RoboRally, also stylized as Robo Rally, is a board game for 2–8 players designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) in 1994. Various expansions and revisions have been published by WotC, Avalon Hill, and Renegade Games.
Description
7-player game in progress
In RoboRally, 2–8 players assume control of "Robot Control Computers" in a dangerous widget factory filled with moving, course-altering conveyor belts, metal-melting laser beams, bottomless pits, crushers, and a variety of other obstacles. Using randomly dealt "program cards", the controllers attempt to maneuver their robot to reach a pre-designated number of checkpoints in a particular order.
Components
The game box contains:
4 double-sided map boards
8 player mats
8 robot tokens and matching archive markers
8 Power Down tokens
84 Program cards that either move a robot ahead or back, or turn it either 90 degrees left or right, or reverse its direction
26 Option cards
40 Life markers
60 Damage tokens
two-sided Docking Bay board
30-second hourglass timer
rulebook
Set-up
Each player chooses a robot token and its matching archive token, and also receives three life tokens and a player mat. The players choose a race course by common consent, place numbered flags on it according to the race course chosen, and abut the Docking Panel board against the side of the map indicated by the race course chosen. In randomly determined order, each player places their robot on a starting square on the Docking Bay board with their matching archive marker under the robot.
Preparing to move
On each turn:
The Program card deck is shuffled and nine cards are dealt to each player.
For each point of robot damage, the number of cards is reduced by 1.
Players plan how to get to the first numbered flag, choose five Program cards from their hand as the robot's next five moves, and place the cards in order facedown on the table.
When all players but one have chosen their cards, the 30-second sand timer is started. If this runs out while the last player is still choosing cards, the player's cards are chosen at random from the player's hand.
Unused cards are placed in a discard pile.
Movement
Each player simultaneously reveals their first Program card. The player with the highest numbered Program card moves first, followed by each player in order of descending Program card values.
If the robot hits a wall, it cannot proceed.
If a robot hits another robot, it pushes the second robot in front of it.
End of phase
After everyone has moved (called a "phase")
the express conveyor belts move any robots on it one space in the direction of its arrows, rotating as the space they move on to.
the slow and express conveyor belts move any robots one space in the direction of its arrows, rotating as the space they move on to.
pushers push if active for that register phase.
gears rotate robots either 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise as indicated by their directional arrows
every board laser and robot fires a high intensity laser down the row of squares in front of them. If the beam hits a robot before being stopped by a wall, the target robot takes a point of damage.
crushers activate, destroying any robot on them.
If a robot ends a phase on a wrench or numbered flag, the player moves the robot's archive marker to that flag. If the robot was seeking that flag, the player now attempts to reach the next numbered flag.
If a robot ends a turn on any repair site (a space with a wrench), the robot's archive marker is moved to that spot.
If a robot ends a turn on a space with one wrench, one point of damage is repaired.
If a robot ends a turn on a space with two wrenches, two points of damage are repaired OR the robot receives a random upgrade card.
If a robot ends a turn on a space with a wrench and a hammer, one point of damage is repaired, AND the robot receives a random upgrade card.
Play then returns to the beginning of the next turn.
A player can choose to totally repair their robot by announcing, a turn in advance while programming their robot, that their robot will "power down" at the end of the coming turn. The robot plays the programmed turn, then shuts down for the entire next turn to repair itself. The robot returns to 100A% status at the end of the turn. Any damage taken during the repair turn reduces the robot's current point total before repairs, and may destroy the robot before it completes its repairs.
Robot destruction
If a robot takes more than 9 points of damage, or falls down a pit or drives off the board or is pushed off the board, the robot is destroyed. The player loses a Life token, and a clone of the robot with two damage returns at the start of the next turn on the robot's archive marker. If a player runs out of Life tokens, (four robots destroyed), the player is out of the game.
Victory conditions
The first robot to touch the final numbered flag is the winner.
