Dirt & Dust
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Feel the gravel under your wheels, the co-driver shouting the turn, your heart pounding before the hairpin. And then you decide.
What it's about
The rally you've never experienced — and won't forget
Designed by Petr Čáslava with illustrations by Jakub Politzer, Dirt & Dust puts you behind the wheel of a rally car in ever-changing scenarios: the scenic coast with its blind hairpins, the narrow streets of a European city center, iconic mountains, forests, and nighttime special stages.
Each player starts with five basic action cards and five pilot cards. Throughout the race, you build your deck, adjust shock absorbers, check tire pressure, modify the active differential. The dice determine your ability to perform actions — but it's how you choose to place them that separates champions from spectators.
Strategic deckbuilding and dice placement merge into an adrenaline-pumping experience where every turn is a decision and every damage tells a story. This is the original English edition published by Albi — all text and cards are entirely in English.
The tabletop experience
The co-driver reads the pace note, you roll the dice — and in a second you understand if that turn was really within your grasp.
The secret of Dirt & Dust in one line
You build the deck, place the dice, take unexpected damage — and then you understand why rally is the most unpredictable sport in the world.
From the game experience
Dirt & Dust
The Ghost Driver acts as an automatic rival. The experience brings out all the tactical tension of the game — excellent for refining deck management alone.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsYour arsenal
What you control in each game
Your personalized deck
Start with 5 basic action cards + 5 unique pilot cards. Throughout the race, acquire new cards to refine your strategy — each deck tells a different driving style.
Dice to place, not to suffer
3 player dice, 3 black risk dice, and 10 red boost dice. The result opens options — choose where to place them among speed, control, repair, and calculated risk.
Technical car setup
Adjust shock absorbers, tire pressure, geometry, and differential. Each stage has different terrain — adapting the setup is the difference between holding the line and ending up in the ditch.
Permanent damage tokens
28 damage tokens that remain in the deck and pollute it. Every incident has consequences — managing damage and deciding when to repair is one of the game's best tensions.
English Edition — text in English
This is the original edition published by Albi. All cards, boards, and the rulebook are in English. The rules are accessible even without advanced language knowledge.
In a few hours, you'll have cursed a die, loved a card, and recounted that wrong turn as if it were a legend. It always happens with Dirt & Dust.
🎲Components16 types · complete setup
🃏Recommended Sleeves1 size · 244 cards total
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The briefing before the start
Choose your driver, set up your starting deck with basic cards. You look at your opponents' cards. Someone has already selected their shock absorber setup for gravel terrain. Someone else is going all in on speed. The race hasn't even started and you already know who your main rival is.
The first dice roll nobody forgets
You place your dice, activate a driver card. The result is good — maybe too good. You risk an aggressive move on the tight hairpin. The turn is successful. The table grumbles. You already have two more navigator tokens than the others and the first stage is ending. The advantage is almost frightening.
The damage that changes everything
Mid-game. A black risk die turns bad — a permanent damage token enters your deck. Now every time you draw that card, you lose an action. The others know it. They change their strategy accordingly. You have to decide: slow down and repair, or push harder and hope your deck holds?
The combo nobody calculated
There's always a moment in Dirt & Dust. A driver draws three cards in perfect sequence, places the red boost dice at the right moment, activates the navigator's passive effect. In one turn they recover half a stage. The table stiffens. That combination is studied for the entire next game.
The finish line — and the demand for a rematch
Someone crosses the finish line. The others are still talking about that combo on the third stage, about that risk die that rolled badly, about that driver card that never arrived at the right moment. Everything is put back in the box, already wondering what scenario to face next time.
How to play
The flow of each stage
Four phases that repeat for each leg. Learn in one game, master in three.
Stage cards are revealed, defining the track: terrain type, weather conditions, critical curve, and special modifiers. Each stage requires a different approach — the deck that worked on the coast might not work in the mountains.
You roll your player dice and risk dice. The red boost dice are shared and assigned in turn order. Each placed die activates an action: acceleration, control, card acquisition, or navigator activation.
You draw from your deck and play cards, matching them with dice. The permanent damage cards you've accumulated are shuffled in with the others — and when you draw them, they cause you to lose an action that turn. Deciding when to repair is one of the toughest choices.
