Kaos and Karts: A Review of Dungeon Kart

 RACERS! Start your engines!

Ok. So I love Mario Kart. I've been playing since the SNES era and spent most of my time as a kid playing battle mode on both Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Double Dash, but I did go out of my way to unlock EVERYTHING on the games (especially double dash) to get all that was available. I've sunk far too many hours into the series and while I'm not the best racer in the world, I can usually hold my own against most people and usually get first or second most races.

So, when Brotherwise Games ran a campaign for Dungeon Kart on Kickstarter, I knew that I had to get in on it. This was about the point where I was just starting to get back into backing things on Kickstarter after a long drought, and I was immediately interested when I saw the premise of the game. Not only was the game looking to bring kart racing to the tabletop sphere, but it also offered customizable tracks with up to 20 separate hexes (even more with the upgraded tiers) that allowed racers to come up with their own layouts of courses beyond the options offered in the box.

I am proud to say that I held off on pledging immediately on the Kickstarter. I had been burned in the past by Kickstarter games and I was just getting into crowdfunding again, so I was tentative with my excitement. I spent the next few days thinking about the game and whether or not I wanted to add it to my collection. At that point, I was just getting into building my collection again, so I didn't have anything in my collection that was racing related in any way. I initially thought that I wouldn't back the game since it was a bit more outside of my normal price range for games and although I was not happy with that decision, I was being responsible and using my money wisely.

What changed my mind was actually my wife Sarah, who mentioned the game as we were playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and facing off against one another on the screen. We were just starting to get into playing board games with one another at night and she was lamenting how I beat her so handily at Mario Kart and wanted to get a game that she could beat me at. I mentioned Dungeon Kart to her and she was immediately intrigued at the idea of playing a kart racer on the table top.

The next few days were spent with me talking it over again and again with her and flip-flopping about whether or not I wanted to back the game. Especially because I knew that if I were going to back the game, I would be going for the Gold-Tier pledge which had additional course hexes and racers. I think I annoyed her to a point where she finally relented and told me to back the game since I was so interested in it and I was really excited about the prospect of the game.

So I backed the game back in September of last year, excited about the prospect of getting a racing game for my collection and eagerly awaited the game to arrive. As each update came out from Brotherwise Games, who I will note was fantastic at updating the backers, I was more and more excited about the game. The box looked to be huge when it was finally revealed and I knew that it would be a beast on the table to set up with an absolutely fantastic table presence. Surprisingly enough, the game shipped before the estimated date of August 2024 out to backers and I ended up getting my copy mid-June, much to my joy.

Since then, I've played two games of Dungeon Kart, one at a single player count (playing three separate racers) and one at a two-player count. I have yet to fully explore the breadth of the game at it's fullest player count as it can play up to 8 players, but I think that I've gotten a nice feel for the game with my few plays of it. Obviously, I have yet to play it with a larger number of people, but my first impressions of the game are very positive.

So without further ado, lets get into the review portion of this post! 

Box Size and Storage: Well Designed and Well Integrated

Box front and back. Note the "Gold Edition" sticker on the front from the Kickstarter.

What immediately stands out to me is the box itself. It's a fairly big box, and while not the size of something like Everdell: The Complete Collection in width, the height of the box is impressive. I didn't do a good job of displaying the size of the box with my photos, but it is a taller box, mainly to fit all the track hexes in the box. I'll get to the internal portion of the box in just a second, but I do want to note that the box itself fit very nicely into my Kallax with several other games being able to be stacked on top of it when it sat flat. I have yet to tip it on it's side to check how it stores vertically, but despite it's size, the box is well designed to fit everything in it without wasted space.

Box contents and storage. First two photos are with the additional materials on the storage (rules, racing guide, and dry erase board) and second two photos show internal storage.

Opening up the box shows that everything fits really snugly into the box and with a cover for the additional components and removable tray, everything sits well without moving around too much. The top portion of the tray houses cards, tokens, dashboard stands, player aides and metal coins (so shiny) as well as a few other nick-knacks that are utilized during the game. This tray comes with a cover to prevent items from tipping out and is removable to access the track hexes as well as other small storage for non-regularly used items.

When the top tray is removed, players can see a fantastically designed insert that holds all of the track pieces, including the extra pieces from the Gold and Silver tiers (more on that in a second) as well as a reservoir for the dashboards that fits all 10 of the dashboards (a few extra from the Kickstarter). I've utilized the small storage next to the track pieces for storing a few components that I don't need (cardboard coins and a few extra grommets for the dashboards) as well as the "Rally Mode" markers, which are used for larger groups to play in teams.

Everything fits well into the box and with the cover for the upper tray on, it doesn't really move at all. It's a very elegantly designed insert and I am extremely happy that there was time taken to design an insert that not only is functional, but also limits the size of the box to the barest minimum to fit everything in.