Publication history
Game designer Richard Garfield designed RoboRally in 1985,[1] but when he first showed it to WotC, they were uninterested. After WotC produced Garfield's collectible card game Magic: The Gathering in 1993, they expressed interest in publishing RoboRally,[2] which was released in 1994 with pewter playing tokens designed by Phil Foglio, who also did the artwork for the game.[2]
Several updates and expansions rapidly followed, including a second edition (1995); Armed and Dangerous (1995); Crash and Burn (1997); Grand Prix (1997); and Radioactive (1998).
In 2005, Avalon Hill re-published the game with minor rule revisions and cosmetic changes that included replacing the pewter robots tokens with plastic robots. Eleven years later, Avalon Hill re-released the game in 2016 with revised boards and substantial rules changes making the game incompatible with the previous editions.
In 2023, Renegade Game Studios obtained the rights to a number of games published under the Avalon Hill brand from Wizards of the Coast, among these was Robo Rally. The board size went back to the 12x12 inch grids but the rules remain close to the 2016 revision. Two expansions, Wet & Wild and Chaos & Carnage, were available close to release. A Transformers tie-in game was announced in summer 2023,[3] changing to six distinct Transformers characters and their personalized upgrades and abilities. One day later a further expansion, Master Builder, was announced, which was meant to give players the opportunity to customize boards with 6x6" tiles as well as tokens of the most common board elements.[4]
Reception
In Issue 18 of Shadis, David Williams liked this "manic racing game", and thought that the components were of "high quality" but questioned the use of expensive pewter playing pieces instead of plastic tokens, saying, "Wizards did not cut corners, but it would be nice to have a cheaper option."[2]
In Issue 2 of Arcane, Andy Butcher found that this was a good game for casual playing. He concluded by giving it an average rating of 7 out of 10, saying, "anyone who's looking for great way to while away a couple of hours and have fun is strongly advised to check this out – it's simple to learn, extremely replayable, and most importantly, a great game – although you do need at least four players to get the most out of it."[5]
John ONeill of Black Gate commented that "all the challenge comes in the nature of your idiotic robots, and the numerous ways they can stumble stoically – nay, joyously – towards their own destruction on the factory floor."[6]
RoboRally was chosen for inclusion in the 2007 book Hobby Games: The 100 Best. James Ernest commented: "Why is RoboRally one of the best hobby games ever? Besides being a completely solid game at heart, RoboRally succeeds at one of the hardest tricks in game design: it is genuinely funny. I don't just mean that it has funny jokes in the rules or funny robot characters. It has those things, but putting jokes in a rulebook is relatively easy. The richest humor in this game comes from the play of the game itself."[7]
At the 1995 Origins Awards, RoboRally won awards in two categories:
"Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Boardgame of 1994"
"Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame of 1994"[12]
At the 1996 Origins Awards, the Armed and Dangerous expansion won "Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame of 1995"[13]
At the 1997 Origins Awards, RoboRally Grand Prix won "Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Boardgame of 1996"[14]
Editions and expansions (with board names)
Between 1994 and 1999 Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released the original game, four expansion sets, and a limited edition board.
RoboRally (first edition, WotC, 1994): Basic boards (6), unpainted metal miniatures with detached plastic bases (8), movement cards, option cards, and counters.
RoboRally (second edition, WotC, 1995): Basic boards (same 6, with lighter coloring), unpainted metal miniatures with integrated metal bases (8), movement cards, option cards, and counters.
Armed and Dangerous (WotC, 1995): Additional boards (6), additional option cards, and counters.
Crash and Burn (WotC, 1997): Additional boards (2)
Grand Prix (WotC, 1997): Additional boards (3), with randomly selected reprinted basic boards on the backs.
Radioactive (WotC, 1998): Additional boards (3)
"Origins ’99" (WotC, 1999): A single new board (King of the Hill), only given to finalists in the championship tournament.
In Europe (German by Amigo, and Dutch by 999 Games), a different series was released. It incorporated a few rules changes and fewer components to make the game simpler. The damage and life tokens are larger and thicker than those of the original American release. The movement cards are color-coded. Forward (Move) cards have blue arrows, Backward (Back Up) cards have red ones and Turn cards yellow ones.
RoboRally (Amigo, 1999; and 999 Games, 2000): Basic boards (4, lettered instead of named), prepainted plastic bots (4), color-coded movement cards, counters.
