Kanban: Driver’s Edition

2014

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a deeply intriguing and engaging board game that transports players into the fast-paced world of automobile manufacturing. This game, designed by the acclaimed game designer Vital Lacerda, is set in an environment where the players, acting as ambitious factory managers, strive to impress the factory’s stern director and achieve the highest efficiency. The theme of the game is inspired by the real-world concept of Kanban, a Japanese method of inventory control and order scheduling, originally used in the automotive industry. In the game, the players employ this method to manage parts, designs, and even certifications in ... Read more

120
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

12+

Heavy

About the game

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a deeply intriguing and engaging board game that transports players into the fast-paced world of automobile manufacturing. This game, designed by the acclaimed game designer Vital Lacerda, is set in an environment where the players, acting as ambitious factory managers, strive to impress the factory’s stern director and achieve the highest efficiency.

The theme of the game is inspired by the real-world concept of Kanban, a Japanese method of inventory control and order scheduling, originally used in the automotive industry. In the game, the players employ this method to manage parts, designs, and even certifications in an intense race against time and each other.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game of Kanban: Driver’s Edition comes with a variety of components, each of which plays a vital role in the gameplay. Here is a list of all the components and their functions:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the main staging area for the game. It is divided into several sections, each representing a different department within a car factory. These include Design, Logistics, Assembly Line, Testing and Innovation.

2. Player Boards:

Every player receives a personal board which is used to track progress, store resources and plan actions. It consists of separate areas for storing car parts, completed cars, book tokens and banked shifts.

3. Workers (Player Tokens):

Each player has a set of worker tokens which they use to perform actions on the game board. The number of actions a player can perform depends on the number of worker tokens they have available.

4. Car Parts:

These are resources used to build cars. There are five types of parts: engines, body parts, electronics, transmissions and interiors. Players collect these parts from the Logistics department and use them in the Assembly Line.

5. Car Models:

These are the cars that players try to build. Each car model requires a specific set of car parts. Completed cars are kept in the player’s garage on their player board.

6. Book Tokens:

These tokens represent knowledge in different car parts. Players collect book tokens by performing research actions in the Design department. They can be used to gain advantages in other departments.

7. Banked Shifts:

Banked shifts are extra actions that players can save for later. Players can earn banked shifts by working efficiently in the Assembly Line.

8. Performance Goals:

These are the objectives that players aim to achieve in the game. Each player has a set of performance goals which they try to fulfill by performing specific actions or reaching certain milestones.

9. Department Manager Tokens:

These tokens represent the managers of each department in the factory. The presence of a department manager in a department can affect the actions that players can perform there.

10. Sandra, the factory manager:

Sandra is a non-player character who moves around the factory and evaluates players’ performance. Depending on the game mode, Sandra can either help or hinder players.

Each component in Kanban: Driver’s Edition is designed to simulate the workings of a car factory. The interactions between these components create a dynamic and strategic gameplay experience where players must balance efficiency, resource management and timing to succeed.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a complex and engaging board game that requires careful management of resources and strategy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up the game:

1. Board Placement:

Place the main board in the center of the table. This board includes various sections like Administrative offices, Design Department, Logistics Department, Assembly line, and Testing & Innovation Department.

2. Player Roles:

Each player chooses a color and takes the matching set of pieces. Each player gets a player board, a set of cars in their color, a set of player markers, and a set of book tokens. The player board is placed in front of each player and it represents their desk.

3. Initial Resources:

Each player receives an initial set of resources. These include 2 trained workers, 1 untrained worker, and a set of shift tokens. The workers are placed on the player’s desk on the player board and shift tokens are kept in reserve.

4. Parts and Blueprints:

Fill the parts supply area with parts tokens. Shuffle the deck of blueprint cards and place them on the designated space on the board. Draw the top 4 cards and place them face-up in the design department.

5. Setting up Cars:

Place all the cars in a bag and mix them. Draw cars randomly and place them on the assembly line starting from the leftmost space until all spaces are filled.

6. Department Managers and Sandra:

Place the department manager and Sandra tokens on their starting spaces. Sandra is the factory manager and she moves around the departments evaluating players’ performance.

7. Meeting Cards:

Shuffle the deck of meeting cards and place it on the designated space on the board. Draw the top 5 cards and place them face-up in a row next to the deck.

8. Setting Up the Week Track and Shift Tokens:

Place a week marker on the current week space of the week track. Each player places one of their shift tokens on the starting space of the shift track.

