Carabande, Pitchcar, and expansions

I have a large collection of games, because I love the variety. One of the things I like best about this variety is the fact that I can almost always find the perfect game for the group I’m currently with. But there is one game that I can pull out with any group, any time, anywhere, and it’s always a smash hit. This game is called Carabande (Goldsieber, 1996 – Jean de Poel, recently republished as Pitchcar (Ferti, 2003).

I give Carabande/Pitchcar my highest rating and probably play it more than any other game. It’s easy, accessible to all ages, and attractive to look at and play. If you don’t have it, I seriously recommend getting it. As a teacher, it is definitely the most popular game I have ever pulled out. Working with youth, I have never had a game asked for more. Adults are constantly asking me where they too can buy a copy of this game. If only all my games where this popular!

So what’s the craze all about? The game is extremely simple to explain:

The basic set for each of the releases comes with straight and curved track pieces. These thick wooden pieces connect together like a puzzle to form a race track. This race track can be any size and shape, according to the wants of the players. Each track has a groove in it, where a plastic rail is placed. Each player takes a thick wooden disk of their color. These disks are their “cars”. Play order is determined by each player flicking their disk along the track. The player who flicks their disk the farthest goes first. On future turns, the player whose car is furthest along the track goes first.

On a turn, a player flicks their car along the track. If their car goes off the track, they lose one turn, and return to the spot they where flicking the car from for their next shot.
If a player knocks off another player’s car, they must replace the knocked off car and lose a turn, starting back at the spot they shot the car from. If a players’ car flips over, on their next turn, all they can do is flip their car back to the correct side. The first player to cross the finish line is the winner! The amount of laps is determined before the race by the players. Once players get good, they can use the rails to flick their cars rather far.

Separate action sets are sold for both Carabande and Pitchcar. These sets add jumps, crossings and other strange track pieces. Multiple basic and action sets can be combined to make super large tracks.
Some comments about the games, with comparisons between them…

1.) Compatibility: This is a really bad move on Ferti’s part. Considering that we had been screaming for an expansion to Carabande for a long time, I was stunningly happy to hear it was being remade. I was quite annoyed to find that the two games were not compatable. Pitchcar tracks are thinner and shorter, and do not connect properly with the Carabande tracks. The only way to connect them is to use the jumps from the action set. (or the track sections could be modified, but I’m afraid to try that)

2.) Components: Both games have good components. The track pieces are wood, and therefore make the boxes fairly heavy. This does mean, however, that the track pieces are of the utmost quality. The Pitchcar pieces are finished on both sides, while Carabande tracks are only finished on the side the cars actually move on. (I’m not sure why that would matter anyway.) The biggest difference in component quality is that of the rails. Carabande rails are much sturdier, and have to be really pushed to snap them into the track sections. They can also be a major pain to take out of the tracks. Pitchcar rails are of a much softer plastic, and pop in and out easily. This means, unfortunately, that they often pop out in the middle of a race. They can be glued in place, but this then makes the game harder to store. The racing car tokens are good for each game, but here we have to give the edge to Pitchcar, which has neater looking colors.

3.) Action sets: Both games are enhanced by their action sets so much, I find it hard to contemplate playing the game without them. The action sets are very different, however, with the Carabande one adding a jump and some strange straight track pieces. The Pitchcar set adds some weird curves, straight pieces, and pieces designed to allow track crossing. I think that a jump is possible with the Pitchcar action set, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world to set up. Maybe Pitchcar will make a future set for jumps? All I know is that a jump is by far the most popular thing in the game. I like the Carabande action set better, but with price tags ranging around $175, I think you might as well try to pick up the Pitchcar action set.

4.) Rules: One thing I like about the game is that people can easily learn the game in about 1 minute. It’s easy to teach and learn, and people walking by the game can stop and join in. Sometimes we alter the rules a little. Our favorite nasty variant allows players to knock off other cars and receive no penalty. An even nastier variant allows a player who does such a thing to take an extra turn.

5.) Fun Factor: This game has a HUGE fun factor. There is some skill involved, with people who can flick better doing much better in the game. But when the person in last place makes an amazing shot, by accident, landing them far ahead on the track, the shouts and yells are immensely fun. When someone misses the jump the fifth time a row, the laughter is hilarious. Everyone who plays the game usually leaves wanting to play more. There is no right time to bring out this game, as it works well almost everywhere, but it’s the best game for large groups of people, especially at youth groups, schools, military recreation centers, churches, picnics, etc. Everyone loves it!

So I highly recommend this game. I like the Carabande version a little better, but as you need to sell your soul to get it, it’s probably in your best interests to get the Pitchcar version first. Either way, I’d rather have this game than a ping-pong table or a billiards table (although both of those make the perfect table to put this game on). It’s portable, and everyone loves it. If I had to get rid of all my games except a couple, Carabande and Pitchcar would be high on the list to keep.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"