Rallyman: DIRT
Rallyman: DIRT Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Credits
Designer: Jean-Christophe Bouvier Developer: Jamie Parsons Art Directors: Loïc Muzy & Quentin Saint-Georges Illustrators: Loïc Muzy, Joëlle Drans & Mindwork Games Graphic Designers: Quentin Saint-Georges & Joëlle Drans 3D Sculptures: Mindwork Games Proofreading: Raphaël Alcantara, Georgina Parsons, Kayla Soule & Hugo Chaumette Published by: Jeux Synapses Games Inc.
© 2024 Jeux Synapses Games Inc. No part of this product may be reproduced without the written consent of Jeux Synapses Games Inc., 37 rue Claude, Pointe-des-Cascades, QC J0P 1M0, Canada. www.jeuxsynapsesgames.com
A Note from the Author
Twenty years after the beginning of the Rallyman story, I now feel like a true test pilot at a game studio. Everything I dreamed of in order to pursue my life's work is now within reach. Well, almost - I still haven't managed to get cars with built-in lighting for playing in the dark!
It's been quite the journey: the technicians on the DIRT team developed cars with six speeds, equipped with big brakes, built six different models, each more exciting than the last. The tiles became hexagonal and are compatible with Rallyman: GT, making the possibilities almost endless.
Then, just like every driver needs a co-pilot, DIRT needed an excellent illustrator: so the talented Loïc Muzy and Joëlle Drans joined the team! I am proud to have their names on the back window of our car, or our box!
I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to those who were with me back when Rallyman was a self-published adventure, and without whom this version of DIRT would probably not exist: my brother Philippe Bouvier (also co-driver during our first real rallies), Robert Paquet and Clovis (Clause Viseur, a wonderful artist who unfortunately passed away far too soon in July 2018, two collaborators of Michel Vaillant, idol of my childhood) and Stéphane Gantiez.
Thank you to all the friends, colleagues and loved ones who have always supported my dream and pushed me to take Rallyman as far as it could go: my parents, my four daughters, Vincent Simon, Martin and Arnaud Delbouys, Pierre Raynaud, John Berny, Kevin Clark (inventor of the Redline), Aaron Steward, Mayrik Padey, Massimo Zomparelli, Jan Ostmann, Roger BW, Dwayne Karenko, Samy Roberge, Sergio Raccampo, Frédéric Ormières, Quentin Le Guennan, Bruno Cathala, Oliviero Carena, Cyril Mentin, Topo Fraile, Frederic Rodriguez, Bernardo d'Orey, Céline Houelle-Carrot, Gaétan Suire, Guillaume Martin, Annie Toscano, Christophe Guiard, Sébastien Patiny, Nicolas Gocel…
My most heartfelt apologies to anyone whose name has (involuntarily) been left out, but I would like to add a huge thank you to the "old" Rallyman community, and to the new generation of players who are now hitting the road with us!
Finally, I would like to dedicate Rallyman: DIRT to the memory of Fabio Pellegrino, the first ever Rallyman Champion in 2013, a truly great driver and Rallyman collector, but above all, the most wonderfully kind person I have ever met, whose life was so cruelly cut short by the pandemic.
Rest in peace my friend, we will never forget you.
— Jean-Christophe Bouvier
Components
- 1 Rulebook
- 31 double-sided Road tiles
- 6 cars
- 6 Dashboards
- 6 Driver cards
- 6 Spare Tire cards
- 6 SISU tokens
- 1 Assistance tile
- 1 Damage token bag
- 11 Dice
- 192 Time cards
- 122 Second tokens
- 48 Damage tokens
Setup
1. Building Your Rally
The hexagonal tiles in Rallyman: DIRT allow you to build a rally for any occasion. Feel free to let your imagination run wild as you design your rallies!
Some Guidelines
When building your own Stages and Rallies, with 4 players:
- A "Short" Stage would be composed of 10 tiles and last 25 minutes.
- A "Medium" Stage would be composed of 14 tiles and last 35 minutes.
- A "Long" Stage would be composed of 18 tiles and last 45 minutes.
- A "Short" Rally would be composed of 2 short Stages and last around 60 minutes.
- A "Medium" Rally would be composed of 3 Short Stages or 2 Long Stages and last around 90 minutes.
- A "Long" Rally would be composed of 3 medium Stages and last around 120 minutes.
You can find a selection of ready to play Rallies and Stages at the back of this Rulebook.
2. Second Tokens
Place the Second tokens in piles within the play area, so that all of the players can reach them easily.