The Avalon Hill edition also changed the cards. The new Move cards have only an arrow in the corner instead of the number with the arrow, which means you have to look at the full face of the card to distinguish them. It also has larger counters. Character sheets were introduced to track damage, life counters, power-down status, and program cards. Each sheet also contains a copy of the turn sequence for reference. The graphics have been redesigned to make the functionality of board elements clearer. The rules were also simplified to remove the concept of virtual robots.
RoboRally (Avalon Hill, 2005): Double-sided boards (4), Docking Bay (a double-sided starting grid, one-third the size of a regular board), plastic bots (8), movement cards, option cards, plastic flags (8), sand timer, and counters. The board combinations are Chop Shop & Island, Spin Zone & Maelstrom, Chess & Cross, and Vault & Exchange.
The 2016 edition significantly changed the damage system and gave every player an individual deck rather than a shared deck. Priority is determined by proximity to an antenna token and archive markers have been replaced with respawn point tokens. The boards in this edition are 10x10 rather than 12x12, and are named 1A, 1B - 6A and 6B. The docking bay is 10x3.
Robo Rally (Avalon Hill, 2016): Double-sided boards (6), double-sided start board, prepainted plastic bots (6), individual movement decks, damage decks, option cards, plastic flags (6), sand timer, plastic antenna token, plastic energy cubes and counters
The 2023 edition sees the return of the 12x12 boards. Some of the classic expansion boards are reprinted, while newer ones are introduced as well. The material quality is upgraded from the previous edition with thicker boards and tokens and larger cards.
Replace a register card you just revealed with the top card from your programming deck.
All Aboard
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Activate all conveyor belts, but only for your robot. Blue conveyors first, then green conveyors.
Boink
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Move to an unoccupied adjacent space, without changing facing.
Brakes
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
Move 1 cards in your registers may be treated as Move 0 cards.
Calibration Protocol
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
Return all damage cards in your hand to the damage discard pile, then draw that many cards from your programming deck.
Chaos Theory
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
When you reveal SPAM in Register 1, 2, or 3, gain 1 Energy.
Crab Legs
Base
Permanent
5
5th/30th
You may place a Move 1 card in the same register as a Rotate Left or Rotate Right card, and during that register your robot will move 1 space to the left or right respectively, without rotating.
Deflector Shield
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
When your robot would take damage from lasers and/or other weapons, you may pay 1 energy to take no laser/weapon damage during this register.
Displacing Bast
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may fire Displacing Blast. If you do, relocate the target robot to the Reboot token on the board they occupy, without changing facing.
Double Barrel Laser
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
Your robot's main laser deals 1 additional damage to robots.
Drifting (Left)
Base
Permanent
4
5th/30th
After resolving a Rotate Left card, you may move 1 space forward.
Energy Conversion
Base
Permanent
3
5th/30th
After your robot takes damage from a board laser, you may move 1 space forward or backward.
Firewall
Base
Permanent
1
5th/30th
You do not draw any damage cards when Rebooting after falling into a pit.
Flash Drive
Base
Permanent
4
5th/30th
Draw 1 additional programming card at the start of each Programming Phase.
Hover Unit
Base
Permanent
1
5th/30th
Your robot can pass over pits during your Programming Card Activation, but falls in if it ends its move on one.
Laser Kata
Base
Permanent
1
5th/30th
After performing a U-turn, your robot fires its main laser in all 4 directions for this register's Robot Weapon Activation.
Lucky Booster
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
Reveal and discard cards from the damage deck until you reveal Haywire. You may replace a register card you just-revealed register with that card or discard it to the damage discard pile
Magnetic
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
When an adjacent robot moves via a register card, you may move with them.
Memory Cards
Base
Permanent
3
5th/30th
At the end of the programming phase, you may place any number of non-damage cards from your hand onto this card. At the start of the Upgrade Phase, add all cards on this card to your hand.
Memory Swap
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
Draw 3 cards from your programming deck. Then choose 3 cards from your hand to put on top of your deck in any order you choose.
