Heat: Pedal to the Metal

Place the game board in the center of the table, using the USA circuit for the first game. Each player selects a color and takes their corresponding car, gear shifter, and 12 basic cards. Additionally, each player takes their 3 initial upgrade cards of the chosen color. Refer to the game board to determine how many Heat and Stress cards to add to each player's deck (typically 6 Heat and 3 Stress cards). Place your player board in front of you. Shuffle your 12 basic cards, 3 initial upgrade cards, and 3 Stress cards together to form your personal deck, placing it face-down on its designated spot on the left side of your player board. Place the 6 Heat cards face-up on the engine space in the middle of your player board. Position your gear shifter on the 1st gear space. Place any remaining Stress cards face-up near the game board. Randomly place all participating race cars on the starting grid. To determine the starting order for the first round, place cars one by one, filling positions in ascending order. Finally, draw 7 cards from your personal deck to form your starting hand for the first round.

The primary objective in Heat: Pedal to the Metal is to be the fastest driver on the circuit. Players compete by playing cards to move their cars around the track, aiming to avoid skidding, succumbing to stress, or overheating their engines. The game is won by the first player to cross the finish line after completing the designated number of laps, which is indicated on the game board (e.g., two laps for the USA map). If two or more cars cross the finish line in the same round, the winner is the player whose car is furthest along the track, with the position closest to the track line being the tie-breaker.

Heat: Pedal to the Metal is played over several rounds, each divided into nine steps. These steps are indicated by numbered pictograms at the top of your player board. Steps marked with an exclamation mark are mandatory and must be performed by every player, while other steps are optional and only performed if necessary. All players simultaneously perform steps 1 and 2, so there's no waiting. Then, starting with the car furthest ahead (closest to the track line), players take turns performing steps 3 through 9. Once a player has completed step 9, their turn for that round is over. This sequence continues until all cars have completed their turns.

The game's scoring is straightforward: the first player to successfully cross the finish line after completing the total number of laps indicated on the game board is declared the winner. If multiple players cross the finish line in the same round, the player whose car is positioned furthest along the track wins. In the event of a tie where cars are on the same space, the car closest to the inner track line is considered to be in the lead and wins the race.

The game concludes when a player crosses the finish line after completing the specified number of laps for the current track. At the end of the round, any cars that have crossed the finish line are removed from the track and placed in order on the honor board. The game continues until all cars have reached the finish line. Adrenaline is then awarded to the last car, or the last two cars, depending on the number of cars that started the race, not just those remaining in play. The player who is first to cross the finish line after the final lap wins the race and, consequently, the game.