With the points earned, you acquire new Racing Team cards to specialize your deck. Then you advance on the track. Those who haven't kept pace lose positions. At the end of the last stage, the player with the best total time wins.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make the difference
Deckbuilding that evolves during the race
You don't build your deck before playing — you build it as you race. Each stage brings new cards, new choices, and new combinations to discover. Your deck tells the story of your game.
Dice to place, not to suffer
Dice results don't decide for you — they open up options. You choose where to place each die among speed, attack, repair, and boost. This is where you win or lose.
Damage tokens that pollute the deck
Every accident isn't just a penalty — it's an inert card that enters your deck and reduces its efficiency. Managing damage and choosing when to stop to repair is one of the most agonizing decisions.
Always different stages
Coast, European city, mountain, forest, night. Each scenario has its own special rules and pitfalls. The same deck that dominates on one terrain might struggle on the next stage.
Asymmetrical drivers
Each driver has unique cards that define their driving style. The choice of driver is not aesthetic — it radically changes how you build and use your deck throughout the race.
Ghost Driver for solo play
The official solo mode uses an AI driver that reacts to your moves credibly. It's not filler — it's an opponent designed to create the same tension as multiplayer.
How it ends
Speed vs. endurance
It's not enough to be fast on one stage — the winner is the one who accumulates the best overall time across the entire race. The strategy changes with each leg.
Victory
- Accumulate the best total time at the end of all stages
- Build an efficient deck and manage damage without stopping
- In solo mode: beat the Ghost Driver's time
Gradual elimination
- Accumulated damage tokens slow you down more and more each turn
- Those who don't adapt their deck to different stages lose irrecoverable positions
- There's no sudden elimination — but those who are too far behind already know it by mid-game
Dirt & Dust is one of the most original deckbuilders of recent years — because it puts real rallying into the mechanics, not just on the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dirt & Dust FAQ
Is it worth it compared to other deckbuilders on the market?
Yes, if you're looking for a deckbuilder with a strong thematic identity. Most deckbuilders have a decorative theme on top of abstract mechanics — Dirt & Dust builds the mechanics around rallying in an authentic way. The damage tokens in the deck, the car setup, the variable stages: every element reminds you that you're racing, not just optimizing.
Do the dice make it too random to be satisfying?
No — and this is one of its best qualities. The dice open up options, they don't decide for you. Placement is what matters: a low result on a risk die can be turned into an advantage with the right card. Those who build a flexible deck suffer less from dice variance than those who rely entirely on a specific combo.
Is it difficult to play the English edition without knowing the language?
It depends on the level. The cards have short, functional text — there's no need to read paragraphs during play. Anyone with a basic knowledge of English will have no problems. The rulebook is more challenging to read, but once learned, the game is not often consulted. If you prefer to play in Italian, the Cranio Creations edition is also available.
How many players does it work best with?
With 3–4 players, you experience the full tension of the race: competition for shared boost dice becomes crucial, and every choice affects others. With 2, it's more tactical and direct. The solo mode with the Ghost Driver is a successful mode and not a fallback — valid on its own for learning the game.
Are there any expansions or additional scenarios?
Currently, Dirt & Dust is a recent title (2025) and has no confirmed expansions. The modular stage system is designed to be expandable. The base game is already a complete experience.
Is it suitable for those who have never played deckbuilders?
With some reservations. The basic rules are understood in one game, but the complexity of Dirt & Dust (weight 3.32 on BGG) means that the first two games will mainly serve to learn. Those who have already played Dominion or similar will adapt faster. It's not a gateway game — it's for those who want something substantial.
Dirt & Dust is a competitive rally board game with deckbuilding and dice placement for 1–4 players (ages 14+, duration 60–90 min). Designed by Petr Čáslava, illustrations by Jakub Politzer, published by Albi. English edition. Core mechanics: deckbuilding + dice placement on modular stages. Each player builds their deck during the race with action and driver cards, managing permanent damage tokens and 12 dice including player, risk, and boost dice. Includes official solo mode with a Ghost Driver. Available on FroGames.it.
Dirt & Dust
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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