The basic fact which underpins all cycle racing is that it is
easier to cycle behind somebody than in front of them. You can try this
yourself if you don't believe me but once you get within a certain
distance of the guy in front then you can coast along in his slipstream
while he does all the hard work. This fact also underpins Flamme Rouge.
In this game you ride the coattails of your opponents, using their
effort and sacrifice, their blood and their tears, in order to get one
of your guys across the line first.
The board
itself is modular. You get a load of road parts and you can design your
own routes, or follow one of the six map cards that come with the game.
These are based on different real-life races (or types of race), such as
one of the spring classics or a mountain stage in the Tour de France.
Each
player controls a team of two cyclists, a "rouleur" and a "sprinteur",
and each rider has their own deck of 15 cards, consisting of 3 sets of 5
different speeds. The Rouleur has a narrower range and is more
dependable. The Sprinteur can go quicker in bursts but is generally
slower. Each turn you pick the top four cards from a rider's deck and choose
one to play, and then do the same for their team mate. All players then
reveal their cards and you move the riders in turn, leaders first. Once
everybody has moved the riders at the back can coast up to the guy in
front if they are within a square of them. Anybody who has a gap bigger
than that in front of them gets a special red exhaustion card to add to
their deck. If you stay at the front for the whole race then your
options quickly become limited, as your deck fills with red cards and
your legs go to jelly.
In addition some squares
are hills, with corresponding descents. These affect the cards you play
in certain ways - you can't go above five uphill (no frozen blood bags
here) or less than five downhill, and slipstreaming doesn't work when
you're struggling up a mountain - which means more of those dreaded
exhaustion cards. Eventually one of the riders crosses the line first
and the winner can unzip their top, lift their arms and shout in
victory.
And that's it. This is a very simple
game. It's easy to learn, easy to teach and easy to play. Turns are
done pretty quickly and a whole race can be over in 30 - 45 minutes.
However, like all good games, this apparent simplicity masks a whole lot
of stuff going on underneath the surface.
The
cards in each deck are enough to finish the race. So there's a
temptation to charge off as quick as you can and leave your rivals
behind. Of course you'll get exhaustion cards but hopefully, if you're
lucky, you might pull off an unlikely victory. And you do control
another rider so, if you're careful and clever, then you can shield the
other guy for at least part of the way. If you watch real cycle racing
you'll know that this rarely works but every now and again it does, so
maybe it's worth a try.
Of course the better
tactic is to sit in the pack at the start. You avoid exhaustion that
way, keep your best cards and can unleash a devastating burst of speed
at the end to breast the line in triumph. But if you go too slowly you
drop out of the pack and have to work hard to get back; gaining
exhaustion and using your cards up in the same way as you would have if
you had charged off, just without any of the advantages. This game is a
balancing act, you're making constant choices between risk and safety - whilst trying to
guess what your opponents will do next.
Mountains
and descents shake it up even further. Is it worth playing your best
cards to get in a better position for a climb? There's no point having a
hand full of 9s if the maximum you can go is 5. It might be worth
sprinting to the bottom and starting the long ascent in front, everybody
is going to pick up exhaustion cards anyway. Similarly do you need to
play a big card to catch up a rival on a descent? Or can you get rid of
one of your exhaustion cards and give yourself a better chance in the
sprint at the end?
I should probably confess
that I once spent an hour (or two) during an especially refreshed
Saturday afternoon teaching my totally rapt wife about the intricacies
of team tactics in the Tour de France, so this is a game which
especially appeals to me. However, I would recommend it to anyone. It
is beautiful in its simplicity. There's no random element apart from
which cards you draw, and you're responsible for what is left in your
hand. I've played games with my 69 year old Dad and my 7 year old son
and both of them have ended up shouting in victory or vowing revenge.
The
presentation and components are also generally really good. The only,
really minor, problem is that the riders are sometimes difficult to tell
apart. A bit. You could paint them or even just go over the letter on
their back. To be honest it's not a big deal, I just feel like I should
say something to give a bit of balance. Other than that this game has a
really nice 1930s aesthetic, with grimacing riders in woollen cycling
jerseys desperately trying to overtake the guy in front.
This
game feels tight and extremely well designed. The different track
formats add replayability and force you to make tactical choices, and
it's simple but complex in the way that all the best games are. This
game can be played by anybody and will be enjoyed by anybody. I heartily recommend it.
