The first thing that comes to mind when we think about racing is video games. I dare to change your perspective about it because mine was changed a few months back.

I heard about the term “Racing board games” for the first time when my friend Leo asked me to accompany him in playing La Corsa. I was undoubtedly a bit amazed. In my mind, board games have always been about battles, strategy, or fantasy lands, but racing? That was a domain I’d relegated to video games. Interestingly, this shift in perspective wasn’t the first time a game surprised me. Earlier, I had a similar revelation when I discovered Golden Heart Games, a casino game that redefined my expectations of online casinos.

First impression:

It was a packed box when “Leo” handed it to me. Its weight instantly suggested to me its quality and fineness. On opening the plastic wrap, I was welcomed by my mother’s finished box with the written “La Corsa” on it. The artwork was unique, illustrating a racing track surrounded by a vivid crowd.

Components were neatly arranged; the board was nicely folded; car decks and miniature cars were wrapped, and a manual copy was accompanying it. I was amazed as my expectations about it were a standard board game with usual cardboard tokens and standard card car decks. But it was beyond my expectations.

My first interaction with La Corsa was filled with surprise and impressiveness. When I was expecting another board game, I found an impressive and beautifully packaged masterpiece.

My Gameplay Experience with La Corsa

La Corsa, at its core, is a racing game. Where drivers steer their cars around, managing their speed and strategically utilizing the cards to boost their game over opponents. The main goal is to get to the finish line first!

The game starts when every player chooses their cars and places them on the starting line. The track of cars works as the primary navigation through the game. The players can use different cards to perform other actions, such as applying brakes or accelerating the car’s speed. As a bonus, the players can use “Extended cards” or “Redline cards” to boost their speed and get ahead of other players.

While playing the game, La Corsa reminded me of the classic game “Formula D,” but with its unique twists. Both are racing games, but this impressive board game was more streamlined.

In my interpretation of the game, La Corsa was a roller-coaster of emotions. The mix of luck and strategy kept me on my seat.

THE RULES

Playing La Corsa: Simple Rules

1. Game Components:

Six cars.
A dice.
A wooden track that you can unfold.
A big stack of cards.
(Note: You can buy more cars online. There are cards with car pictures to help remember which car belongs to whom.)

2. Getting Started:

Everyone picks a car.
A particular group of cards (called a “suit”) exists. There are six groups, each with numbers from 1-12. Plus, an extra card called “Redline” adds two to your number.
Depending on how many people are playing, that’s how many card groups you use. For example, if three people are playing, use three-card groups.
Everyone gets 13 cards from the groups you’re using.

3. Starting Position (Qualifying):

Everyone chooses one card from their hand to decide their starting place.
The biggest number card gets the front spot. The next biggest gets the second spot, and so on.
If two people have the same card, use the dice to decide who goes first.
Think carefully about which card to use! If you have lots of small numbers, start at the front. If you have big numbers, start at the back and try to pass others.

4. Racing:

Play a card to move. The number on the card is how many spaces you move.
If there’s a space in front of you, you can play a card with the numbers 1, 2, or 3.
If you’re behind another car, you can play a special card to follow them closely.
The leader can’t use this unique “follow” card because there’s no car in front of them.

5. Special Card – Redline: