2000 BGG rank #21674

Tacara

3–10 players 60 min Ages 10+ 0.0/5 complexity 5.5/10 rating

About this game

Tacara is short for Tactical Car Race. It is a small press (250 copies) auto racing game using vector movement. Some components are handmade. Speed and direction are captured on a grid and can be changed somewhat each turn. Expanded in 2001 by Tacara-Seefahrererweiterung (seafarer expansion). Developed from: Racetrack Similar to: Bolide

What it feels like

Simulation Point to Point Movement Racing

Game intelligence

Learn the game

100% knowledge coverage

Setup

1. Each player takes 1 to 3 cars depending on player count and desired play time. For each car, take 3 wooden chips in that car's color and 3 turbo chips (white, values 1, 2, 3). 2. Place one colored chip per car on the neutral square of the shift table. The other two colored chips are used for turn-order tracking. 3. Determine track width by player count: 3–4 cars use only gray spaces; 5–6 cars may also use green and yellow spaces; 7+ cars may also use red spaces. Blue spaces are pits (count as gray). 4. Determine starting positions: place one colored chip per car into a bag and draw them out one at a time. The first chip drawn gets start position 1, the second gets position 2, etc. Place cars on the board in this order. 5. After placing cars, return all chips to the bag. Draw them out again and place on the 'Current Turn' row — this sets turn order for turn 2. 6. Draw chips a third time and place on the 'Next Turn' row — this sets turn order for turn 3. 7. Cars move in start-position order during turn 1. Setup is complete; the race begins.

Turn flow

Each turn, players act in the order shown on the 'Current Turn' row. On a player's turn, they must choose ONE of the following options for each car they control: - SHIFT AND DRIVE: Move the car's shift chip up to 2 squares on the shift table (horizontally or vertically; a diagonal counts as 2 squares), then drive the car the number of spaces indicated by the chip's position. Alternatively, leave the shift chip where it is and drive at the current speed. The 'touch it, move it' rule applies — once you release the shift chip or the car, your turn is over. - TAKE A TURBO CHIP: Instead of shifting and moving, place a turbo chip under the car (once per space; the chip goes to your pool and the car moves normally on the next turn). TURBO CHIPS can be played before or after (or both, interleaved with) the normal shift-and-drive action. Multiple turbo chips may be combined in any order. You may never shift more than once per turn. At the end of each turn, the 'Next Turn' chips move to 'Current Turn', and new chips are drawn for 'Next Turn'.

Scoring and victory

First car to cross the finish line wins. In the case of ties within the same turn, the car furthest past the finish line wins; if still tied, the car closest to the inside of the track wins. For tournaments, points are awarded to the top 6 finishers using the Formula One scoring model. Target score: First to cross the finish line Scoring sources: Race finishing position (first past the finish line), Tournament points for top-6 finishers (Formula One model)

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Movement

The shift table controls each car's speed and direction; moving a chip 1 step costs 1 of the 2 allowed moves.

Each car has a colored chip on the shift table. The chip's position relative to the neutral (center) square determines how many spaces the car moves each turn and in what directions. Each turn, a player may move their shift chip up to 2 squares on the shift table, using horizontal or vertical steps. A diagonal move costs both of the 2 allowed squares (i.e., one diagonal = 2 steps). The player may also choose not to move the shift chip and drive at the current speed.

Movement

The shift chip's coordinates on the shift table equal the number of spaces the car moves horizontally and vertically that turn.

The shift table is a grid. The neutral square is the center. If a shift chip is at position X squares forward and Y squares to one side, the car must move exactly X spaces forward and Y spaces laterally that turn. The player chooses the order in which these directional moves are taken (e.g., all forward first, then all lateral, or vice versa), but each directional component must be completed in its entirety — you cannot split them (e.g., 2 forward, 2 up, 2 more forward is not allowed). No diagonal movement of cars is permitted on the track; only horizontal and vertical.

Turn structure

Once you release the shift chip or car, your turn is over — the chess 'touch it, move it' rule applies.

Tacara uses the chess 'touch it, move it' rule. When a player lets go of either the shift chip or the car token, their turn for that car ends immediately. Players should plan their move before touching any piece.

Restriction

Cars cannot jump over occupied spaces, whether occupied by your own or another player's car.

A car cannot move through a space occupied by any other car, including cars controlled by the same player. If a car's movement path is blocked by an occupied space, the car cannot pass through it and will crash if forced to enter.

Special

A car that cannot legally complete its move crashes: it is flipped over and must reset its shift chip to neutral before resuming.

If a car's required movement (as dictated by its shift chip position) takes it into a space it cannot enter — such as a wall, an occupied space, or an out-of-bounds space — it crashes. The car is flipped upside-down on the last legal space it could enter. On subsequent turns, the player must move the shift chip back toward the neutral square as quickly as possible (up to 2 steps per turn). When the shift chip reaches the neutral square, the car is flipped right-side up and may begin accelerating again. The faster the car was going when it crashed, the longer the recovery takes.

Setup

The number of usable track spaces scales with the number of cars in the race.

