Pit Formula Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Objective
• Rules
  • 1. Drawing a crash card
  • 2. Repairing the cars' problems
    • 2.1 Tire repair
    • 2.2 Wing repair
    • 2.3 Gas repair
    • 2.4 Engine repair
    • 2.5 Repairing extra parts not required by the crash card
    • 2.6 Spare parts
    • 2.7 Additional rules
  • 3. Counting the score for the race
  • 4. Resetting for the next race
  • Ending conditions
  • Winner
• Optional Rules
  • Longer Championships
  • Points championship
  • Standard score for races
  • Basic game (no multiplications)
  • Pit crew mode (doubles)
  • Constructors Championship (doubles)
• Solo Rules
  • Rivals
  • Setup
  • Playing a Solo Game
  • Scoring
  • Preparing for the next race
  • Cooperative Mode (doubles)

Components

• 90 square tokens: 40 tires, 10 wings, 10 gas, 10 engines, 8 spare parts and 12 trophies
• 94 cards: 40 tires, 10 wings, 10 gas, 10 engines, 14 crash, 7 super crash and 3 rivals
• 1 scoreboard
• 4 car boards
• 4 car markers
• 3 flag markers
• 10 stickers for the car and flag markers
• 1 rulebook (this book)

The rulebook's Setup section refers to a diagram showing the token layout on the table; the diagram is an image and is not reproduced in this text.

Designer note #1 › What are these?

Hello dear player, my name is Sandro and I am the designer of the game you have in your hands. I come, through these designer notes, to offer a glimpse of what I was thinking when I made certain decisions while making Pit Formula's rules. This space is dedicated to aspiring designers and enthusiasts of the fine art of game making. Enjoy!

Setup

1. Sort all the cards into 6 decks: tires, gas, wings, engines, crash and super crash. Shuffle all decks individually and position them as in the picture above.
2. Gather the flag markers and put them at the center of the table within reach of all players. (Gold, silver and bronze for 4 players, gold and silver for 3 players and only gold for 2 players).
3. Randomly choose 5 trophy tokens and stack them with their numbers facing down. Put the stack close to the flag markers.
4. Stack the spare part tokens and put them close to the flag markers.
5. Organize the remaining tokens randomly in two rectangles of 7x5 tokens, one on each side of the tokens in the middle, in a way that all tokens are within reach of all players (as shown in the picture).
6. Each player then chooses a car board and corresponding car marker.
7. Place the scoreboard close to the tokens and put each car marker at the start position (0 points).
8. Each player draws their parts cards (4 tire cards, 1 engine card, 1 gas card, 1 wing card) and puts them face down on their car board in the designated places.
9. Determine the starting player: the person who has gone to the most car races in their life (as a spectator or as a pilot!), or it can be chosen randomly.

Objective

Be the fastest to solve your car's problems to win the race and score points. After 5 races, the player with the most points wins.

Rules

Each turn represents one race of the championship. A turn is divided in the following stages:

1. Draw a crash card.
2. Repair the cars' problems.
3. Count the score for that race.
4. Reset for the next race.

1. Drawing a crash card

The starting player (or the winner of the last race) draws one crash card and reads it out loud.

The card will state which parts of your car need repairs. There are 3 kinds of crash cards.

• In the first type of card all players must repair the same parts.
  • Example: Sudden rain. All players must repair 4 tires.
• The second type of card says that the leading player (the one with the most points at the moment - in the event of a tie all tied players are considered leaders) will have different parts to repair.
  • Example 2: Smoke. Leader must repair engine and gas. The other players must repair 2 tires and gas.
• The third third type of card says that the player in last (the one with the least points at the moment, in case of a tie all tied players are considered in last place) will have different parts to repair.
  • Example 3: Safety car. Last place must repair 4 tires. All other players must repair the wing and gas.

The player who read the card must lay it down so that it is visible to everyone and then say "Go!" for the second stage to begin.

In the last round, instead of drawing a crash card, the player draws a card from the super crash deck.

Designer note #2 › Concept

You might be thinking "where did the idea and concept for the game come from?" Pit Formula's story began when I realized that one of the games I really like wasn't appealing to most of my friends. I started analyzing it to find the problem. The game was fast, had solid mechanics and had something I love, all players playing simultaneously. However, it had some mechanics that scared some people away, like player elimination and head-to-head combat, which allowed multiple players to team up to eliminate another one. So many of my friends usually didn't have fun for long. So I decided to start with a game mechanic that was similar, but left out any trace of this discomfort.