3. Damage Tokens
Put the Damage tokens into the Damage token bag and place it within reach of all players.
4. Time Cards
Take the Time cards and separate them into six decks, one for each number from 1 to 6. Shuffle each deck individually before placing each deck on the table with their 0 sides face down.
5. Dice
Place the dice nearby, so that all of the players can reach them easily.
6. Color
Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding car model, Driver card, Spare Tire card and Dashboard, arranging these in front of them.
7. Determining the Starting Order
To determine the starting order, take each player's car and draw one of them at random. This is the first player and play will proceed clockwise around the table, starting with them.
The first player takes the dice and the race can now begin! Drivers, start your engines!
The Game
In Rallyman: DIRT, players compete against each other over one or multiple time trial events on closed sections of road called "Special Stages".
During each Stage, players will have to navigate twists and turns as fast as possible to achieve the best time.
At the end of each of their turns, players gain a certain number of seconds to add to their overall time based on the Gear that they finish in. As such, drivers should be looking to maximize the distance traveled while maintaining the highest speed possible.
The player with the best overall time at the end wins!
Rounds
A game of Rallyman: DIRT is made up of rounds with each player getting one turn per round.
At the beginning of each round, you must first determine the order of play.
Order of Play
In Rallyman: DIRT, the order of play is generally constant. However, it can change as the Stage progresses and players close the distance between one another!
The order of play at the start of each round is determined by the distance of each car along the road and then by their speed or position in the case of a draw, according to the following rules.
Order of priority: DISTANCE > SPEED > POSITION
- Distance - The first player is always the driver whose car is furthest along the road. The second player is the player that's the second along the road and so on. The car in the space whose front edge is furthest along the road goes first.
- Speed - If two cars are of equal distance along the road, the car in the highest Gear goes first. At the start each round, a player's current Gear is dictated by the last Time card they obtained.
- Position - If two cars are of equal distance along the road and in the same Gear, the player whose car is on the inside lane of the current or next Corner (see Corners) goes first.
In this example, the order of play would be as follows:
- The Red car would go first as it is the furthest along the road.
- The Green car would go second as it is the second furthest along the road.
- As the Blue and Yellow cars are an equal distance along the road, the car in the highest Gear would go before the other. If they were both in the same Gear, Blue would go before Yellow as Blue is on the inside of the next Corner.
The Start
The start of each Rally Stage is unique in that, as this is a time trial race, players do not all begin the Stage at the same time. Instead, their departure is staggered with each player playing one additional round before the next one enters the race.
The first player, as determined during setup, would start and play their turn for the first round. They would then play another turn in the second round before the second player starts, and so on.
In a four player game, the starting rounds of a Stage would therefore be:
- Round 1: Player 1 starts their first turn.
- Round 2: Player 1 takes their second turn, then Player 2 starts their first turn.
- Round 3: Player 1 takes their third turn, Player 2 takes their second turn and Player 3 starts their first turn.
- Round 4: Player 1 takes their fourth turn, Player 2 takes their third turn, Player 3 takes their second turn and Player 4 starts their first turn.
When starting the Stage, players place their car in the space behind the Starting Line and begin in Gear 0.
Once they have entered the Stage, players follow the normal order of play rules explained previously.
Note that the order of play for drivers that haven't entered the Stage cannot be changed.
While waiting to start, don't forget to pay close attention to what the other drivers are doing as you may be able to optimize your own course based on their successes and mistakes!
The Turn
During their turns, players will be using the dice available to them to move their car along the road, trying to complete it as fast as possible.
Once the order of play has been established, each player takes their turn one after the other.
During their turn a player will do the following:
- Choose their dice.
- Roll their dice and move their car.
Choosing Your Dice
During their turn, players will use dice to accelerate, brake, and coast their way around the Stage. As long as you follow a few simple rules, you're free to combine these dice as you please. Getting creative with your dice combinations is the key to finishing with the best time possible!
During the game, a player can find all the information they need for their car on their Dashboard.
The Dashboard
The Dashboard indicates your car type (A), as well as the Tires you're using (B).
It also shows which type and the number of dice you will have at your disposal (C) as well as the number of Warning symbol results it takes to provoke a Loss of Control (D) when driving on different types of road. Any damage suffered during the Stage will also be shown on the Dashboard via Damage tokens placed there. Damage tokens can modify the values that appear on your Dashboard.
There are 4 different surface types shown on Rallyman: DIRT Dashboards: Gravel, Gravel (leader), Asphalt, Snow.
