Heat Pedal to the Metal
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
That moment when you pushed too hard and the engine gave out just before the finish line. Heat makes you truly feel it.
What it's about
The true tension of a car race, card after card
It's the 1960s. Cars are essential, dangerous, magnificent. Asger Harding Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen have taken everything that makes a race exciting — choosing the right moment to push, calculating risk on a turn, fighting for the slipstream — and condensed it into a deck of cards you can hold in your hand.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a hand management game where every card is a decision. Choose how many to play based on the selected gear, manage the heat accumulating in the engine, exploit opponents' slipstreams. Curves impose speed limits: exceeding them means accumulating Heat cards that clog your deck. Victory belongs to those who know when to push and when to breathe.
With 4 double-sided circuits, the Championship module, the Legends system for solo play, and Upgrade cards that personalize each driver, Heat offers a complete experience right in the base box — and it grows with every game.
What they say abroad
"It ranks among the best racing board games I've played, even in its basic form. With its advanced modules, it takes the pole position with ease."
It ranks among the best racing board games I've played, even in its basic form. With its advanced modules, it takes the pole position with ease.
— Meeple Mountain
Heat is not a problem to avoid — it's a resource to manage. Those who understand this win races.
The secret of Heat in one line
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
The Legends system adds automated opponents with credible behavior. The tension of heat management remains intact: it's not a fallback, it's a standalone experience.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat you control
The game system in four elements
Speed Cards
Your personal deck. You play as many cards as the selected gear. Sum the values and advance on the track. Simple — but the choices never are.
Heat Cards
Zero value, they clog your deck. You get them by pushing too hard on a turn or activating the turbo. Too much heat and the engine stops. Managing them is an art.
The Gear Lever
Determines how many cards you play per turn. Shifting up quickly produces more Heat. Staying low allows you to dissipate heat. The pace of the race comes from here.
Upgrade Cards
With the Garage module, they are added to your deck before the race. Turbo, advanced cooling, optimized trajectories. Each driver becomes unique.
The race finishes in an hour. The memory of that missed turn — or the one perfectly executed at the right moment — lasts much longer.
🎲Components16 types · over 350 pieces
🃏Recommended Sleeves1 size · ~330 cards total
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Lights, engines, go
You select the gear, look at the cards in your hand, and make your first calculation: push now or wait for the turn? On the table, the cars are lined up at the start. Everyone knows the first turn will be decisive — but no one knows yet who will block whom.
The first turn
This is where the field divides. Those who pushed too hard in third gear enter the turn at the wrong speed and accumulate two Heat cards. Those who waited come out clean and gain position in the slipstream. In a few seconds, someone's deck is already compromised.
The turbo moment
Someone activates the turbo on the straight — advancing three spaces but flooding their deck with Heat. Is it a calculated risk? Or a desperate move? The table pauses for a moment. Everyone watches. Dice don't exist in this game: it was a decision, and now you pay for it or you reap the reward.
The overheating engine
Three Heat cards in hand, two coming from the wrong turn. The deck is clogged. You have to downshift, lose position, slowly cool down. Meanwhile, others advance. It's the most frustrating moment of the game — and the most authentic.
The final straight
The finish line is in sight. Those who managed their heat best are ahead — but the slipstream of pursuers is a powerful weapon. One last hand of cards. One last decision. The winner often isn't revealed until the cars have already crossed the white line.
How to play
The flow of each round
Four simultaneous and rapid phases. Learned in 15 minutes, mastered over the course of the turns.
All players simultaneously choose a gear on their player board — from 1 to 4. The gear determines how many Speed cards you will play this turn.
Draw and play cards corresponding to your gear. The sum of the values is the distance traveled. You can activate special abilities and turbo — but every shortcut has a Heat cost.
Each turn has a speed limit printed on the board. Exceeding it adds Heat cards to your deck for each excess space. Braking in time is the real strategy of the game.
If you finish behind or next to an opponent, you move forward one space (slipstream). In lower gears, you cool down Heat. The balance between pushing and recovering is decided each turn.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Heat is a resource, not a punishment
Heat cards clog the deck — but sometimes they're worth taking. Taking heat at the right moment and cooling down before the decisive turn is the true skill of the game.
Gear as a tactical lever
There's no single right gear. High speed means more cards, more power — but also less control. Choosing the gear is the first strategic decision of each turn.
Slipstream that flips positions
Those behind can use the slipstream to advance without playing extra cards. This keeps races competitive until the last meter and makes every track position an advantage or a risk.
The Championship in one evening
Three races, upgrades between races, changing weather and road conditions. The Championship module transforms an evening into an entire racing season without adding complexity.
Garage and Upgrade cards
Before each race, customize your deck with Upgrade cards: more powerful turbo, better cooling, optimized trajectories. Every driver becomes unique — and every game feels different.
The Legends system for solo play
Automatic drivers follow a credible race logic: they occupy positions, brake on turns, create real traffic. It's not filler — it's a worthy opponent.
How it ends
Winning is simple. Finishing first is not.
The finish line is clear — but the path to get there requires balancing risk, heat, and position at every turn.
Victory
- Cross the finish line first with your race car
- In case of a tie, the one further ahead on the final segment advances
- In the Championship, the one who accumulates the most points in the three races wins — victory is built throughout the season
Overheating
- If you are forced to play Heat cards and the tank is empty — the engine stops
- You restart from last place, losing valuable seconds to cool down
- There is no elimination: everyone reaches the finish line — some just with much more humility
Heat: Pedal to the Metal is the most awarded racing game in recent years — and after one game, you immediately understand why. The tension of a real race, condensed into an hour of cards and decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Is it suitable for those who don't often play board games?
Yes. The basic rules can be explained in about 15 minutes, and the first game flows naturally. The core mechanic — play cards, sum values, brake on turns — is intuitive. Advanced modules (Garage, Championship, Legends) are added only when the group feels ready.
With how many players does it work best?
With 5 or 6 players, slipstreaming becomes a fundamental tool, and traffic on turns creates authentic situations. With 3 or 4, it's already excellent. At 2, it's more manageable but loses some of the group dynamic. In solo play with the Legends module, it offers a complete and satisfying experience.
What does the Championship module include?
The Championship module allows you to play a three-race season in one evening. Between races, players can upgrade their cars with Upgrade cards, and each race is enriched by random events (weather, road conditions). Scores are accumulated throughout the season.
How does solo play work?
The Legends module adds automatic drivers who follow a credible race logic: they occupy strategic positions, slow down on turns, and create real traffic. They are managed with a dedicated deck of cards, without the need for a second player. The experience is autonomous and challenging.
Are there expansions?
Yes. Heavy Rain adds new circuits (Japan and Mexico) and adverse weather conditions. California and other circuit packs expand the track selection. All expansions are compatible with the base box and are added without overhauling the system.
Is this edition in Italian?
Yes. This is the Italian edition distributed by Asmodee, with fully translated rules and card texts. Language dependency is present on some Upgrade cards, but the game's iconography minimizes the need to read during gameplay.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a racing board game for 1–6 players (ages 10+, duration ~60 min). Designed by Asger Harding Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen, published by Days of Wonder. Main mechanic: hand management with simultaneous selection and push-your-luck. Each player manages a deck of Speed cards, Heat cards, and Stress cards on 1960s circuits. Winner of the Golden Geek Medium Game of the Year 2022. Includes 4 double-sided circuits, Championship module with Event and Weather cards, Garage module with 114 Upgrade cards, Legends module for solo play. Italian edition with translated rules, distributed by Asmodee. Available on FroGames.it.
Heat Pedal to the Metal
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