Into the Machine

About this board game

Into the Machine is a highly tactical race game for 2-5 players, with play lasting about 60 minutes. Players guide teams of robots through a machine, racing toward victory in a contest of movement, timing, and team coordination.

Circle-bots begin by racing toward one end of the machine. Once they reach it, they tag in their hex-bot teammates, who race in reverse along the same track. The team that completes this robotic relay race wins, making every stage of the journey part of the overall contest.

The action is not limited to the track. Outside the machine, each player has a pit crew of bots that can be sent to work at terminals. These terminals let players move and manipulate their teammates inside the machine, creating a tactical link between the bots on the course and the crew operating beyond it.

• Player count: 2-5
• Play time: 60 minutes
• Core challenge: Race circle-bots and then hex-bots in opposite directions on the same track
• Key system: Use an outside pit crew to work terminals that affect bots in the machine

With its unusual two-stage race and shared track, Into the Machine focuses on tactical decisions rather than a simple sprint from start to finish. Players must manage the relationship between their racing bots and their terminal-working pit crew as they pursue a chance at anodic glory and the opportunity to upgrade themselves into more skilled bots.

Released in 2026, Into the Machine presents a distinctive robot-racing theme built around circle-bots, hex-bots, terminals, and a race through the machine.