If you'd told me that, as a board game designer, you could capture the thrill of Formula 1 racing in a tabletop experience, I would have called you into the pit to have a word about telling tall tales. But here we are with HEAT: Pedal to the Metal, a game that's had a brilliant response from reviews.
The game is currently down to £44.95 at Zatu, from it's usual price of more than £62. And it sure is cheaper than an actual Formula 1 experience day. Trust me, my dad is obsessed.
Every Sunday, both TV sets were ablur with racing cars from the moment I was born until – well, I imagine it's still going on now I've moved out. That's got me feeling a bit nostalgic, but at least I can bring that cosy Sunday fun to the kitchen table for him for fathers day when it rolls around, and with £18 off.
Should you buy HEAT: Pedal to the Metal?
While we've not looked at HEAT: Pedal to the Metal ourselves, IGN reckons it's able to emulate an "actual sense of breakneck speed". With its simple, fast paced deckbuilding system, players take to the track in a 1960's Grand Prix. You play a number of cards equal to your current gear to get around the track, and have to manage your hand, downshifting at the corners and gaining heat.
It's a fantastic-sounding system that means as much as you can rev up and get into first place, holding onto it is much much harder. It's a game of pushing your luck like many of the best board games, and balancing your speed and heat so you don't have to slow down so much that it'll cost you the race.
It looks like it really manages to give that sweat-fuelled, Red Bull funded racing experience without messing it up with what could have been a really terrible game design.
For more discounts, be sure to check out the latest these board game deals for January 2025. As for last-minute present ideas, why not drop by our gifts for gamers guide?
