Heat: Pedal to the Metal Components Overview and Impressions

I’ve never been a huge racing game fan, the only one I’ve really enjoyed to date is Camel Up, and that’s more about random betting than anything else. I’ve seen people rave about Heat: Pedal to the Metal for years now, and when Asmodee Canada reached out to ask if I wanted to review the upcoming expansion, I decided now as as good as any time to try out Heat.

Before jumping into components, I want to say that companies who future proof their core boxes for expansions are the greatest and worst people on the planet. Obviously, they are not the worst, and I do love when expansions git into main boxes. But I also hate having holes in my boxes as well, and for now my copy of Heat has a bunch of holes!

I quite enjoy the entirety of this prediction! The insert for the box is phenomenal, with specific places for all the different color player cards with a few opened slots for expansion content. Next to these cards are spots for all the coloured stick shifters and race cars, each getting their own little carved out space in the insert. On the other side of the box you’ll find slots for universal cards that all players use, as well as a spot for various tokens. It is a well-through insert that also provides room for two foldout boards, rulebooks, and player sheets!

For the longest time, I got a bit annoyed by companies using card stock player sheets as opposed to thick cardboard player boards, but over time I’m doing a 180 on this opinion. I actually much prefer the high quality card stock sheets over ticker cardboard boards. They are just as usable, but don’t take up mass amounts of space in the box, and even allow for companies to reduce box sizes, which I’m all for!

Another thing I enjoy about Heat: Pedal to the Metal is the inclusion of two, double sided foldout boards depicting different tracks from around the world. Just with the main box, players will have access to 4 very different tracks, which are fantastic as one-off experiences or factor into a larger season of racing. The art on the boards is great as well, providing each with a unique look to go along with its unique track.

The component quality is pretty strong. I did find that the stick shift pieces resembled Sorry pieces a bit too much, and I would have liked the cars to be a bit more detailed. That being said, both are very usable in the context of the game, so I suppose my gripe is probably a bit nitpick to be fair. The card quality is more than adequate – while there is room in the box for sleeved cards, I’m not sure that’s really a necessity unless you plan to play this a ton!

Overall, I’m quite impressed here. There are a few things I’m not crazy about, but the quality of the card stock player boards, the central board, the cardboard tokens, and the cards are more than good enough for the price you’ll be paying.