Mini Howitzer
Base
Permanent
3
5th/30th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may pay 1 Energy to fire Mini Howitzer. If you do, deal 2 damage to the target robot, then push it 1 space in the direction of fire.
Modular Chassis
Base
Permanent
1
5th/30th
After your robot pushes another robot during your Programming Card Activation, you may give that player this card, and take one of their installed upgrades. Both are immediately installed and active.
Overclocked
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Move 2.
Piercing Drill
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
When your robot pushes another robot during your Programming Card Activation, they take 1 damage and you may rotate them to any facing.
Power Slide (Right)
Base
Permanent
4
5th/30th
After resolving a Rotate Right card, you may move 1 space forward.
Pressure Beam
Base
Permanent
3
5th/30th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may fir Pressor Beam. If you do, push the target robot 1 space away from your robot.
Pressure Release
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Move back 5 spaces, but stop if your robot would push another robot.
Rail Gun
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
Your robot's main laser may shoot through any number of walls and/or robots. Each robot hit this way takes 1 damag.
Ramming Gear
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
During your Programming Card Activation, if your robot pushes (or attempts to push) an adajcent robot, that robot takes 1 damage.
Rear Laser
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
Your robot has a rear-firing laser in addition to its main laser. Both fire simultaneously.
Recharge
Base
Temporary
0
5th/30th
Gain 3 energy.
Re-Initialize
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
Give the Priority Token token to any player at the table (including yourself).
Rewire
Base
Permanent
1
5th/30th
Play only during the Upgrade Phase. Add all face-down Haywire cards in your registers to your hand. You must program all these Haywires this round, but you may place them where you wish.
Scrambler
Base
Permanent
4
5th/30th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may fire Scrambler. If you do, replace the target's next register card with the top card from their programming deck. Cannot be used during Register 5.
Self-Diagnostics
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
When your robot reaches a new Checkpoint, you may remove a card in your hand or discard pile from the game.
Spam Filter
Base
Permanent
3
5th/30th
After refilling your hand at the start of the Programming Phase, flip the top card of your programming deck face up.
Spiky
Base
Temporary
2
5th/30th
When an adjacent robot moves into your robots space or is pushed into your robot's space, that robot takes 1 damage.
Switch
Base
Permanent
2
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Swap places with an adjacent robot, without changing facing.
Tractor Beam
Base
Temporary
3
5th/30th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may fire Tractor Bream. If you do, pull the target robot 1 space towards your robot. Cannot be used on adjacent robots.
Zoop
Base
Temporary
1
5th/30th
Movement upgrade. Rotate to face any direction.
Bunny Hop
Wet & Wild
Permanent
2
5th
When your robot would push another robot during your Programming Card Activation, you may hop over it to the next adjacent empty space if possible instead.
Calculated Odds
Wet & Wild
Permanent
5
5th
Each time you draw damage, draw 2 damage cards at the same time. Keep 1 and discrd the other to the damage discard pile.
Diffuser
Wet & Wild
Permanent
3
5th
After you have drawn damage during a register, for each additional damage you would draw for the rest of that register, you gain 1 Energy instead.
Edge Guard
Wet & Wild
Permanent
3
5th
Your robot cannot move or be pushed off the edge of the board. If this would occur, your movement stops on the space at the edge.
Turbo
Wet & Wild
Permanent
4
5th
When you resolve a Move Card, you may pay 1 Energy to move 1 additional space in the same direction.
Controlled Chaos
Chaos & Carnage
Permanent
3
5th
When you draw Haywire damage, you may place it face down under any card in your registers where there is not already a face-down Haywire card
Indirect Fire
Chaos & Carnage
Permanent
3
5th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, you may pay 1 Energy to fire Indirect Fire. If you do, hit any robot within 3 spaces of your robot in any direction (orthogonally, ignoring board elements).
Leaching
Chaos & Carnage
Permanent
3
5th
When you fire your robot's main laser, steal 1 Energy from the target if they have 3 or more Energy. If they have 0 Energy, deal one additional damage to the target.
Mirror
Chaos & Carnage
Permanent
3
5th
The first time your robot takes damage from another robot each round, that robot also takes the same amount of damage.
