Thunder Alley

Thunder Alley is a really fun stock car racing game that captures the feel of the sport with a card-driven simulation. I've been playing it with 3 players and it's great. The cars move based on the cards you play, which adds a ton of strategy. It's not just about getting your car across the finish line first, but maximizing the score for your whole team of 3-6 cars. The card play is quick and there's a lot of replayability with the four different tracks included. I especially love the tri-oval super speedway for wide-open racing and the short track for a tight, bumper-car duel. It's a game that really makes you feel like you're in a race!

I did find that the learning curve was a little steeper than I expected, though. The different movement types can be confusing at first. But once you get the hang of it, the game becomes much more engaging. The rules are solid, and the components are high quality. The box even has a storage compartment for the cards and a few baggies for keeping everything organized.

I also think the game does a great job of simulating the unpredictability of racing. There's an event deck that adds a layer of chaos with things like accidents, yellow flags, and worsening track conditions. This means that even if you're in the lead, you're never safe.

My biggest complaint is that the game does tend to run longer than the estimated 60-90 minutes. We've had games that stretched to hours. But that's just a nitpick. Overall, Thunder Alley is a fantastic game that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys racing games or strategy games in general.