Heat – Pedal to the Metal
  • Game Name: Heat: Pedal to the Metal
  • Game Type: Racing / Hand Management
  • Publisher: Days of Wonder
  • Players: 1–6
  • Play Time: 60 minutes
  • Release: 2022

Heat throws you behind the wheel of a 1960s-style Formula 1 car, and it’s all about hand management, push-your-luck, and racing smart. Each round you choose cards to move forward based on your car’s current gear. Shifting, overheating, and handling corners require planning, bluffing, and just a little recklessness.

What’s in the box?

What’s in the box?

Quality cards, detailed mini-cars, and modular tracks. Days of Wonder doesn’t miss with presentation. This is shelf-candy and table-gold.

What’s in the box
  • 2 giant double-sided boards (4 tracks)
  • 4 Track cards
  • 6 race cars and matching Gear pawns
  • 6 player mats
  • 72 Speed cards
  • 48 Heat cards & 37 Stress cards
  • 114 Upgrade cards
  • 35 Sponsorship cards
  • 10 Legends cards
  • 10 Event cards
  • 1 Legends mat & 1 Championship mat
  • 6 Weather Tokens & 12 Road Conditions Tokens
  • 2 Press Corner Standees
  • 1 Scorepad
  • 2 Rules booklets
Heat cars

Gameplay Breakdown:

The core of the game is fairly simple:

  1. Shift Gears: Choose your gear for the turn. Higher gear = more cards played = potentially more speed. But shift too aggressively, and you gain “Heat” cards. Heat cards are GARBAGE. They clog up your hand, and if you draw too many when trying to cool down, bad things happen (like spinning out).
  2. Play Cards: Play Speed cards from your hand face down, equal to your current gear. These have numbers on ’em. 
  3. Reveal & Move: Flip the speed cards over, add up the numbers, and vroom! Move your little plastic race car that many spaces on the track.
  4. The Catch (Corners & Heat): Here’s where your brain (and engine) starts to sizzle. Each corner on the track has a speed limit. Exceed it, and you gain more dreaded Heat cards.  
  5. Slipstreaming & Adrenaline: Fall behind? Don’t cry into your helmet! Adrenaline gives the last-place cars a little catch-up nudge. And if you end your move right behind or next to another car, you get a nifty two-space “slipstream” bonus!
Heat at home

The modular tracks, weather, and event variants add replayability. And yes, there’s an AI mode and championship mode for solo players and campaign fans.

Four different tracks are included in the original game. More track expansions are available for purchase as well.

The Good:

  • Risk/reward tension keeps everyone engaged

  • Variant modules, and 4 different tracks add depth and replayability. 

  • Scales well from 2 to 6 players

The Bad:

  • This game is a little more difficult to teach than something like Downforce.  But it’s Heat is better if you want to add a little bit of deck building and strategy to your game.  
  • Games will take a little longer with new players.  A game will mostly likely take 90 minutes unless everyone is experience with Heat.  
Heat – back the game box

Final Word:

Heat: Pedal to the Metal captures the feel of racing. It’s accessible but rewards smart play. This isn’t a gearhead simulator—it’s a race to the finish with the heart of a card game and the soul of a sports movie. The racing game Downforce is a little easier to teach, but if you are looking for another step forward in racing games, Heat is a no-brainer.

Overall Rating: 4.5 outta 5 

You can find Heat: Pedal to the Metal at Amazon.com or your local game shop.  You can even find extra tracks like “Heavy Rain” and “Tunnel Vision“. 

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