Only gravel roads and gravel tires are included in this core box of Rallyman: DIRT. Should you wish to take your rallying adventures further afield, you'll find tiles and tires for snow and asphalt in its upcoming expansions! The two rightmost columns (E) are only to be taken into account if you are playing with future expansions, so you may ignore them when playing with the core game only.
The "Leader" column is only used by the first player each round and only if they are on gravel.
All of the dice have Warning symbols. These symbols have no effect until the player accumulates the amount shown on the Dashboard during their turn, in which case they will lose control of their car! (See Loss of Control.)
You can combine acceleration, deceleration, braking, and coasting in any way you like during your turn to get the best out of your car!
Players lay the dice out on the road in order to plan their movement each turn.
Example: Raphael starts the Stage at a speed of 0. He must use his Black Gear die with a value of 1 to put his car into 1st Gear. He can then move into 2nd Gear, and so on.
When placing Gear dice, you may use any available die whose value is:
- One Gear higher than your current speed.
- The same Gear as your current speed.
- One Gear lower than your current speed.
During their turn, a player can use as many dice as their Dashboard allows them. However, each individual die can only be used once per turn.
The Dice
1. Black Gear Dice
Gear dice are used to move while accelerating or decelerating progressively.
The black dice represent the gears of your car.
Going up or down through Gear dice is often referred to as "changing gears" or being "in" a certain gear.
Each die allows you to move your car forward one space, whatever the result of the roll (number or Warning symbol).
Gear dice are played one by one and must have a maximum difference of one Gear with your previous Gear, or, when starting your turn, a maximum difference of one Gear with your last Time card.
Example: It's Olivier's turn. He is currently in 4th Gear. He decides to start with the 5th Gear dice before decelerating down through 4th, then 3rd, then 2nd as he heads towards a sharp Corner.
2. White Coast Dice
Coast dice are used to move while maintaining the same speed.
Each Coast die allows you to move your car forward one space while remaining in your current Gear, whatever the result of the roll (blank face or Warning symbol).
A Coast die can be used at the start, during, or at the end of your movement. You can choose to only use Coast dice during your turn. You can alternate between Coast and other dice as you see fit.
You cannot use a Coast die if your current speed is 0.
Example: Owen takes a tricky Corner in 3rd Gear and uses his white Coast dice to maintain his speed.
3. Orange Leader Dice
Leader dice are only used by the first player each round on gravel, as indicated by the Leader column. They function identically to Coast dice as explained previously, but include an additional Warning symbol.
The first player replaces the regular Coast dice with Leader dice. This represents the difficulty of being the first driver to hit a Rally Stage! The leader will be clearing loose dirt and debris that make the course trickier to navigate, therefore making it easier for the drivers that come after.
The first player each round is the "Leader" and must use these dice instead of their normal Coast dice.
Once a player has crossed the Stage's finish line this rule no longer applies. The remaining drivers all use their normal Coast dice.
Example: If Owen was attempting the same Corner but was the first player, he could attempt the same movement but would use Leader dice instead of Coast dice.
4. Red Brake Dice
Brake dice are used to drastically reduce speed when combined with another die.
Using the red Brake die combined with a black Gear die allows you to move forward one space while reducing your speed by one extra Gear.
To do this, you must play the red Brake die along with the Gear die of the speed you wish to slow down to and place both of them on the same space.
Example: Georgina decelerates before a Corner and then brakes, going from 4th Gear to 2nd Gear as she enters it. To do this, she places her Gear 2 die along with her Brake die which allows her to "skip" 3rd Gear.
A player cannot use dice to reduce their speed to 0 - the minimum speed is 1st Gear.
Putting It All Together
By combining different dice in clever ways, you can overcome any obstacle the Stage can throw at you. You can even accelerate and decelerate with your Gear dice in the same turn. Just remember the golden rule: each die can only be used once per turn.
Example: Patrick starts his turn in 5th Gear. He moves into 6th Gear before starting to decelerate for the Corner, dropping down to 5th and then 4th. He then brakes down to 2nd Gear and coasts around the Corner, accelerating back up to 3rd as he exits it. Patrick has traveled a good distance this turn and by using his Brake die to skip 3rd Gear before the Corner, he's able to use it afterwards! This allows him to take a 3rd Gear Time card at the end of his turn that will add fewer seconds to his time than a 2nd Gear Time card.
The Rules of the Road
Because a Stage is never just a straight line, there are a few rules you'll have to bear in mind when planning your move!
