Kraftwagen

About this board game

Kraftwagen is a strategy board game for 2–4 players, with games lasting about 75 minutes, in which start-up automobile companies compete to advance car technology and production.

Set against Germany’s rapidly changing automotive landscape, the game draws on the period from Bertha Benz’s pioneering 1888 cross-country drive to the industrial progress of 1928. Combustion engines have overtaken electric and steam engines, road networks have expanded, and assembly-line production is making cars more affordable to a wider population.

As competing manufacturers, players research new technologies and develop improved chassis and engines. Each company must make careful decisions about the vehicles it produces, responding to what buyers want while keeping prices as low as possible.

• Advance the state of automobile development.
• Research technologies and build improved chassis and engines.
• Compete in early Grand Prix races for prestige and money.
• Balance buyer preferences with affordable pricing.

Early Grand Prix races offer an important opportunity for young companies to gain recognition and funds, but success depends on more than racing performance. Manufacturers must also understand demand and create cars that appeal to buyers without losing the advantage of a low price.

Kraftwagen, released in 2015, combines automotive innovation, production, racing, and market competition within a focused historical setting. The V6 Edition adds a new set of tiles featuring the next technology available at the time: the V6 engine.