9. Performance Track:

Each player places one of their player markers on the starting space of the performance track.

10. Game Start:

The game begins with the player who most recently drove a car. Play proceeds in clockwise order.

The set-up is now complete and you’re ready to start playing Kanban: Driver’s Edition. Remember, the player who manages their resources and departments most efficiently and earns the most performance points by the end of the game is the winner.

Game flow Round and round we go

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a complex, strategy-based board game that simulates the management of an automobile factory. The game is structured in rounds, with each round consisting of multiple phases. Players take turns in each phase, performing specific actions to accumulate points and accomplish objectives.

The game proceeds as follows:

Phase 1: Shift Manager’s Planning
In this phase, the Shift Manager (a non-player character) decides the order of the available seats in the different departments. The players will choose these spots in the next phase. The Shift Manager’s decision can affect the players’ strategies, so it’s crucial to anticipate this.
Phase 2: Workers Placement
Each player, in turn, chooses a position in one of the departments (Design, Logistics, Assembly, or Testing and Innovation). Depending on the position chosen, the player will perform different actions and gain different benefits. Each position can only be occupied by one player at a time.
Phase 3: Departments’ Actions
Players perform actions based on the department they have chosen in Phase 2. Actions can include designing new car models, producing parts, assembling cars, or testing car models. By performing these actions, players gain points and progress towards their objectives.
Phase 4: End of the Workday
At this point, all players have completed their actions for the round. The Shift Manager moves, possibly changing the order of seats for the next round. Players then retrieve their workers and prepare for the next round.

Throughout the game, players earn points for meeting specific objectives, such as designing specific models, producing certain parts, or assembling and testing cars. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. This game requires strategic planning, resource management, and a bit of luck to win.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a complex and strategic board game where players assume the role of ambitious factory workers in an automobile assembly line. During a player’s turn, there are several possible actions and strategic choices that can be made which affect the gameplay. These steps and actions are thoroughly described below.

1. Select a Department: At the start of their turn, a player must select a department within the factory. There are five departments, each offering different actions and benefits, such as the Design, Logistics, Assembly, Testing, and Administration departments. The chosen department will dictate the actions available to the player during their turn.

2. Perform Department Actions: Once a department is selected, the player can perform one or two actions associated with that department. These actions typically involve gathering resources, designing or upgrading car parts, assembling cars, or testing completed cars. The availability of these actions depends on the selected department.

3. Manage Time: Each action takes a certain amount of time, represented by time units. Players must manage their time units carefully, as running out will end their turn prematurely.

4. Training: Players may also choose to spend time units on training to improve their abilities in a particular department. This can lead to increased efficiency and more powerful actions in future turns.

5. Meeting: At certain points in the game, a meeting will be called. During a meeting, players can present their achievements to impress the factory manager and earn performance points. This represents a strategic choice as players must decide what achievements to present and when to present them.

6. Scoring: At the end of the game, players earn points for various achievements such as completing cars, upgrading parts, and impressing the factory manager. The player with the most points wins the game.

The gameplay of Kanban: Driver’s Edition revolves around carefully managing resources, planning ahead, and making strategic decisions to outperform your opponents. The available actions and choices can greatly affect the state of the game, making every turn count.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Kanban: Driver’s Edition’ ends when the week marker reaches the end of the week track, signifying that the work week has concluded. Once this happens, final scoring will commence. Players will need to take certain actions to prepare for final scoring.

Victory Conditions:

During the course of the game, players accumulate victory points through various actions such as improving designs, upgrading parts, and meeting goals set by the factory manager. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner.
If there is a tie in victory points, the player with the most banked shifts (unused work time) is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who is furthest ahead in turn order wins.

Actions before Final Scoring:

Complete Current Day: Players finish the current day, completing any actions they were in the middle of. This may result in earning additional victory points.
Final Evaluation: A final evaluation is conducted by the factory manager. Players score additional points based on their performance in this evaluation.
Calculate Banked Shifts: Players add up their banked shifts. Each banked shift is worth a certain number of victory points.
Calculate Final Score: Players add up all their victory points from the game, the final evaluation, and their banked shifts to calculate their final score.

Once all these steps have been followed, the player with the highest final score is declared the winner of ‘Kanban: Driver’s Edition’.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

The scoring system in ‘Kanban: Driver’s Edition’ is both complex and strategic, rewarding players for their efficiency and management skills within the automobile factory. Below are the details on how points are awarded and the tie-breaking rules.