Moving
There can only be one car on any space at a time. You cannot move through a space occupied by another car.
Cars must always move forwards, either in a straight line (along the same lane) or diagonally (changing lanes), but never laterally. The front edge of the space they move to must be further along the road than the previous one.
You can change lanes as many times as you like during your movement. Most of the time, the road is divided into two lanes.
In Rallyman: DIRT, the edge of a tile always represents the edge of a space.
You must move your car at least one space per turn, if you are able to do so.
Corners
A Rally without Corners wouldn't be half as interesting, and in Rallyman: DIRT, how you navigate these treacherous twists and turns can make all the difference to your score at the end of a Stage!
Corner spaces are identified by the presence of speed restrictions (the circled numbers) along with the absence of a dividing line between the inside and outside lane.
Drivers must decide how to tackle each Corner as they enter it and cannot change methods mid Corner.
Some tiles have two Corners adjacent to one another. These are considered separate and you may change methods when going from one to the other.
There are two ways to tackle a Corner which defines how many spaces it is made up of and the speed limitation you'll have to adhere to:
Cutting Through the Inside Lane
This path is shorter but requires a lower Gear. When taking the Corner this way, you'll have to adhere to the speed limitation on the inside of the Corner.
Drifting Around the Outside Lane
This path is longer but allows you to maintain a higher Gear. When taking the Corner this way, you'll have to adhere to the speed limitations on the outside of the Corner. Drifting cars are turned perpendicular to the road.
Speed Limitations
Whatever course of action a player chooses, speed restrictions work the same way. The number shown in the circle in a space is the highest Gear that a car can be in while in that space. You may of course be in a lower Gear than the one indicated with no penalty.
Entering this space at a higher Gear than the one indicated results in an immediate Loss of Control (see Loss of Control).
You may accelerate past this limit when leaving the space. Speed limitations can appear in spaces other than Corners. In these cases, the same rules apply.
Example: Quentin wants to move into a Corner space. The speed limitation shown in the center of the space is 3. He places his Gear 3 die in that space, respecting the limit and suffering no Loss of Control. He is free to accelerate to 4th Gear as he leaves the Corner space.
Sliding
On some Corners, drivers can perform a Slide to start turning early and/or end a turn late. This can give them more opportunities to control their speed and distance.
Some spaces adjacent to Corners are intersected by a dotted line. These spaces can either be entered normally or a car can slide into them.
When sliding into these spaces a car effectively counts the zone as two spaces (separated by the dotted line) spanning the width of the road. Sliding cars are turned perpendicular to the road to indicate this maneuver.
Players must decide whether they wish to slide into these spaces or enter them normally, they cannot change methods once they have entered.
Other Terrain
Shortcuts
What would a Rally be without a little bit of off-road action? Some of the Corners present in Rallyman: DIRT have Shortcuts that might just save you time if your luck holds out...
Shortcuts in Rallyman: DIRT are special spaces recognizable by the Shortcut symbol. These spaces can be moved into when you decide to cut a Corner to save time.
The number inside the Shortcut symbol is a speed limitation, indicating the highest Gear a player can be in while occupying this space.
Players may enter or leave a Shortcut space from or to any space connected to them except Corner spaces.
However, taking your car off-road can have serious consequences! Any time you enter a Shortcut space, draw 1 Damage token from the Damage token bag. Flip the token over to its "Shortcut" side which shows the Shortcut symbol in the top left corner.
This Damage token, once flipped, will show one of three results:
- OK!: Your car made it through the maneuver unscathed! Place this token onto your Dashboard.
- Coast/Leader Damage: Place this token on your Dashboard. The number of Coast or Leader dice the player may use each turn is reduced by one for each of these tokens present on their Dashboard. The effects of these tokens stack.
- -1: You spray stones and mud onto the road! You are not affected, but any drivers coming up behind you will have to suffer the consequences. Place this token onto the Shortcut's tile. The maximum speed for all Corner spaces on this tile is reduced by 1. These tokens can stack, meaning that parts, or all of the Corner can eventually be made unusable.
These tokens do not affect the speed limitation of the Shortcut. A space with a speed limitation reduced to 0 or less becomes unusable. Cars may not enter these spaces.
You may slide into and out of a Shortcut from and to any Slide space connected to it.
Jumps
In Rallyman: DIRT, you can use the rough terrain to your advantage! Certain Road tiles have Jump spaces, representing a bump in the road that you can jump over.