The track has spaces of different colors indicating track width tiers. With 3–4 cars: only gray spaces may be used. With 5–6 cars: green and yellow spaces are also available. With 7 or more cars: red spaces may also be used. Blue squares represent the pits but otherwise count as gray spaces for movement purposes.

Turn structure

Turn order is randomized each round by drawing colored chips from a bag; two future rounds are always pre-determined.

Turn 1 is played in start-position order. For all subsequent turns, turn order is determined randomly using the colored chips. At setup, chips are drawn to fill both the 'Current Turn' row (turn 2) and the 'Next Turn' row (turn 3). After each turn, the 'Next Turn' chips advance to 'Current Turn', and new chips are drawn from the bag to fill 'Next Turn'. This means players always know the order for the current and next turn, but not beyond.

Special

Turbo chips grant bonus movement spaces and can be played before, after, or interleaved with a normal move; you may never shift more than once per turn.

Each car starts with 3 turbo chips (values 1, 2, and 3 dots). On your turn, you may play one or more turbo chips to move the car an additional number of spaces equal to the chip's dot value. Turbo chips can be used before the normal shift-and-move action, after it, or multiple chips can be interleaved with the move in any order (e.g., use a chip, then shift and move, then use another chip). However, you may never shift the shift chip more than once per turn, regardless of turbo chip use. After playing a turbo chip, it is returned to the pool.

Strategy briefing

Momentum Management

Because the shift chip can only move 2 squares per turn on the shift table, acceleration and braking are gradual. Plan your approach to curves several turns in advance — if you are moving 4 forward and 2 lateral, you cannot stop that motion instantly. Failing to account for this will force a crash.

Turbo Chip Timing

Turbo chips are most valuable in curves (where you need precise extra movement) and during acceleration from neutral (after a crash or pit stop). Save high-value chips (3 dots) for critical moments. Using them early on a straight may be wasteful if you can reach speed naturally.

Blocking and Path Control

Since cars cannot jump over occupied spaces, positioning your car to block a narrow corridor can force a faster opponent into a crash. This is especially powerful in sections of the track where only gray spaces are available, reducing available lanes.

Turn Order Awareness

Because the 'Current Turn' and 'Next Turn' rows are visible to all players, you can plan aggressive or defensive moves knowing when rivals will act. If a faster car acts after you, you can use positioning or turbo chips to preemptively block or escape.

Pit Stop Timing

Each car can only refuel once. Making a pit stop resets your shift chip to neutral, costing significant momentum. Time the pit stop when you are forced to slow down anyway — such as before a tight curve — to minimize the speed penalty.

Crash Recovery Speed

The faster you are going when you crash, the longer your recovery, since the shift chip must travel back to neutral (up to 2 steps per turn). Maintaining moderate speeds in risky sections reduces potential downtime from a crash.

Drafting Variant Exploitation

When using the optional drafting rule, being in second place directly behind the leader provides two advantages: you can move out of turn immediately after them, and if another car passes the leader, you gain an extra movement square. Staying in close second can be strategically superior to leading.

Common questions and edge cases

A car crashes before crossing the finish line during the final turn. Can it still win?

No. A crashed car must remain flipped until its shift chip returns to the neutral square. It cannot cross the finish line while crashed. The final turn must be completed in full, but the crashed car cannot advance until recovered.

Can I use a turbo chip, then shift, then use another turbo chip in the same turn?

Yes. Turbo chips can be used before, after, or interleaved with the shift-and-move action in any order. However, you may only shift the shift chip once per turn, no matter how many turbo chips you play.

My shift chip requires me to move 4 spaces forward, but another car is blocking my path after 2 spaces. What happens?

You cannot jump over occupied spaces. Since your car cannot complete the required movement, it crashes. The car is flipped upside-down on the last legal space it could enter (2 spaces forward), and its shift chip must be moved back to neutral before it can move again.

I stopped to pick up a turbo chip this turn. Do I move next turn?

Yes. On your next turn, place the turbo chip into your pool and move your car as dictated by the current shift chip position. The chip you collected is now available to use as a turbo boost.

My shift chip is on the neutral square after recovering from a crash. Can I pick up a turbo chip there?

Only if that space has not already been used to pick up a turbo chip. Each space can only be used for turbo chip pickup once. If the neutral square space was already used for this purpose, you cannot collect another chip there — even after a crash recovery.

Two cars cross the finish line in the same turn. How is the winner determined?

The car that ends up furthest past the finish line wins. If they are equal in distance past the line, the car closest to the inside of the track wins.

My shift chip says I must move 3 forward and 2 up. Can I move 1 forward, 2 up, then 2 more forward?

No. Each directional component of the move must be completed in full before switching directions. You may move 3 forward then 2 up, or 2 up then 3 forward — but you cannot split either direction across segments.

When I make a pit stop to refuel at a 'T' space, what happens to my shift chip?

When refueling, you must move your shift chip to the neutral square. You draw 3 turbo chips from the pool. This can only be done once per race per car, and only if there are chips available in the pool.

Can I move my car onto a red space if there are only 5 cars in the race?

No. With 5–6 cars, only gray, green, and yellow spaces are available. Red spaces are only unlocked with 7 or more cars. Moving onto a disallowed space would constitute an illegal move and result in a crash.