Stun
Chaos & Carnage
Temporary
1
5th
Instead of firing your robot's main laser, the target discards all face-down cards in their next register. Cannot be used during Register 5.
Memory Transfer
Thrills & Spills
Permanent
3
5th
At the end of each round, you may transfer 1 damage card in your hand to an adjacent robot's discard pile.
Phasing
Thrills & Spills
Temporary
2
5th
Play after revealing a programming card. During yourm ovement this register, you may pass through exactly 1 wall.
Repulsion Field
Thrills & Spills
Permanent
4
5th
Pay X Energy when a robot would push your robot: Push them X spaces away from your robot instead. (Your robot is not pushed. X cannot be 0.)
SPAM-powered Rocket
Thrills & Spills
Temporary
2
5th
Movement Upgrade. Put any number of SPAM cards from your discard pile into the damage discard pile. For each you discarded, move forward 1 space.
Splash Damage
Thrills & Spills
Permanent
X
5th
(X = number of foes in the game; max 4) When your robot's main laser damages the target robot, you also deal 1 damage to each robot adjacent to the target.
Anchor
Master Builder
Permanent
2
5th
Spend 1 energy when your robot would be pushed: Your robot is not pushed.
Moon Walk
Master Builder
Temporary
1
5th
Conveyor belts and currents move your robot in the opposite direction this round. Use only if this would not stop/push another robot.
Overclocked
Master Builder
Temporary
1
5th
Gain 1 SPAM and put it into your discard pile. Ignore your programming cards this register. Instead, resolve one of your previous registers' programming cards.
The Oppositron
Master Builder
Temporary
2
5th
Play after revealing a non-Haywire programming card. Do the opposite of what your programming card says. Do the opposite of what your programming card says. (U-Turn - no Turn, Move Back = Move 1, etc.)
Top Heavy
Master Builder
Permanent
4
5th
If your robot is about to be moved by a conveyor belt, it may ignore all conveyor belts this register and move one space to the left or right without changing facing.
Bad Scanner
Turn & Burn
Temporary
2
5th
Install onto any robot. Does not use an upgrade slot. The next time this robot would reach a checkpoint, it does not reach it that register. Instead, uninstall this upgrade.
Field Stabilizer
Turn & Burn
Permanent
2
5th
You may add or subtract 1 from the distance a repulsor field moves your robot.
Fireworks
Turn & Burn
Permanent
4
5th
The first time each round that your robot ends a register on a Checkpoint or Chop Shop, you may pay 1 Energy. If you do, choose any robot to draw one damage card.
Pit Trap Dance
Turn & Burn
Temporary
1
5th
Discard this upgrade at any time during a register. Your robot does not fall into pits or trap door pits during this register.
Slow Processor
Turn & Burn
Permanent
3
5th
Install onto any robot. Does not use an upgrade slot. This robot moves 1 fewer spaces when executing a Move 2 or Move 3 card. Uninstall on Reboot, Checkpoint, or Shutdown.
Glitch
Contamination
Temporary
2
5th
Install onto any robot. Does not use an upgrade slot. The next time this robot resovles a U-Turn or Move Back card, it also resolves the top card from its deck, then uninstall this upgrade.
Radiation Shielding
Contamination
Permanent
2
5th
You do not draw damage from radiation spaces at the end of each register
Tech Forecasting
Contamination
Permanent
1
5th
You may peek at the top card of the upgrade deck at any time.
Wall Breaker
Contamination
Temporary
1
5th
Discard this card at any time during a register. For the rest of this register, your robot moves through one-way walls in both directions.
Wire Poisoning
Contamination
Permanent
2
5th
Attach to any robot. Does not use an upgrade slot. At the end of each register, this robot draws 1 damage. Uninstall on Reboot, Checkpoint, or Shutdown.
Online
A large number of additional game boards and elements are available via Internet communities, created by fans of the game.
In August 2008, GameTableOnline.com (defunct and redirected to a porn site, as of October 2020) licensed the rights for an online version of RoboRally from Wizards of the Coast.[15]