Designer note #3 › Super crashes

While testing the game, I noticed that sometimes the game ended abruptly. So I decided to insert an extra twist for the last round, improving the pace of the game as a whole. As all super crash cards are worth more points than standard cards and bring a more exciting feel to the round, it becomes a striking and decisive move in every game. After all, who forgets turning the tables during Armageddon?

2. Repairing the cars' problems

When this stage starts all players play simultaneously.

• A. Players can turn over any of their parts cards, revealing 2 numbers - each type of part has a different math problem to solve.
• B. To repair each part, the player must find the tokens that compose the solution to the math problem on each card, and place them in the space indicated on this same card.
• C. After repairing all the parts required by the crash card, the player has two choices: take the best available flag marker (Gold equals 1st place, Silver equals 2nd place and Bronze equals 3rd place) or repair more parts that are not required by the crash card.

Once the player takes a flag marker he can no longer change his move. After all the flag markers are collected, the race is over.

Designer note #4 › High-speed mathematical calculations, why?

I chose to make the game frantic and mathematical to illustrate the complexity and pressure that pit crews face. They have to do detailed, precise work (like math) in record time so the pilot loses as little time as possible. I hope I managed to make the game feel somewhat similar to being there in the pit.

2.1 Tire repair

To repair a tire, the player has to find one or more tire tokens showing either the sum or difference of the two numbers found on the tire card.

• Example: The card shows the numbers 2 and 5, you can repair it with a 3 (subtracting 5 – 2) or a 7 (adding 5 + 2).
• Example 2: The card shows the numbers 9 and 4, you can repair it with a 5 (subtracting 9 – 4) or with a 1 and a 3 (adding 9 + 4).

2.2 Wing repair

To repair the wing, the player has to find wing tokens showing either the sum or difference of the two numbers found on the wing card. To repair the wing you always need to use 2 tokens.

Repairing the wing is very similar to repairing a tire, but the numbers of a wing card are composed of two digits.

• Example: The card shows the numbers 69 and 12, you can repair it with the 5 and 7 tokens (subtracting 69 – 12 = 57) or the 8 and 1 tokens (adding 69 + 12 = 81).
• Example 2: The card shows the numbers 19 and 29, you can repair it with the 1 and 0 tokens (subtracting 29 – 19 = 10) or the 4 and 8 tokens (adding 29 + 19 = 48).

2.3 Gas repair

To repair the gas, the player has to find gas tokens showing the open interval between the two numbers found on the gas card. To repair the gas you always need to use 2 tokens.

The numbers go from 0 to 9 and start again. (01234567890123456789...)

• Example: The card shows the numbers 3 and 6, you can repair it with the 4 and 5 tokens.
• Example 2: The card shows the numbers 8 and 1, you can repair it with the 9 and 0 tokens.

2.4 Engine repair

To repair the engine, the player has to find engine tokens showing the product of the two numbers found on the engine card. To repair the engine you always need to use 2 tokens.

• Example: The card shows the numbers 3 and 9, you can repair it with a 2 and a 7 (3 x 9 = 27).
• Example 2: The card shows the numbers 10 and 7, you can repair it with a 7 and 0 (10 x 7 = 70).

2.5 Repairing extra parts not required by the crash card

At any moment during the repair stage the player can choose to repair one or more parts that were not required by the crash card. To do so, all the player needs to do is turn over an extra card, lay it down on their board, and repair it like normal.

The player can choose to leave this part unrepaired, with no penalties, even after turning over the card.

The player can only turn over extra cards before he grabs a flag marker.

Designer's note #5 › Extra parts

The logic here is to satisfy the greed of more experienced and faster players. In testing, I found that some people are more apt than others for Pit Formula, which is normal and true for all games. But here, these people felt they finished too quickly and had to wait for others to go on with the game. To solve this problem, I allowed players to fix extra parts, a risk and reward mechanism, since, by trying to score more points, the player is choosing to give their opponents more time to conquer their flag. As a result this change made the game more balanced and fun for everyone.

2.6 Spare parts

There will be times when you can't get the token you are looking for, either because someone already took it or you just can't find it. In these cases, you can take a spare part token instead. It works as a wild token and substitutes any one token.

At the end of the turn you get -1 point for the first spare part token you used, -2 for the second token, -3 for the third and so forth.

There are only 8 spare parts available each race.

2.7 Additional rules

• A player cannot hold more than two tokens at a time for use in repairing parts. If this occurs, the player must return all tokens to the table and will lose 3 points at the end of the race.
• A player cannot hold a token indefinitely just to prevent another player from using it. If the player has a token in his hand and does not use it to repair a part within 10 seconds, he must return it to the table or lose 3 points at the end of the race.

