# RoboRally ## General Info - **Year Published**: 1994 - **BGG Rating**: 7.0 - **BGG Rank**: #652 - **Players**: 2-8 (Best with: 6) - **Duration**: 45-120 min - **Weight**: 2.43 / 5 - **Designers**: Paul Sottosanti, Richard Garfield - **Artists**: Bob Carasca, Daniel Gelon, Franz Vohwinkel, Jennifer Lathrop, Peter Bergting, Phil Foglio - **Publishers**: Wizards of the Coast, 999 Games, ADC Blackfire Entertainment, AMIGO, Avalon Hill, Hasbro - **Categories**: Maze, Miniatures, Racing, Science Fiction - **Mechanics**: Action Queue, Bias, Grid Movement, Lose a Turn, Modular Board, Programmed Movement ## Verdict If you're looking for a chaotic, programming-based race game with a healthy dose of player interaction and unpredictable fun, RoboRally is a classic worth checking out. It's all about outsmarting your opponents while navigating a treacherous factory floor. Simultaneous programming creates hilarious chaos High player interaction and direct conflict Modular boards offer high replayability Unique blend of strategy and unpredictability Can be prone to analysis paralysis Player elimination can be frustrating Game length can vary significantly FOR GENRE FANS ## Description Get ready for robotic mayhem in RoboRally, a 1994 classic where factory robots, tired of their routine, transform the assembly line into a crazy race arena on weekends! Forget assembling cars; now the mission is to be the first to cross all checkpoints in a specific sequence, dodging industrial lasers, treacherous pits, and conveyor belts that can be both a blessing and a curse. You and your friends choose a robot and program its movements using cards. The play is simultaneous, and there's even a time element: if you're not quick enough to fill all your robot's 'registers' with movement cards, the game does it for you, randomly! Then, it's time to reveal the cards, one by one, and watch the chaos unfold. The card with the highest number moves first, and so on. Cards can make your robot turn 90 degrees left or right, move forward two spaces, or even move back one. Sounds simple, right? But the factory is a dangerous place. Other robots can push you off course, and the worst part: you can't reprogram anything midway! Lasers fire, factory elements act, and your robot can take damage. If it takes too much damage, some movement cards become 'locked,' and if things get worse, your robot can be destroyed entirely. The first to complete all objectives in the correct order claims victory, but some games can be played in a tournament style with scoring. It's a race of strategy, luck, and a lot of laughs! ## How to Play Game Objective Welcome, robot pilots! In RoboRally, you are robot engineers, but with a small detail: your robots have a mind of their own (or at least act like they do!). The objective is simple, but the execution... ah, that's the fun part! You need to be the first to guide your robot through a crazy factory, touching all the checkpoints in a specific order. Sounds easy? Wait until the conveyor belts, lasers, and other robots try to get in your way! Setup Let's tidy up the mess before the factory starts running at full speed: Choose the Board: Decide which side of the modular board you want to use. Each side offers a different challenge! Place the Checkpoints: Place the numbered checkpoints (1, 2, 3...) on the board, following the order you want the robots to visit them. Choose Your Robot: Each player chooses a robot and takes the corresponding energy token. Position the Robots: Each player places their robot on one of the designated starting spaces on the board. Shuffle the Program Cards: Thoroughly shuffle the deck of program cards and place it face down in a location accessible to everyone. Life and Damage Tokens: Keep the life tokens and damage tokens in a general pile, ready to be used. The Game Turn A turn in RoboRally is a frantic sequence of programming and chaos. It is divided into several phases: Card Dealing Phase: Each player receives 9 program cards from the deck. If a player already has damage tokens, they receive fewer cards: 9 minus the number of damage tokens. For example, if they have 3 damage tokens, they receive 6 cards. Programming Phase: Each player chooses 5 of their program cards and places them face down, in order, in their register slots. These will be their robot's actions for the turn. The remaining cards are discarded. Register Activation Phase (5 Registers): This is the phase where the action happens! Each register is activated in sequence: Reveal and Act: All players reveal the card from their first register slot. The robot with the highest priority card acts first. In case of a tie, the robot closest to the starting checkpoint (or a defined reference point) acts first. Robot Movement: The robot executes the card's action (move, turn, etc.). Board Elements Act: After all robots have moved, the board elements (conveyor belts, lasers, etc.) act. Fire Lasers: All robots fire their lasers in a straight line. If a laser hits another robot, it causes 1 damage token. Check Checkpoints: If a robot touches a checkpoint in the correct order, it "captures" it. This process repeats for all 5 register slots, one at a time, until all 5 cards have been executed. Maintenance Phase: Repair Damage: If a robot is on a repair space, it can remove 1 damage token. Restart Destroyed Robots: If a robot was destroyed (reached 10 damage tokens), it is restarted on the nearest restart space, with 2 damage tokens. Discard Cards: All used program cards are discarded. End of Game and Scoring The game ends as soon as a player manages to touch all checkpoints in the correct order. That player is declared the winner and the brightest robot engineer in the factory! Tips for Winning Planning is Key, but Flexibility is Essential: Try to anticipate not only your own movements but also those of your opponents. However, be ready to adapt your strategy, as chaos is a constant in RoboRally! Manage Your Damage: Avoiding damage is important, as it limits your programming options. Use the repair spaces strategically and don't hesitate to move away from danger if your hand of cards is weak. Utilize the Board: The conveyor belts, pushers, and lasers on the board can be your best friends or your worst enemies. Learn to use them to your advantage to propel your robot or push opponents into traps! ## FAQ ### How many players can play RoboRally? RoboRally accommodates 2 to 8 players, making it great for groups of various sizes. ### What is the average game length for RoboRally? A game can last from 45 to 120 minutes, depending on the number of players and the complexity of the chosen course. ### Is RoboRally a complex game for beginners? With a BGG weight of 2.4281/5, it's considered medium complexity. The basic rules are easy to pick up, but mastering movement programming and anticipating chaos is the challenge. ### What are the main components of the game? The game comes with robot miniatures, modular boards that form the factory, movement cards, and damage tokens, among others. ### Is there luck involved, or is it purely strategic? RoboRally combines strategic movement programming with a good dose of luck and chaos due to other players' interactions and unpredictable board elements. It's the perfect mix for laughs! ### Who is RoboRally recommended for? It's ideal for players who enjoy racing games, action programming, and lots of direct interaction, with a touch of humor and unpredictability. If you don't mind a bit of chaos and love seeing your plans go hilariously wrong, you'll have a blast! ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 33.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5044733&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.94 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=151563&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 37.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4486383&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.97 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4819334&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4681334&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 56.26 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4781844&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 59.38 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6077671&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 59.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4849617&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 61.19 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4728398&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 65.95 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5956658&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/700/roborally?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com