Heat: Tunnel Vision
- Designers: Asger Harding Granerud, Daniel Skjold Pedersen
- Publisher: Days of Wonder
- Players: 1-9
- Age: 10+
- Time: 60 minutes
- Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/43tXIz0
- Played with review copy provided by publisher
The roar of powerful engines bursts from the dark mouth of the Pyrenean tunnel just moments before gleaming cars streak past. One mistake could mean certain destruction, but the lure of the Spanish Grand Prix keeps the drivers focused and aggressive.
Heat: Tunnel Vision introduces two new racing tracks. The Spanish Grand Prix takes your car through treacherous tunnels, forcing you to trust your instincts in the semi-dark. The Netherlands track allows you to open your engine to full throttle before throwing you into a succession of treacherous corners.
Take part in the 1965 Championship season and install the new Front Wing upgrade to draft off the other drivers and charge to victory.
Heat is one of my favorite auto racing games; in fact it might be my actual favorite at the moment. The base game has been out now since Spiel 2022 – here is my review of it:
https://opinionatedgamers.com/2023/01/27/dale-yu-review-of-heat-pedal-to-the-metal/
Heat: Tunnel Vision is the second expansion for the game, and this adds two new tracks to the game as well as a new purple race car/dashboard to further increase the number of players that can enjoy the game – now as many as nine! (Though, to be honest, I prefer to limit my own races to 4-5 players max).
The biggest addition from my standpoint is the introduction of tunnels – these are found on the Spain circuit. The tunnels raise the importance of hand management as you cannot discard any cards from your hand when your car is on a tunnel space. You can still remove cards from your hand to Cool Down and you can still use the Scrap icon.
The two tracks in this expansion also both include Chicanes, which are two consecutive corner lines with the same speed limit for each. They are clearly denoted with new blue edging the the consecutive turns. While they are two separate turns, they only use one Weather/Road Condition token for the entire chicane.
The new Sponsorship and Upgrade cards bring a new Drafting icon into the game. This Draft icon allows you to move forward on the track (though only through completely empty spaces) up to the Draft value of your icons so long as there is a car in either spot in front of the end of drafting. You can combine multiple Draft icons into a single movement. If this brings you close enough to another car to slipstream, you can then also do this. It is important to note that Drafting is not the same as Slipstreaming; you can use Drafting to cross the finish line.
So who is this for? Well, for starters, it’s only for people who own the base game Heat: Pedal to the Metal. This expansion is NOT a standalone, and you must have the base game to use any of these components. For those that are looking to add a bit to their Heat game, this offers a little bit for everyone. The two extra tracks are a nice addition, and the tunnels add a new element of complexity to the races. The addition of the purple race car also lets you get another player into the game OR it allows one of your players to now use their favorite color in the race. The Front Wing upgrade (if you use the upgrades) gives a bit more mobility and catch-up to those trailing in the race with the Draft action. There are even new event cards for your campaigns (though, as I have never played the game that way, I can not offer any comment on those event cards). None of these individual changes is super-complex, but they all certainly add a bit to the overall challenge of the game. If you’re a fan of Heat, this will be a great addition to your games.
The expansion releases Friday May 23, 2025, and should be available online and at your FLGS. If you love Heat, this is one expansion you’ll not want to miss!
Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/43tXIz0