Game Components and Construction: Premium Play and Feeling

1st image: All base game racers. 2nd Image: Ghost Racer. 3rd and 4th images: Tier Upgrade Racers (Silver and Gold)

First and foremost we have the acrylic carts, which really look good on the race track. They're a bit smaller than I expected and putting them together made me concerned that I might break one, but I was able to get them all slotted in their bases without any concerns. The racers themselves are really vibrantly printed and the bases are great as they match both the racer card color and have the racer name printed on either side of the base to help show which racer is which.

The "Ghost Kart" marker is also a really nice addition to the box as it allows players to mark where their boss kart started, which is extremely helpful when planning out a longer move. It's design easily stands out from the other racers and is simple enough to set up and leave on the track as it, like the rest of the racers, is very small and doesn't take up too much visual space.

The base game itself comes with 10 racers, with each tier upgrade adding an additional two racers to the roster each. While not necessary to enjoy the game, it is nice to have a few extra options for racers to help the game not feel stale. I'm all about getting as many characters to race as in these types of games as they often play really differently from racer to racer.

There are additional "Team Rally Indicators" that are included with the base game to play the "Team Rally" mode for even counts of players (4,6,8). The rally indicators are slightly fiddly upon first use and took a bit more effort to get onto the base of the car, as they slide around the character model, but I'm certain that they'll fit better once they've been used once or twice. The colors really pop and are easy to see what team that the kart belongs to on the racetrack.

I love the metal coins from the Gold Edition. They have such a great weight to them. The rest of the cardboard chits are also really well designed too.

The "Gold Edition" of the game comes with metal coins for players to use during the game and as a sucker for a good metal coin, I absolutely love the weight and feel of the coins. They feature the Boss Monster logo that's present on most of the game's materials, and also have a nice subtle golden finish with some wear on them that makes them feel used, but not any less premium.

The cardboard icons used for the hazards are stored in a nice little bag with the Dungeon Kart logo on the front and the flat, wide build of the bag makes pulling out hazard tokens very easy. Each of the hazard tokens is colorful and while I do wish there was some wording on each one, the game does come with a handy player aide that lists each hazard and what it's effect is. The spellbooks, first player token and "frozen" token are all very large and easy to see when placed in the center of the board.

There are also two dice included: one for the Crushinator hazard, and one for the Speed Boost hazard. The dice do feature heat-transferred icons onto the dice themselves, which makes me wish for icon-based dice with the icons recessed into the dice, but I know that these were a stretch goal for the Kickstarter, so I'm not certain if that would have been a feasible option. Still, the colorful heat-transfers on the dice do look fun and are easy to read.

Some examples of the front and back of the hero cards, boss cards, and spell cards.

The cards included in the game are simple cardstock, but the colors on each of them really pop as well. Each Epic Hero card has a reminder on what the hero does on the card and helpful iconography on the top right corner to remind players of what needs to occur when the hero is drawn from the hazard bag.

The Boss cards are similarly designed with large graphics of each of the bosses and a two- and three-coin (sometimes more/less) ability that they are able to use. If there are any questions about clarification, the Racing Guide included in the game helps to provide further detail about boss abilities and how to use them during the race.

The spell cards are split into three tiers, A, B, and C, based on racer position in the game. Each stack is separated at the beginning of the game and the front and back of the cards feature reminders for what spell tier each card is.

Hexes are bestes. Some base game tiles (first pic), silver tier tiles (second pic), and gold tier tiles (third pic).

The course pieces themselves are beautifully designed with double sided hex tiles that feature fantastic artwork and simplistic iconography to show players the movement cost on spaces, hazards, and pickups for each board. The double sided boards are well made and feature a beautiful glossy finish to the boards. With 15 separate tiles in the base game and extra tiles each being added in the Silver (7) and Gold tiers (8) for the Kickstarter, there are quite a few possibilities for track layouts and it's only limited by your imagination (and table space). Additionally, tiles are labelled with numbers and sides ("A" and "B") to make setting up the tracks easier, especially when using the included racing guides.

The dashboards, finish line, and several other components (which I will list and show later) are all made of the same multi-layer cardboard that really feels thick and well designed. With so much in the game, it would be easy for Brotherwise to choose to have thinner cardboard used to cut down on the cost of the game, but everything feels well designed and likely to hold up very well after multiple plays.

Learning the Rules

A few examples of some circuits that are included with the various racing guides and extra tiles.

