Thunder Road: Vendetta Review: Death Race 2023

Tom, Zee, Camilla & Joey take a look at Thunder Road: Vendetta!
0:00 Intro
1:00 Overview
12:08 Final Thoughts
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[@Bleuchz]

That Max Chrome box is a 10/10.

[@speedandstyletony]

Looks even better in person so I guess it goes to 11!

[@gurnblanston2848]

This game was a no-brainer all-in pledge for me. Just got mine a couple days ago, and I can't wait to have some friends over to play it.

[@g8kpr3000]

Same. I never do all in pledges and rarely ever back crowdfunded games. But the second this was announced I was throwing money at my computer monitor. When it went live I backed it all in, then did it again when the KS was relaunched.

[@squidrecluse2336]

Just got my copy of the Maximum Chrome edition. Haven't had a chance to play it yet, but I had fun sorting all the pieces. Gotta say for all the bits and pieces that it comes with, the organization is pretty solid. Maybe not Dice Throne levels of perfection, but still really good.

[@ubergubber2101]

My wife and I just played and had an absolute blast! For what it is, I would recommend this to anyone. We played 2 player and added an extra medium car each and it worked great.

[@petergross7235]

Good idea adding the extra car for two player. I will try that.

[@adamwhite4858]

Having a blast with this. My only regret is not going all in with the Maximum Chrome pledge.

[@JonTripp115]

Thunder Road (at least the version i had?) didn't have a scrolling board, it had puzzle boards like this one (except you used two long boards, compared to 3 shorter boards in Vendetta).

[@steeltekki]

I had the one from the late 80s with two long boards. It had puzzle ends.

[@g8kpr3000]

Yup. Exactly.

[@dallasuphold1745]

Could Tom be wrong? My original one was just puzzle boards.

[@bmann2200]

I still have the 80's version and it has the puzzle piece board that you move during gameplay

[@Jugular1st]

Of course Tom is wrong. The original is puzzle boards too.

[@marcbennett9232]

I use to play the original when I was a kid and it was a lot of fun. my version did not have the conveyor belt thing, I did have cardboard tiles. not sure if mine was a 1st edition, or later edition where they removed it but there ya go. I love what restoration games does in general, and really happy I backed this!

[@claywhisman9721]

Played it for the first time last night with my group of 4. We had a blast. First game we did not use the extra ammo cards but added them in after that. Everyone agreed it was a great game. Can't wait to get it back to the table. The comment about someone getting out ahead only to have choppers come after you was definitely true in our games.

[@mightymickey8879]

I have the max chrome and am so happy this game received praise. It is an absolute blast and great point by Joey Evans that it’s east to explain and enjoy for new players. That’s the biggest hurdle for all our competitive games as usually the person bringing the game is the most experienced. In this experience will help some decisions, but part of the game is simply making decisions to cause chaos.

[@g8kpr3000]

Not sure what Tom is talking about. The original definitely did not have a scrolling board. It only had two boards. Set up like this one. But it was wider by one or two rows. The game only came with three boards. So when a car went off the edge, you took the back board and placed it on the front. The boards were also very similar in style and had one long central road.

[@thedicetower]

Huh, I must be mixing it up with another game.

[@g8kpr3000]

@@thedicetowerthe problem with the old game is that you could repair a y car with a 6. And if all your cars were damaged, you could sit there and keep rolling until you got a 6. I played with a friend a couple years ago, and we both had all cars eliminated, and it was a race to see who rolled a 6 first. Not very exciting.

[@otubrabnad]

@@g8kpr3000 There's an easy way to house rule this that I never played without. Big car heals on a 6. Medium car heals on a 5 or 6. Small car heals on a 4, 5, or 6.

[@ChrisLee-infin8eye]

I double checked and I cannot find any information regarding a version of this game with a scrolling board. There were two different box designs for this game in the 80s and I don't think the components varied much, if at all. I wonder what the scrolling board game mentioned is.

