Running a food truck is more than having a catchy name and a 60 inch steel cook top where you make your Carne Asada tacos. To run the best food truck, planning is a must! You’ve got to hit the spots with the most hungry clientele. Grab your spatula and let us tell you about Truck Off RAW (Roll and Write).
Adam’s Apple Games has taken the 2017 card game Truck Off and transformed it into a really clever roll and write. In the box you’ll find 6 dice of all different types along with a double sided game pad and rulebook. Players will take their food truck around the city, hitting stops to make the most money.
Each round starts with a roll of the dice. Players draw their trucks path from one colored location to another, within 4 blocks. Each die has corresponding colors on the city map. Each round of Truck Off RAW has you deciding which die you’ll take as you gain points, earn bonuses and try not skip over too many money making opportunities.
Street Tacos for Everyone!
The player maps are really well designed and feels a lot like a puzzle. Most of the tough choices happen on the route tracker at top of the Truck Off RAW player sheet. The dice line this snaking track going from smallest (4-sided) to largest (20-sided). In a round, players can take the number on the die if their truck can make it to the matching venue on their map. Once you’ve passed a space on this track, there’s no going back.
The venues throughout the map are spaced out just enough to bring tension to the game. Just because a specific die is showing a high number doesn’t mean it’s the best option.
Truck Off RAW gives players bonuses for taking 3 dice on a horizontal row or in a horizontal column. These bonuses allow you to re-roll dice, double a die value, create a bridge on the map and more. These are powerful enough that you’ll find yourself taking a low numbered die just to get one of these bonuses.
I really enjoy the puzzley feel of Truck Off RAW. It’s the type of game that has me thinking “I know I can do better. One more game”. The game plays in under 30 minutes and the variety of dice can give you a wide range of choices during a round. Do you take the 6 or skip 3 spaces on the route track because you finally saw a number higher than 15?
High Stakes Food Service
The tension the game brings to the table is also pretty great. The end game for Truck Off RAW always comes after at least 12 rounds. If a player reaches the end of the the route before 12 rounds, they sit out while other players continue stopping at venues on their map. On the other hand, a player can end the game by taking the final D4 die on the route track after at least 12 rounds. If you know that you’re winning, ending the game in the 12th round may be the best option.
Truck Off RAW feels like a smash up of Quixx and On Tour. I’ve played the game with 2, 4 and 8 player counts and each one felt excellent. The game was also easily modified to play virtually with some friends since game nights don’t exist currently. This is another great roll and write that is a welcome addition to our family game shelf.
You can pick up a copy of Truck Off: The Food Truck Frenzy Roll and Write at your local game store, the Adam’s Apple Games website or through Amazon today.
Highs
- Guiding your food truck around the city feels like a puzzle
- Wide range of bonuses to gain
- Flexible player count
Lows
- Bonus iconography is small and can be tough to read.