When setting up the game, players can choose to utilize any number of the hexes for the road tiles to build out their track. While technically most tracks are a circuit, the game does have rules for sprints (Point A to Point B) for players who aren't looking to have a lap race. When building a circuit, it can also be a multi-lap race, requiring players to complete two or three laps before the race ends, which might also affect how long a track is when built. Players can utilize the Racing Guide included with the game to build out their tracks utilizing the track pieces designated on the guide to build a prebuilt track, or go wild and build their own. The tiles are designed to work well with one another and have been very well thought out.

An example of a completely set up race course, ready for players to choose their character and kart dashboard.

Once players have built the track, hazards are added to the tiles, with players adding in epic heroes cards for reminders if needed, and the rest of the hazard tokens, first player marker, coins, spellbook tokens, and frozen token are placed within reach of all the players. Based on player count, that many boss cards and dashboards are drawn and placed for drafting, with the first player choosing their boss first and selection proceeding clockwise around the table. Once all bosses have been chosen, the final player chooses their kart dashboard first and then choice selection occurs in reverse order.

Front and back of the dashboards. Each one is slightly different with two separate strengths and fantastic names like "Carcophagous" or "Decapitator Dasher".

Players set their boss kart on the starting line, placing their kart in turn order on the conveniently numbered spaces. Turn order then proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the first player, who can choose to move their dashboard indicator up or down one space (at the beginning of the race it will always be up) to increase their number of "movement points" (MP). The player utilizes their MP to drive through terrain, turn their vehicle, bump opponents, and drift into another lane, attempting to avoid hazards as they drive.

Player aides are well crafted and simplified versions of the rules to help players during their turn.

As karts can only turn and drift once per turn, players have to choose their actions wisely as their chosen racing line might end up with them crashing into a hazard or wall. Once players have completed spending their MP, they pick up any items that they might have driven over (coins or spellbooks), resolve any effects of hazards on the tile, and then play passes to the next player until everyone has had a turn. If players ever have any questions about their turn, simple player aides are included in the game to help assist during turns as well without having to check the rulebook.

Additionally, players also have to contend with terrain types and will have to adjust their kart's dashboard to the lowest number associated with a terrain type at the end of their turn. For example, if a kart was set to 8 MP, but drove through mud, that player would have to reduce their dashboard down to the "mud" indicator on the dashboard (usually a 4 or 5) at the end of the player turn. If a player was spun out or crashed, they immediately end their movement and move the indicator to the indicated part of the dashboard. When players crash, they put their speed at the lowest indicator, but can reposition their car to face any direction for the next round.

Placement tracking boards and boss chits for the placement tracking board.

Once all players have taken their turn, the race order is determined on the Placement Tracking Board (there are three double sided boards that go from 3 - 8 players; 2 players use the 3-player board) and spells tiers are assigned to players based on their location on the Placement Tracking Board. Placement tracking is determined by the number of hexes that a racer is from the edge of the hex, with half-hexes being counted as well. The Racing Guide does feature an in-depth way to determine distance and racers that share the same distance share the same space on the Placement Tracking Board.

Racers that are further back in the placement board will receive higher tier spells, with the A tier being the weakest of the three, and the C tier being the most powerful spells. Players who are familiar with Mario Kart and other kart racing games will find these types of spells very familiar and will appreciate the catchup mechanic that this allows for.

The game comes with both a 2-D finish line and a 3-D Finish Line for extra pizzaz.

After the placement order has been determined and spells obtained by the players, the first player marker moves clockwise to the next player and the game proceeds onward with the same turn order. The game concludes at the end of the round when a player has crossed the finish line and rules for multiple finishes are also noted in the rulebook as well.

This being a kart racer, there are several caveats that come with racing from point A to point B, including boss powers and spells, both of which have specific usage rules. Boss powers can be used at any time during a player's turn and can only be used once per turn, but players can use both powers if they have the coins for them. Certain spell cards must be used at the beginning of the round, or at the beginning of a player turn, but other cards can be used at any time during a player turn, and that is detailed on the cards themselves. Players can only have one spell at a time (unless a boss ability says otherwise), and even if they pick up another spellbook, they are not able to take another card if they already have a card in their possession.

Overall, despite their being quite a few clarifications in the rulebook for situations that might arise, the game itself does a great job of being very intuitive and even those not familiar with kart racing games will find that it's easy to pick up. The rulebook and racing guide are also excellently designed and provide detailed explanations for all the powerups, pickups, and hazards that players might come across during the game, as well as providing some examples of tracks that players could build.

Karting Kaos on the Table

Lady Vix is having trouble keeping up with King Croak, but an item might help!

I had really high hopes for this game when I backed it on Kickstarter, especially since it seemed to be designed to bring Kart Racing to the table top sphere. I was worried however about how close the game could be, especially with racing games to have issues with balancing and racers getting too far ahead.