[@dddmmm21]

I am really confused if they only loved it because of the KS extra box... Is the base game also a 8-9?

[@jawsvvvvv]

During my first game I played it four handed. I was surprised how with four dice how rare the repair option was rolled. I had two players who had one car each which became disabled but, never came back just due to never rolling a six.

[@claywhisman9721]

We played four games last night and I had the same experience with repair. The one time I did repair that car got shot again before I had the chance to move it and was disabled again. That kind of made me go on the offensive and use my chopper more instead of repairing in future games.

[@XanYT]

I can totally see the appeal of the Chrome version. It does seem to add a lot depth and variety. However it not being available atm and it being REALLY expensive SUCKS. Especially for what it is. I really would have much preferred a review and scores for the base game. Which I am sure more people, including myself, are willing to buy.

[@sm5574]

Everything except the German Engineering is supposed to eventually make it to retail. The expansions add variety, but I feel like the guys overemphasized their necessity. It's the core gameplay that's the truly fun part.

[@stevenmcgoldrick8552]

​@@sm5574Restoration advised on the Kickstarter comments that only the Big Rig expansion would be available through distribution. Although they'll be selling excess copies on their site/at conventions etc.

[@sm5574]

@@stevenmcgoldrick8552, I think we're both wrong. I just went back and checked; unless something changed, the KS page says that the expansions excluding Extra Ammo (including Chop Shoppe) will be available at retail, but the add-ons will not.

[@stevenmcgoldrick8552]

@@sm5574 There was a quote from yesterday in the comments from RG, 'There are retailer backers who will have their stock from the campaign. We will have excess stock on our website after backers are fulfilled. The only expansion that is going into distribution is Big Rig and the Final Five.' One thing we can agree on, is that it certainly isn't very clear!

[@daledonovan1875]

I agree; not everyone does KS, and it’s presumptuous to focus the review on that version when many won’t have it. Focus on core games for your core audience.

[@JBearwa]

Expansions, including the extra ammo are available on manufacturers website

[@ChrisLee-infin8eye]

I had the original Thunder Road and it didn't have a scrolling board. It had board tiles like this version. Was there another version before the tile based one, or has the host got mixed up with another game? If so, what game?

[@Cervando]

Reminds me of a very simplified Car Wars by Steve Jackson. I always wished they did a simpler , scaled up version of this game,with higher quality components.

[@gparry12]

Just got my copy and it’s a blast!

[@chrisdabeard8790]

I've got the original game on my shelf and my gaming group always enjoy it as a starter game for the evening. I'm liking the updated rules and different combat mechanics in this new version. This is definitely going on the wishlist.

[@ScytheNoire]

I had the original as a kid and loved it. This game is pure Ameri-Thrash and so much fun. Embrace the chaos.

[@revimfadli4666]

A pure ameritrash with dice allocation/placement/input randomness? Very interesting

[@RzorFox]

How would you compare the fun factor of this to tiny turbo cars?

[@leosalcedo3384]

Great review and now I want it! Question: do you think I should get the standard edition or wait for the chrome edition to become available at MSRP? Y’all speak to highly of the chrome edition that I’m not sure if I should pay 70 for standard. Thoughts?

[@AlBundy4td]

Just got our 2nd game in with base only - playing with 5 7 10yr old and they all had a blast.

[@richardblkmann3298]

If you had to choose between this and Heat Pedal to the Metal.. Which one do you buy first?

[@Jugular1st]

Want to feel like you're making smart moves? Get Heat. Want to laugh about misfortune? Get Thunder Road.

[@robinvandepoele2117]

Does anyone know whether the chrome edition will be purchasable in retail or if that was kickstarter exclusive?

[@JSR_Lucio]

Retailers did have the option to purchase it. Restoration is working on setting up on their site I believe a list of retailers that have it.

[@Hasmanian]

Restoration will also be selling overstock on their website after fulfillment is completed.

