Tornado Splash
A jet ski race where you build the track yourself, one card at a time.
Each turn you lay your racing cards on the table in front of your jet ski and move up to three spaces. The cards stay there: yours can cover other players' cards, theirs can block your way. And if a card ends up over the edge of the table, you're out.
In pre-order: we ship as soon as it reaches our warehouse.
There is no track: you build it.
In the middle of the table there are only the start, the finish and a few curve markers. Everything else is drawn by the players' racing cards: long cards with a line down the middle, one or two spaces where the jet ski stops and, on some cards, diagonal lines for turning. Each player has a deck of 20.
Try it: place the cards and watch the jet ski move.
- Up to three spaces per turn.Place the cards you need, then move your jet ski 3 spaces. You may also stop at 2, 1 or 0, if going on would be risky.
- What you cover no longer exists.If a card covers a space, yours or another player's, that space no longer counts.
- Jet skis are obstacles.You may shift a card slightly to steer around one, but your cards must always touch each other.
- One boost per race.Once per game you flip your rider card face down and move 4 spaces that turn instead of 3.
- Off the table, out of the race.If you can't place your next card in any way without it hanging off the table, you are eliminated. That's why near the edge you turn early.
Six riders, six jet skis, six decks.
Tornado Splash in seven answers.
The first to cross the finish line wins. You don't roll dice and you don't play numbers: you decide where to put your cards.
Competitive, everyone for themselves, from age 8. The rules fit in four pages and are explained quickly.
You draw your cards from your own deck, and they aren't all the same: some go straight, some let you turn. But whoever is behind holds more cards: 4 for the leader, 6 for the last. No dice.
Your cards can cover the other players' spaces, and their jet skis are obstacles you have to steer around.
Four courses to set up from the box, and with the curve pieces you can invent new ones. There is also a Grand Prix: three races in a row, for points.
The 120 racing cards are only lines and spaces; the jet ski and rider cards are in Italian. This is the MS Edizioni edition.
A card hanging even slightly off the table puts you out. If your table is small, the rulebook explains how to shorten the track.
Three phases, and being first has a price.
You check who is furthest ahead towards the finish line: that player is first, and plays first. At the start, with all the jet skis lined up, the lightest one is ahead.
Everyone at the same time fills their hand up to the limit of their position. Tap a position:
When your deck runs out, you pick up the cards furthest back on your own track: the track you raced on becomes your new deck.
Players take turns in ranking order, starting with the leader: place your racing cards, move your jet ski, and the next player goes.
The first to cross the finish line climbs onto the podium; the race goes on until every position has been decided.
The choiceThe leader plays first and holds fewer cards: everyone behind sees where they went, and can cover their spaces or block their line.
The Dice Tower review.
The video is in English; the track built out of cards is the thing to watch.
Is it a game for your table?
You'll like it if
- you want a game to bring out with family or friends who don't play often
- you enjoy games where an eye for space matters more than calculation: where do I put this card?
- you like short games and races decided at the very end
- you have a large table you can clear
Skip it if
- you're after long-term strategy and heavy choices: it weighs 1.25 out of 5 on BGG
- you play on a small table that is always cluttered
- you don't like the idea of being eliminated: going off the table puts you out of the race
First race: Tornado Circuit.
It's the course the rulebook recommends for your first game: two straights and two curves. Then try the Grand Prix: three races in a row, 5, 3 and 2 points for the podium, and a different course each time.
What people ask before buying
What kind of game is Tornado Splash?
A light jet ski racing game by Moyuki Adisawa (Arclight Games, Italian edition by MS Edizioni) for 2 to 5 players, 20–40 minutes, weight 1.25 out of 5 on BoardGameGeek. Each player builds their own track by laying racing cards on the table in front of their jet ski; the first to cross the finish line wins.
How does a turn work?
Every round has three phases. Ranking: you check who is closest to the finish line. Draw: everyone fills their hand up to a limit that depends on their position (4 cards for the leader, 5 in between, 6 for the last). Action: in ranking order, each player places racing cards so that their jet ski can move up to 3 spaces, then moves it.
How do you place a racing card?
In two ways. Accelerate: edge to edge with the previous card, so the centre line goes straight on. Curve: along a diagonal line of the previous card, so the track turns; never more than 90 degrees from the previous card. The centre lines must always connect.
Are the jet skis all the same?
No. Each of the six jet skis has its own deck of 20 racing cards and a card showing its type (speed, balanced or control), stars for speed and turning, and its weight. The weight decides who picks a starting lane first (the heaviest) and who is ahead on a tie (the lightest). The six riders all have the same boost.
How do you decide who is ahead?
Whoever has moved furthest towards the finish line. When two jet skis are in the same stretch, the one closer to the next boundary line is ahead; in a curve you compare the angle around the curve marker. At equal distance, the lighter jet ski is ahead.
How much does luck matter?
Some. Racing cards have different shapes and you draw them from your own shuffled 20-card deck. But the further behind you are, the more cards you hold, so you have more choice. There are no dice.
Can you be eliminated?
Yes. If you cannot place your next racing card without it hanging off the edge of the table, you are out of the race. In the Grand Prix, eliminated players share last place.
Do you need a large table?
Yes, a clear one: the edge of the table is part of the game. If the table is small, the rulebook suggests folding one or both course tools to shorten the track.
How many players and from what age?
2 to 5 players. The Italian box says ages 8 and up.
Is it in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition by MS Edizioni. The racing cards have no text at all: only lines and spaces.
How many courses are there?
Four course cards: Tornado Circuit (recommended for the first game), Splashway, Roundabout River and Raindrop Road. With the curve cards and the course tools you can also invent your own.
What is the Grand Prix?
A variant of three races in a row. After each race you score 5 points for first place, 3 for second and 2 for third; whoever has the most points after the third race wins. In 2 players second place scores 0, in 3 players third place scores 0.
How long does a game take?
20 to 40 minutes for one race.
When does it ship?
It's in pre-order: we ship as soon as it reaches our warehouse.
Your cards, your track. Just don't fall off the table.
In the box: 6 riders and 6 jet skis, 6 rider cards, 6 boat cards, 120 racing cards (20 for each of 6 colours), 4 course cards, 6 curve cards, 3 curve markers, 2 course tools, a fold-up starting gate and finish line, a winners' podium, 5 summary cards.