Race
OpenDefinition
Games where the first player to achieve a key objective wins the game. Typically this is expressed as the winner being the first player to reach the end of a track, but any type of fixed goal also qualifies as a Race mechanism. CATAN is an example, where players race to reach 10 points. The Quest for El Dorado is an example, where players race to reach a goal on a map.
Top games using this mechanism
By BGG bayes rating, top 50.
| Game | Year | Rating | Wt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ark Nova#2 | 2021 | 8.35 | 3.8 | 150m |
| Dune: Imperium#6 | 2020 | 8.22 | 3.1 | 120m |
| Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition#7 | 2017 | 8.22 | 4.4 | 480m |
| Root#34 | 2018 | 7.88 | 3.8 | 90m |
| Viticulture Essential Edition#44 | 2015 | 7.81 | 2.9 | 90m |
| Heat: Pedal to the Metal#47 | 2022 | 7.79 | 2.2 | 60m |
| The White Castle#73 | 2023 | 7.68 | 3.1 | 80m |
| Android: Netrunner#82 | 2012 | 7.65 | 3.4 | 45m |
| The Quest for El Dorado#122 | 2017 | 7.54 | 1.9 | 60m |
| Codenames#161 | 2015 | 7.43 | 1.3 | 15m |
| Rajas of the Ganges#166 | 2017 | 7.41 | 2.9 | 75m |
| Roll for the Galaxy#172 | 2014 | 7.40 | 2.8 | 45m |
| Res Arcana#182 | 2019 | 7.39 | 2.7 | 60m |
| Istanbul#191 | 2014 | 7.37 | 2.6 | 60m |
| Star Wars: Outer Rim#194 | 2019 | 7.37 | 2.6 | 180m |
| Xia: Legends of a Drift System#196 | 2014 | 7.37 | 3.2 | 180m |
| Jaipur#201 | 2009 | 7.36 | 1.5 | 30m |
| Cosmic Encounter#229 | 2008 | 7.31 | 2.6 | 120m |
| Splendor#243 | 2014 | 7.29 | 1.8 | 30m |
| Hanamikoji#282 | 2013 | 7.22 | 1.7 | 15m |
| Flamme Rouge#288 | 2016 | 7.22 | 1.7 | 45m |
| Santorini#309 | 2016 | 7.19 | 1.7 | 20m |
| Viticulture#317 | 2013 | 7.18 | 3.0 | 90m |
| Lewis & Clark: The Expedition#331 | 2013 | 7.17 | 3.3 | 120m |
| Cryptid#337 | 2018 | 7.16 | 2.3 | 50m |
| Merchants & Marauders#414 | 2010 | 7.07 | 3.3 | 180m |
| Gizmos#415 | 2018 | 7.07 | 2.1 | 50m |
| Dixit#424 | 2008 | 7.07 | 1.2 | 30m |
| Schotten Totten#430 | 1999 | 7.06 | 1.7 | 20m |
| Takenoko#439 | 2011 | 7.06 | 2.0 | 45m |
| PitchCar#525 | 1995 | 6.98 | 1.1 | 30m |
| Magical Athlete#529 | 2025 | 6.97 | 1.1 | 30m |
| Fantastic Factories#559 | 2019 | 6.95 | 2.2 | 60m |
| The Manhattan Project#565 | 2012 | 6.94 | 3.0 | 120m |
| Catan#616 | 1995 | 6.90 | 2.3 | 120m |
| Port Royal#628 | 2014 | 6.89 | 1.6 | 50m |
| Escape Plan#630 | 2019 | 6.89 | 3.7 | 120m |
| Jamaica#642 | 2007 | 6.88 | 1.7 | 60m |
| RoboRally#650 | 1994 | 6.87 | 2.4 | 120m |
| The Fox in the Forest#684 | 2017 | 6.85 | 1.6 | 30m |
| Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia#686 | 2013 | 6.85 | 3.1 | 60m |
| Cribbage#751 | 1630 | 6.80 | 2.5 | 30m |
| Can't Stop#767 | 1980 | 6.79 | 1.1 | 30m |
| Formula D#770 | 2008 | 6.79 | 2.0 | 60m |
| Taluva#784 | 2006 | 6.78 | 2.2 | 45m |
| Civilization: A New Dawn#787 | 2017 | 6.78 | 3.2 | 120m |
| A Game of Thrones: The Card Game (Second Edition)#794 | 2015 | 6.78 | 3.5 | 120m |
| The Oracle of Delphi#818 | 2016 | 6.76 | 3.0 | 100m |
| New Frontiers#888 | 2018 | 6.71 | 3.0 | 75m |
| Steampunk Rally#910 | 2015 | 6.70 | 2.6 | 60m |
Frequently combined with
Other mechanisms that show up in the same games. Click to drill in.
Related deep dives
Long-form design analysis on games using this mechanism.
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Heat: Pedal to the Metal* (Asger Harding Granerud & Daniel Skjold Pedersen, Days of Wonder, 2022) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for a racing deckbuilder. No direct digital competitor …
The Quest for El Dorado
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *The Quest for El Dorado* (Reiner Knizia, Ravensburger, 2017) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for a *racing* deckbuilder. No direct digital port exists; the genre slot — deckbuilder race…