[@sm5574]

The Maximum Chrome was KS-exclusive, but the only thing it has that won't be available at retail in some form arr the German Engineering and Extra Ammo. (Well, that, and a plastic insert for storage.)

[@mightymickey8879]

Also the rulebook contains the rules for every expansion. The inserts are the best in the business. They snugly fit every component and account for sleeves.

[@sm5574]

Yes, it has a consolidated rule book, but it doesn't contain any additional information. My point is, there are only a couple of things you are _missing_ by not getting Maximum Chrome, and they are not essential.

[@iphatbass]

Have you tried Death Roads: All Stars? It's also racing game, but mechanically very different! You have 8 different cars, each with unique decks, so every vehicle has it's strengths and weaknesses, also before game stars you are drafting weapon cards!

[@iansutton7416]

Is the chrome spray facepaint included in the base game Tom? 😜

[@jawsvvvvv]

This is a favorite game I have kickstarted in a while. Most I get play a few times and sell. This is a keeper. I can't say enough about the insert "GOLD JERRY GOLD!!!"

[@kevinwilliams5427]

Played one game of this with a couple friends... and yes. Absolutely loved it.

[@ajguez]

The live play of this game during the spring spectacular was probably the best live play I’ve seen across all content creators…it was entertaining, easy to follow, and looked like a ton fun. The DT team was on fire! Heck yeah on the high ratings! The live play showed how great this can be. Congrats to Restoration Games as it looks like another solid addition to your catalog.

[@nurd6]

The Gaslands comparison was exactly what I was curious about.

[@speedandstyletony]

Gaslands is fun but has big setup and lots of overhead while playing. This game keeps the same feel but easier to play. The only thing that gaslands has is converting hotwheels for play.

[@kevinsayers5985]

I just got my Kickstarter in last week. Played 3 times already and this game is stellar. The components, the mechanics, the length. It's just a fun, great game all the way around. As they said, it's not for everyone and you just have to go into it realizing there's going to be a decent amount luck and chaos but oh man it's fun! Furthermore, Restoration games continues to prove they are just an amazing board game company! Bravo Rob!

[@sm5574]

It's one of those games where a big part of the fun is watching your plans fall apart, and then adapting on the fly. It isn't pure luck, but it's definitely more luck than strategy.

[@kevinsayers5985]

@@sm5574 agreed! We played a game on Saturday and one of my buddies who isn't into heavily luck-based games Lost two of his cars in like the first two rounds of the game hitting hazards and getting unlucky rolls and yet he won the game. He was all frustrated at first but I kept telling him yes, you lost two cars but you only need one car to win and the three cars are basically just like lives. He ended up liking the game anyways but That's probably because he won 🤣 Game came down to me and him. He was on the last space before the finish line. I had enough to get to the finish line but I needed to either make it through an oil slick, which had an impassable object behind it, toxic goo , or slam him, the bigger vehicle and get a lucky roll twice. I went into oil Slick and of course my roll went straight back into it and Destroyed my last car🤣😭

[@Drew_D]

Wow, impressive scores all around!

[@hakbash7588]

I used to have the original version way back in the day. Great mad max type game.

[@jcapo5]

I just watched this review and then I saw the chrome version in my game store. Had to buy it. It looks amazing

[@LegoAssassin098]

It's really fun! The only couple of issuei I had was: 1.there should have been a detailed packing instructions for that super fancy box. The ks page had a general instruction, but i still had a lot of confusion. And they had space on the back of the promotional inventory that was shown to include one. Van ryder did this type of thing with the final girl big boxes. And after its packed, you throw it away. 2.I think some player aids would make the game easier to play. Theres a decent amount of head-in-rulebook with the hazards, terrain types, actions, special specific rules, etc. Im sure someone on BGG will make a nice one, but it would have been better to have them in the box, at least with the terrain types and how combat/slamming works. Though these are minor things. Id also give it about a 9/10. Its a great game.

