In Automobiles, players race around the track using a deck-building-style mechanic based around collections of cubes instead of cards. The cubes represent customizations to the player’s car and crew, and are added to the player’s cloth bag as they are acquired. Cubes are then drawn from the bag in order to take actions on the race track. Like real auto racing, proper timing of pit stops is also key to avoiding the effects of wear and tear.
Automobiles was designed by David Short, who also designed Planes for AEG last year (See “‘Planes’ From Alderac”). The game includes a double-sided game board, 5 wooden race cars, 5 player sheets, 5 wooden lap markers, 25 game cards, 5 cloth bags, and 282 wooden cubes. The game is designed for two to five players, ages 14 and up, and plays in about 45 minutes. MSRP is $49.99.