Motor City
- Players
- 1-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 2 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 45 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.9 / 5
- Year
- 2023
About the game
Motor City is a strategic roll-and-write game set in the heyday of Detroit's auto industry, where players run an assembly plant across eight rounds of dice drafting. Colored dice are placed on a shared blueprint table each round, and players draft dice twice before everyone uses whatever remains, marking off interconnected tracks for engineering, assembly, testing, and more. Advancing tracks unlocks bonuses and further progress, rewarding players who plan efficient chains of upgrades. A built-in solo mode pits you against an auditor AI that blocks your sheet, with adjustable difficulty.
Hobbli's Notes
As the third entry in the Motor City Gameworks roll-and-write series, Motor City delivers a satisfyingly interconnected engine-building puzzle on paper. The dice-drafting-then-shared-die twist adds a clever layer of tension missing from simpler roll-and-writes. Its solo mode is genuinely well designed, offering a scalable challenge without extra components. For fans of Fleet and Three Sisters, this is a worthy, meatier addition to the series.
What we like
- Clever dice-drafting-then-shared-die twist on the roll-and-write formula.
- Well-designed solo mode with adjustable difficulty.
- Interconnected tracks reward efficient long-term planning.
- Part of a beloved roll-and-write series with proven pedigree.
Keep in mind
- Moderate complexity may be more than casual roll-and-write fans want.
- Requires reprintable sheets or note paper for repeated play.
- Shared dice pool can create some luck-driven frustration.
Who it's for
Great for roll-and-write and solo-game fans aged 12+ who enjoy engine-building puzzles, playable solo or with up to five players.