Designer's note #6 › Additional rules

I'll confess one thing… I don't like these rules. But they are necessary to make a rulebook that contemplates every possibility. But, between the two of us… if you're playing with players who use these tricks on purpose, I advise you to choose other friends. :D These rules are also for playing with younger children, who may do all this with no bad intentions.

3. Counting the score for the race

First of all, every player must check if the tokens they used to repair their parts are all correct (even for parts that were not required by the crash card). Cards left empty are not considered wrong. However, if an empty card is one of the crash card requirements, and the player mistakenly took a flag marker, it is considered an error.

This check must begin with the player in the lead, then the runner up, and so on.

• If there is any mistake (marked with the error symbol, a boxed X), the player who made it is penalized and loses his flag marker, which must be passed to the player in the next place. (1st place to 2nd place, 2nd place to 3rd place and so on).
• If the player who received this new marker already has one, he must pass his old marker to the next placed player until all players have only one marker.
• If a player has been penalized he must never receive a new marker.
• If the marker cannot be given to anyone, it returns to the center of the table and no one scores points for it.

Once all checks have been made, the player who has the first place flag marker is the winner of the race. The winner then draws a trophy token at random and places it next to their car board. (Trophy tokens will be used as a tiebreaker at the end of the match).

The back of the trophy token shows the score for all flag markers for that round. Thus, it determines the score for all markers and not just the winning marker.

Only players with flag markers receive trophy points.

• In a two-player game there is only one flag marker, and only the winning player receives points.
• In a three-player game, there are only two flag markers, and only two players receive points.
• If the crash is a super crash, the player with the 1st place flag earns 3 extra points.

All players (even those penalized or without flag markers) receive points for each correctly repaired part, 1 for each tire and 2 for each gas, wing or engine. (Remember: players can repair parts not required by the crash card to earn extra points.)

Deduct points for each spare part used (a player cannot receive negative points in a race).

At the end of the race, adjust each player's scorecard for their new score.

Designer's note #7 › Well, it was just a mistake..

Yeah... I know… but that little mistake could have made you take a token that another player wanted, right? You must pass the flag marker because the error influenced your opponent's game. But you still get your points for fixing the parts correctly. Accept your losses and try to be more careful next round!

4. Resetting for the next race

After the race is over, flag markers and part tokens must be returned to the starting position.

All players replace the revealed part cards on their boards.

If any deck of cards has run out, a new deck must be formed by shuffling the discard pile.

The winner of the last race is now the starting player. He draws the crash card and starts a new race.

Ending conditions

After 5 races the game ends.

Winner

The player with the most points after 5 races is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most trophy tokens wins. On the rare occasion of another tie... both players are declared winners.

Designer note #8 › Optional rules and Goodbye!

I love optional rules, I love changing and adapting game rules, it's the work I love, after all! If you have more rules that you think are fitting and valid for Pit Formula, change the game to make it cooler for you and your friends. And if you feel like showing it to someone, I'll always be happy to hear it, just send me an email at [contact address omitted]. Hope you enjoy the game, and until next time!

Optional Rules

Longer Championships

A standard championship has 5 races, however it is possible to have as many races as you want to determine the champion.

The number of races must be agreed upon before the start of the game. During set up, set out the number of trophy tokens equivalent to the number of races. There are 12 trophy tokens. As each race uses one of the tokens, it is recommended that the championship have a maximum of 12 races.

After reaching four-fifths of the total number of races, crash cards must be replaced with super crash cards.

Points championship

A standard championship has a fixed number of races, but there is the alternative option of playing to a certain number of points rather than number of races.

In this version, the game ends when one of the players reaches 40 points and crosses the finish line. Use super crash cards once a player gets to 30 or more points.

This version tends to last longer, but can offer a more exciting ending.

Standard score for races

If you are interested in decreasing the luck factor in your game, instead of scoring using the values on the trophy sheet, you may standardize the score earned at the end of the race.

• 5 points for 1st place, 3 points for 2nd place and 2 points for 3rd place in a 4 player game.
• 4 points for first place and 2 points for second in a 3 player game.
• 3 points for first place in a 2 player game.

Remember to give the trophy token to the winner anyway, as they will be used in the event of ties.

Basic game (no multiplications)

This version was created so that players who don't know how to multiply can play (usually children under 7 years old).

Remove the engine tokens, engine cards, and the following crash cards from play: Lightning, Gremlin, Armageddon, Loose Wheel, Smoke, Runaway Engine, Sabotage, Blue Hull, and Explosion.

All other rules apply normally.

Pit crew mode (doubles)

This alternate 4-player mode generates a little more chaos during gameplay.