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

There’s a RE boxing video on their KZbin channel. They linked to it on their last kickstarter update. I used it and it worked great. Most of the storage was fairly intuitive in my opinion.

[@mightymickey8879]

For player aides that’s a good point but I suspect Restorarion Games is depending on the community to make something rather than pass the cost on the consumer. I definitely agree that a player aid will speed play.

[@simonb9898]

I have just uploaded a player aid to BGG. Awaiting approval.

[@nygrentony]

Live in Sweden! And I kickstarted the chrome ed in a whim since i love the mad max movies. And l found this game to be GREAT! It even smells like dirt gasoline and burned rubber. OH WHAT A GREAT GAME! WHAT A GLORIOUS GAME!!!

[@griffglowen5555]

I was waiting for Zee to compare it to his old fav Rush & Crush

[@crokinoledk]

My vote for reviewing the core box! I confirm: almost unavailable in Europe. Here in Denmark you can have it in one store, but just Thunder Road: Vendetta - Big Rig and the Final Five available.

[@viktorkm]

Nice! will buy!

[@judgemally5034]

Going to a buddy's with my wife to play tonight. Super excited

[@CopperLontra]

Yep, really glad I got this. Played 5 times so far and I've never not laughed at the chaotic mess that happens. It's just fun

[@sm5574]

This is one of those rare games that you'll have more fun losing this game than winning a lot of others. You slam your opponent, then they get knocked into an oil slick and slam back into you and your car gets knocked off the board. All in one turn. It's crazy fun.

[@neilbiggs1353]

I'm disappointed I didn't learn about Automobiles until it was out of print as that is another game where I have fun even when I lose - in that, you can have SPECTACULAR turns because you drew the right cubes, but it doesn't feel unearned.

[@adamwhite4858]

Yeah I go head first into the hazard tiles and blow myself up pretty much every game, but it’s a blast lol.

[@albertschmidt1741]

This reminds me of an old Games Workshop game, DarkFuture.

[@neilbiggs1353]

If you ever have Sam Healey back visiting, I feel like a live play through with him involved would be amazing! I had this game when I was a kid, but it only had two board pieces that were fairly similar from what I recall, so having more tiles and double sided was a great change by the sounds of it, along with player powers etc... This sounds like the sort of family game that deserves to be in the mass market and I also wonder about what sort of variants they might be able to come up with. Not thinking of any particular movie, at least none that I've witnessed, but could you imagine an expansion that introduces a one vs many game where one player is trying to outrun multiple pursuing forces? Maybe in a big truck with a driver with a mechanical arm?...

[@sm5574]

The Big Red Rig is sort of a pseudo-one-versus-all expansion. It takes all the other players working together to bring that thing down! (Of course, they still each want to win.)

[@neilbiggs1353]

@@sm5574 Cool - with how they described it I wasn't sure quite how that variant worked

[@sm5574]

@@neilbiggs1353, it's basically a beast of an opponent, and that's it. It isn't technically 1 vs all, but if the players don't work together, they'll have a tough time winning. So I guess it's more an incentive to form alliances than a true 1 vs all. But if there's a player in your group who likes to be the bad guy, the Big Rig is perfect for them.

[@branboom3342]

"Just dumb fun." I seriously hope that quote makes it onto the the box 😂

[@BABYPOP028]

Somebody needs to replace the battery in your clock 🕰️

[@KabukiKid]

Ha! Well... in photography and advertisement, having an analog clock or watch at 10:10 is a standard thing... it is considered to be "smiling" when it looks that way. Maybe Tom is adhering to that old logic. lol Who am I kidding? Someone else put that there because Tom has an aversion to analog clocks! ;-)

[@nickadams8460]

Does anyone remember Games Workshops “Dark Future” (about 30 years ago) that played a little like this.

