simultaneous programming with a three-gear system. Each player pilots an armored kart on a modular track, choosing the gear that determines available actions each round. Direct collisions, damage with immediate consequences, and progressive elimination. Expandable with Print & Play content downloadable on Printables.com. Available on FroGames.it.
Crash Derby
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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