Board Game Arena

Bid! Race! Win!



Tires screech. Gears shift. Drivers push their million-dollar cars to the limit. The difference between victory and defeat could be a single card.

For nearly 40 years, this card-driven racing game has been the delight of gamers and families. Known by many names – Top Race, Daytona 500, Cleveland Grand Prix – It is my pleasure to announce that Downforce is now in beta here at BGA!

Downforce is a card-driven bidding, racing, and betting game for 2-6 players. Players first bid to own the six cars in the race, then they play cards from their hand to speed them around the track. However, most cards will also move their opponents' cars. So figuring out just the right time to play a card is the key to victory. In downforce, you can lose the race and still win!

• Game page
• Boardgame Geek Downforce page
• English rules
• Publisher page

Hope to see you soon on the track!

Hello, Is it possible to have an optional setting for multiple laps and to disable betting?

The game works fine otherwise.

Definitively yes, planned as a variant!

bdrieu wrote: ↑24 June 2020, 23:17 Definitively yes, planned as a variant!

Would be awesome! Thanks!

Hi. I've been playing this game and am really enjoying it. One thing I have noticed is that you can't see a record of which cars you have bets on? Unless I'm just not seeing it?

Keep up the good work!

It is on the map, but perhaps I need to add more log on this.

I noted two items that could be clearer. I played a card with two wild moves on it, it would be handy if, when it asked what car to assign it, it also showed the distance it was moving so you know you assigned it to the right car. Also when a special ability interrupts someone's turn and it says it is waiting on someone to move, it would be nice if it noted that it was a special ability that interrupts a turn. I also missed the betting information if it is on the map. Do you just highlight the betting position after the bets have been made?

We played a game where half the time the card player got to decide if determined was used, 25% of the time the player with the power decided, and 25% of the time is was automatically applied.

MikeConcho wrote: ↑18 July 2020, 05:53 We played a game where half the time the card player got to decide if determined was used, 25% of the time the player with the power decided, and 25% of the time is was automatically applied.

Well, this depends on who moves the car as it is the current player who decides the exact path of the car. If the movement is auto, there is of course no choice and that is decided by the game itself.

Please let me know the number of the game if you think there are bugs on the way it is handled and I will have a look at it.

Cheers,
Benjamin

tleroux wrote: ↑16 July 2020, 17:32 I noted two items that could be clearer. I played a card with two wild moves on it, it would be handy if, when it asked what car to assign it, it also showed the distance it was moving so you know you assigned it to the right car.

Good idea! Noted.

tleroux wrote: ↑16 July 2020, 17:32 Also when a special ability interrupts someone's turn and it says it is waiting on someone to move, it would be nice if it noted that it was a special ability that interrupts a turn.

Why not but not trivial to implement cleanly, also noted.

tleroux wrote: ↑16 July 2020, 17:32 I also missed the betting information if it is on the map. Do you just highlight the betting position after the bets have been made?

It is indeed on the map. But as people seem to miss it because it is a bit hidden inside the map, I will add something more instrusive but clearer in the players panels.

Thanks for your feedback!
Benj