[@KabukiKid]

I tortured Justin every single time I saw him about doing a remake of this game for years... so you all can thank ME now for this game happening. lol ;-) YOU'RE WELCOME! In all seriousness... this is the type of game that Restoration Games was made for! :-D

[@g8kpr3000]

Thanks Kabuki. I’m pretty sure I emailed Reatoration a couple times as well. The end finish line piece was also my idea. So that was my contribution. Very cool to see that piece on the final game.

[@KabukiKid]

@@g8kpr3000 Ah! That's very cool! :-D Extra fun to see something you contributed make it into the final product. :-) As for me being the impetus behind getting the game made, that is just a joke.. but it is true that I bugged the heck out of Justin every chance I got! lol Maybe I helped soften him, eventually. ;-)

[@Eihcra96]

Sucks that the Chrome edition won't be available now that the kickstarter is done. :( I only got into board gaming just over a year ago and knowing what I know now about the hobby I would've lapped this up in a heartbeat.

[@Josh-hz8vz]

Don’t fall prey to the FOMO. If the game is popular, they’ll do another Kickstarter for the Chrome edition. It’s easy money for a publisher.

[@sm5574]

Everything except German Engineering and Extra Ammo is supposed to eventually be available at retail.

[@Flip5ide]

They are doing another Kickstarter

[@NATOnova]

seem to be a lot of highly rated racing or racing themed games released over the past 1.5t years.

[@TEN27]

How is this game at 2?

[@boardgamemusic]

This game is awesome!

[@bazookapotamus4151]

My wife and I love this game. We are both down to one car, I'm 2 tile ahead. Tell me how I hit oil and crash into a rock. >_

[@TylerMcWilliam]

backed this on a whim because i like mad max, glad i did

[@uplift-yourdailypickup6424]

I backed this one and almost sold my pledge before it arrived as I’m more of a euro gamer, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s quite fun and I’m very impressed with the amount of content that came with it. None of it is bloat, it all seems to add to the enjoyment of the game. Which leads me to say that the base game itself is slightly dull and needs some of the expansion content to really make it shine. But at this point I’m happy I got this and plan on keeping it.

[@mightymickey8879]

Yes I feel like the chop shoppe and themed commanders should’ve been included in the base game. Then like most updates of old games, they included a classic rules option that doesn’t utilize those components. They are instrumental to enjoying the game and I would never play without them so I think the base game may suffer reviews without them. Also, the wash should not have been a KS exclusive as they make the pieces pop.

[@johnnovotny5074]

What happened to the gavel?

[@eriksjogren800]

Thanks

[@NakedGamer]

I'm upset Tom didn't witness me again :(

[@edwindrood2816]

Cool

[@Anubis22774]

Excellent review and all four of you make an incredible team. Most enjoyable video on this game so far.

[@patriziopastore9895]

oh seems a very good game...

[@beaulong]

400-500 BUCKS for the chrome version... games are just insanely priced anymore!! Fun game but damn....

[@raisenets99]

Sucks that its too expensive for chrome edition for the simplicity. I know its fun but its should be priced less and its a downer having to buy the base game...

[@blindseerurza]

funny tom said he wished thunder road was around when he was a teenager but the game was around as a MB game.

[@thedicetower]

Yeah, I guess it was, but I never saw it or heard of it. And Vendetta is what I really would have wanted.

[@Edu-qv4lq]

Death Rally the game

[@victorgonzalez2927]

I feel Death Roads All-Stars is a better Mad Max game.

[@taykey17]

When we play, we let eliminated players use their helicopter still.

[@ConeDefense]

One of the many times, not talking price is a big deal. Not everyone gets copies direct from publishers. $160 price tag on the version we’re talking about. It’s a great game, but that price tag needed to be discussed.

[@harsuke.c3397]

Yes it's way too much

[@kaneklenko]

It’s the new “Set it and forget it”. “Set it down and go to town”.

[@speedandstyletony]

I love the characters giving an asymmetric feel but I am not that impressed with the German engineering cards, prefer the dice.

[@PablowingUrMind]

Good. I made a spotify playlist for it and I was hoping it was just as awesome.