However, after several plays of the game, both with a two-player count, and playing three characters on my own, I am happy to admit that the game feels extremely well balanced and designed around keeping the players in close proximity with one another. Especially with the spell system and catchup mechanics built into the game, there was a constant push and pull for who was going to win the race.

A "Haste" spell is exactly what was needed!

Because of the various terrain hazards, spells and general layout of the course requiring constant adjustment of speed and positioning, there was only a few times where one racer was far ahead of the other racers, but that gap was quickly closed the next turn. The various spell cards are fantastic and having to monitor not only your speed, but also your racing line to ensure that you take an optimal path on the course is something that I never expected in a game like this.

There's a surprising amount of strategy in this simple racer, especially when it comes to choosing lines over the hexes. There were several times where I seriously contemplated potentially being spun out by a hazard to get an extra spellbook or a few extra coins, and I love that there is so much that can be planned out. Despite all of this however, I don't think this will cause too much analysis paralysis as no matter what choice you make during your turn, the game has a way of balancing out bad turns and prevents any one standout from blowing away the competition.

King Croak opted for an inside line versus Lady Vix's outside line. While Croak might have a shorter distance, he does have to drive on grass, which costs more MP and will reduce his final speed.

I'm floored with how much fun I had with the game and although I've only been able to play it a few times alone and with my wife, I know that this will be a blast to bring to play with others. The game is simple enough to teach, the courses are completely variable, and the constant pressure of having someone potentially pass you for the final win is enough to make me want to get this to the table again and again.

Racing to the Finish Line

If I had to compare this game to another set of racing games, I would say that it feels like a mix of both Heat: Pedal to the Metal and Thunder Road: Vendetta. There are elements from both games that are present in Dungeon Kart, including the incredible balancing from Heat and the terrain cost and chaos of Thunder Road. However, Dungeon Kart stands on it's own with the inclusion of kart racing mechanics and the track building element.

While there are a few minor concerns and complaints that I have about some of the production decisions, I do really like the game and hope to get it to the table more often since I know that it's going to be a standout. I continue to think about the games that I have with a racing mechanic and while there are many games out there that have you racing vehicles, I don't think that I've found one that really hits the Mario Kart spot as much as Dungeon Kart does.

With excellent production and components, cleverly thought out storage, and massive potential for various courses to be built, Dungeon Kart really stands out to me as something that I am happy that I backed and purchased. Initial thoughts on the game are extremely positive and it definitely captures the feel of playing a Kart Racer on my table top.

I know the danger with games that are based off video games is: "Would I choose this over the video game?" and I would have to answer a definitive "yes." While Mario Kart is fun to play on your television, there is often a skill gap that can occur with players who have years and years of experience versus those that are new to the game. Dungeon Kart helps reduce that gap significantly, making the game easy enough for even new players to beat out veteran player with the excellent balancing the game manages to achieve.

This is certainly the gold standard for me when it comes to Kart Racing games now and I can easily award this game a 98/100 as it's one that I want to see how much the game has to offer and play again and again and again. I'm taking a few points off due to the game not having a solo mode, although that could easily be mitigated by playing multiple characters at once, and for the dice being a bit less produced than I would like. Still, the game surpassed all that I expected and it's definitely going to be a regular addition to my game nights.

If you're looking for a great kart racing game that plays from 2-8 players, this one is for you.

Final Thoughts

I really wanted to take my time with this post and make sure that I got some great thoughts on the review. I took a bunch of time to snap a whole lot of photos of the game that didn't necessarily make it into the final review, so if you want to see more, check out my gallery.

Overall, I really found myself liking the game more and more as I wrote about it and while I know that it's not going to be for everyone, as someone who really enjoyed the kart racing genre (and still does), this game scratched that itch quite well for me. The more and more I wrote about it, the more I realized that I had enjoyed my play of it, not just because of the previous history I had of playing Mario Kart, but also because the game itself was very well designed.

What really tipped it over the edge for me was how easy it was to teach to Sarah. She picked it up almost immediately and nearly beat me during the race that we played after. We probably would have played it with a multi-lap race, but she had been really tired that evening and we cut it short after a single lap. When she said that she really liked the game, I was further encouraged as sometimes attempting to teach her results in her just being overwhelmed with the game. Dungeon Kart was an easy teach and with the variability that it offers, I'm sure it's going to be out often.

I did also want to change my rating scoring system slightly for this review going forward to a 100 point scale as I already use the .1 system on BGG to better adjust things. I'll be using the scoring from now on for further reviews, and if you would like to know the BGG rating, just divide by 10.

Give your thoughts:What are your favorite catchup mechanics in games? Do you like any games in a shared world (i.e. Boss Monster, Cartographers, etc) that have different mechanics but feature similar characters/locations? Is there a preferred player count that you have for your games that you play?

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*Originally posted on BoardGameGeek on 19/7/2024*