Each pit crew is made up of 2 players. Organize the game as a 2 player game. Each pit crew is responsible for a single car. Players must organize themselves and define how to divide the tasks.

• Example: One player only fixes tires while the other fixes the remaining parts.
• Example: One player does the math and the other looks for the tokens.

All other rules apply normally.

Constructors Championship (doubles)

This alternate 4-player mode was made to play the game as partner pilots, like in the real sport.

Set up the game like a 4 player game, and divide players into pairs. One of the players in each pair is the Main Driver. Only the team's Main Driver car marker will be used to mark the team's points. The total points scored by both drivers of each team count towards the same car marker.

All other rules apply normally.

Solo Rules

You play against a single opponent, the Rival. You win if your driver finishes with more points than the opposing driver.

Rivals

The game has 3 Rival cards, they define the difficulty of the game. Rivals come with 3 pieces of information:

• Time on stopwatch.
• Rounds without replacing parts.
• Penalty for errors (the error symbol).

The Rival cards print their values (stopwatch time, rounds without replacing parts, and error penalty) as graphics; the specific figures are not reproduced in this text.

Setup

1. Choose a Rival (difficulty level).
2. Set up the game as a 2 player game. A Rival doesn't need a pit team, so you don't need to use his board. Just place his representative marker on the track.
3. You will also need a stopwatch. Set the timer according to the time indicated on your Rival's card. Keep the stopwatch close by, you need to be able to stop the timer quickly.

Designer note #9 › Rivals

Following co-author Júlio's original idea, I decided that the rivals would illustrate great F1 personalities and rivalries. As we are both Brazilians, it is noticeable that we chose those that stood out the most for us. Here's our simple tribute to these great sportsmen!

Designer note #10 (by Júlio Novais)

A Pit team has 20 members directly involved with the repairs. I watched several videos with a Pit Stop time of a little more or less than 2 seconds. To determine the time for the easier difficulty I multiplied 2 seconds by 20 members, and decided that 40 seconds is all the time I need to do the job myself =D.

Playing a Solo Game

The round is almost the same as a round of a regular game, but with a few differences:

• The player is ALWAYS considered the leader when solving crash cards.
• Start the timer BEFORE turning over the parts that need repairs.
• When you have fixed all the problems on the crash card, you can take the Golden Flag from the center of the table and stop the timer OR you can try to solve additional problems.
• When you stop the timer, the round ends.

Scoring

If you have not made any mistakes, or failed to solve an indicated part in the round, you are the winner of the round. If you've won, take a trophy piece and earn points like normal.

If time ran out of time before you took the Golden Flag or if there is incorrect math on any parts that received repairs (including parts that weren't on the crash card), you have lost the round. The Rival wins the trophy and points.

The Rival earns points for each part of yours that has not been repaired, INCLUDING face-down ones. Points are the same as in a regular game (1 for tires, 2 for wing, engine or gas). The Rival also earns points for the parts that you fixed incorrectly, the point value can be doubled depending on your Rival.

If you go to a super crash round and lose, the Rival earns 3 extra points in addition to the trophy points.

In the event of a tie, the winner is the Rival, trophies are not used to break the tie.

• Example: You won the round after successfully changing 4 tires, you decide not to try to repair anything else and take the Golden Flag and stop the timer. With the trophy token you get 1 point, and each tire changed is worth 1 more point, your driver advances 5 spaces. The Rival doesn't get any points for trophies because he came in second, but he gets points for parts that the player couldn't or didn't want to repair. In this case, there are 2 points for each of the parts that the player did not repair (for example, a wing, gas and engine), so the Rival would get 6 points!

Preparing for the next race

Just like in a regular game, but with one exception: tokens used to repair your car DO NOT always return to the center of the table! Make a discard pile for them.

Your Rival determines in which Rounds you can replenish the chips you used during the last round. That is, you will not have parts available in every round, this can force the solo player to use spare parts.

Cooperative Mode (doubles)

Similar to the Solo game, but in cooperative mode two players play the role of the pit crew at the same time.

Players must organize themselves and define how to divide the tasks.

• Example: One player only fixes tires while the other fixes the remaining parts.
• Example: One player does the math and the other looks for the tokens.

Cut the Rival's time in half.

All other rules apply like Solo mode.

Designer note #11 › Collaboration

The Solo and Cooperative rules were born out of the initiative of Júlio Novais! A person who bought the game and liked it so much they sent me these alternate rules. I liked it a lot and decided to add them to the new version of the game. Thank you Júlio! Hopefully the first of many collaborations like this. Thanks to everyone!