Scoring Categories

There are several ways that players can score points in ‘Kanban: Driver’s Edition’, which include:

Designs: Players earn points for each car design they have successfully completed.
Meeting Objectives: Points are awarded for meeting the objectives set out in the meeting phase of the game.
Upgraded Parts: Players can earn points by upgrading parts of their cars.
End of Week: At the end of the week, players receive points depending on their position on the efficiency track.
Final Scoring: At the end of the game, players receive points for the cars they have on their player board, their trained workers, and any leftover resources.

Scoring Details

The points are awarded as follows:

Each car design is worth a number of points equal to the number indicated on the design tile.
Points for meeting objectives vary depending on the objective but will be indicated on the objective card.
Upgrading a part of a car is worth 1 point per upgrade.
The player in the highest position on the efficiency track at the end of the week scores 5 points, the second highest scores 2 points, and the third scores 1 point. If there are more than three players, all other players do not score.
In final scoring, each car on a player’s board is worth points equal to the number on the car’s tile, each trained worker is worth 2 points, and each leftover resource is worth 1 point.

Tie-Breaking Rules

In the event of a tie at the end of the game, the following rules are applied in order:

The player with the most trained workers wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most leftover resources wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most car designs wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who is first on the player order track wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is an immersive board game that simulates the ins and outs of automobile production. While the game generally follows a set of core rules, there are certain special rules, exceptions, and important clarifications that players need to understand:

1. Meeting Conditions: During the meeting phase, a player needs to satisfy the condition of at least one of their placed meeting cards. If they can’t, they must discard one card from their hand.

2. Car Parts: Players can only install car parts that match the car model in the assembly line. You cannot install a part into a car if that part has already been installed.

3. Training: When a player moves to a workstation where another player is already present, the first player advances on the training track. The second player does not.

4. End of Week: The game’s week ends when all seats in the meeting room are filled, or the car parts or designs are exhausted. After this, players will have one final meeting.

5. Game End: The game ends after the final meeting. At this point, players calculate their final score based on the cars they’ve built, designs they’ve made, and their position on the training track.

Special Rules:

A player can acquire a car from the assembly line even if it doesn’t match their current design. However, they won’t be able to score points for a car-design match in the final meeting.
In a 2-player game, there are some adjustments to the rules. For instance, only one seat in the administration department is available, and the first two seats in the meeting room are blocked.

Clarifications:

If two players have the same score at the end of the game, the player with the most leftover parts wins. If there’s still a tie, the player with the most cars wins.
Parts can be stored in a player’s warehouse and used later. However, the warehouse has limited space, and excess parts must be discarded at the end of a player’s turn.
Certification benefits are only available to players who have reached the required training level.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Kanban: Driver’s Edition is a complex and strategic board game that involves managing a production line in an automobile factory. To excel in this game, here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay:

Advanced Strategies:

Time Management: You should always keep track of time. Try to anticipate the game’s pace and plan your actions accordingly. Remember, wasted time can lead to lost opportunities.
Flexible Planning: Don’t stick to a single strategy. Be flexible and adapt your plans based on the game’s flow and other players’ actions.
Banking Points: Try to bank points early in the game. This will provide you with a safety net and allow you to take calculated risks later in the game.

Beginner Tips:

Understanding the Game: Before you start playing, make sure you fully understand the game’s rules and mechanics. This will help you make strategic decisions during the game.
Start Small: Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with simple tasks and gradually take on more complex ones as you get comfortable with the game.
Ask for Help: Don’t hesitate to ask for help or advice from more experienced players. They can provide valuable insights and tips.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Clock: One common mistake is not paying attention to the game’s time. Remember, each action you take consumes time, so plan your actions carefully.
Focusing on One Strategy: Another mistake is focusing too much on a single strategy. The game is dynamic and requires you to adapt your strategy based on the situation.
Overlooking Small Details: Small details can make a big difference in this game. Make sure you pay attention to all aspects of the game, including your opponents’ actions.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Practice: The more you play, the better you’ll get. Practice not only helps you understand the game’s mechanics but also helps you develop effective strategies.
Stay Focused: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the game’s complexity. Stay focused on your goals and don’t let distractions derail your plans.
Learn from Mistakes: Don’t be discouraged by mistakes. Instead, use them as learning opportunities to improve your future gameplay.