One Lap of the Track

This is a non-replay game based loosely on the 400 Metres track event. Eight players each control a single runner on a staggered lane track - special rules apply for 4 to 7 players.

Each runner has fifteen Bid Tokens, totalling 100 points of Stamina, and for each of the eight Turns a Movement Card is exposed to show the Movement permitted for the top bidder, the second highest bidder, and so on. One or more of the tokens are placed face down in front of the player and the bids examined when all players have made up their minds.

The highest bid claims the first Movement shown on the card, the second highest the second, etc, etc. A Tie-Break Card quickly settles the matter between equal bids. The used Bid Tokens are discarded, except for the Zero token which is taken back into the hand (useful to bluff with!) and the next Turn takes place using a new Movement Card.

Some Movement Cards give a significant Movement advantage to the top bidder, others may have the top three positions gaining equal Movement, but the lower bidders are at a definite disadvantage. All 27 Movement Cards are different (eight are dealt randomly for each race), so bidding tactics and bluffing vary with each race.

Four Movement Cards are on display when the race starts, the one used for the first Turn plus the next three Turns, and at each Turn another Movement Card is revealed, so some forward planning is possible - and necessary! And the staggered lanes means that the true position of the runners is not known until they enter the home straight which deliberately adds to the uncertainty.

If heats and/or semi-finals are run half of the unused Stamina can be carried forward to the next round or Final, and in any event unused Stamina can help a runner 'win' a photo finish if runners are level after eight Turns.

Although designed as a multi-player game for eight players the game can be played by as few as four players with the special rules provided. It has excellent possibilities for Play-by-(e)Mail.