When planning out your trajectory, place your dice as normal. If the die you place on a Jump space is the same Gear as the one shown, you'll gain some air! Move the die you placed onto the Jump one space forward. You can move the die directly forward or diagonally.
If the die you place onto a Jump space is one Gear higher than the one shown, you'll gain even more air! Follow the same rules as mentioned previously but move the die two spaces instead. You may ignore other cars present on intervening spaces.
If the die you place onto a Jump space is two Gears higher or more than the one shown, you'll gain too much air! Follow the rules as above, moving the die two spaces, but you suffer an immediate Loss of Control on the space where you land.
Any die that is used to jump and results in a Warning symbol makes you suffer an immediate Loss of Control on the space where you land.
If the die you place onto a Jump space is a lower Gear than the one shown, it counts as a normal space and has no special effect.
You may not land in spaces occupied by other cars. If a Jump would force you to land on another car, you may not perform the Jump.
During a Jump, if you land in a Corner space, you may land in the lane of your choice.
Water Hazards
Rallyman: DIRT Stages also feature rivers and streams that you'll have to ford! These Water Hazards are indicated by a water symbol.
To move through a Water Hazard, you must either use a Coast die or a Gear 1 die. You cannot use a Gear 1 die in collaboration with a Brake die.
If not, your movement ends immediately in your current Gear.
You may Brake, Coast, Accelerate or Decelerate when leaving a Water Hazard space.
Overtaking
Although Rally Stages are meant to be tackled without having to worry about the presence of other drivers, it's not unheard of for one car to catch up to another.
To enter a space alongside another player's car, you must use a Gear or Coast die that is equal to, or higher, than the current Gear of the opponent's car as indicated by the Time card on the top of their pile. Once your car is alongside theirs, you may continue your movement at any speed.
For example, a car in 3rd Gear can move alongside a car in 1st, 2nd or 3rd Gear. However, it cannot move next to a car in 4th, 5th or 6th Gear.
You may overtake by moving diagonally between two cars.
Shortcuts count as adjacent to any space connected to them except Corner spaces.
Example: The red player's car is in 5th Gear as it pulls up alongside the blue car. It accelerates diagonally into 6th as it moves adjacent to the yellow car. The player has matched or beaten the Gears of the other cars as they move, so they're allowed to overtake. Now that their vehicle is beside the yellow car, the player may continue their movement as per normal.
Other Cars on Corners
If a car is positioned on a Corner, another vehicle may only enter that Corner if they use the same method, i.e. via the same lane. They may then follow that car into the Corner but cannot enter their space or overtake them.
Other Cars Performing a Slide
If a car is performing a Slide, another vehicle may only enter those spaces if they use the same method. They may then follow that car into the Slide but cannot enter their space or overtake them.
Example: Here the Red car cannot overtake as they do not have enough space to accelerate and pull up alongside the Orange car. They would be able to move one space forward, into fourth Gear before being considered blocked and having to end their turn.
You may only overtake a car in a Corner or performing a Slide by using a Shortcut if one is available.
Blocked
During your turn, you are considered blocked if either of the following are true:
- You cannot reach the speed necessary to overtake the car in front of you.
- There are no available spaces due to the presence of other cars.
It is possible to be blocked at the very start of your turn or while performing your movement.
When you are blocked, your turn ends in your current space and Gear and you proceed to the End of the Turn phase.
Example: Here the Yellow car cannot overtake the Blue and Green ones as they are taking up all of the road. They would end their turn in their current space and their current Gear.
Special Cases
We've tried to give you as much variety as possible with the tiles in Rallyman: DIRT so that you can build some truly exciting Stages! We've also tried to be as thorough and precise as possible when explaining the rules to all these elements. However, it is possible that you may come across unusual cases that may not be specifically covered here.
In situations like these, we recommend using the most logical solution possible. If players don't agree, take a vote on it. If you still can't reach a consensus, flip a coin. Whatever the case, don't let a small detail slow down your game!
Be aware of everything as you compete: your dice, the corners, and even your opponents can be used to your advantage.
Some clever driving can shave precious seconds off your final time which can mean the difference between victory and defeat!
ONCE YOU'VE PLANNED OUT YOUR TURN, IT'S TIME TO BURN RUBBER!
Rolling the Dice and Moving Your Car
With your dice now laid out, do you play it safe OR do you risk it all to make every second count?
Once you've chosen your dice and placed them on the road to plan your movement, you must now choose whether to roll your dice one at a time, or all at once!
1. Rolling Dice One by One
This is the safest option. It brings no further rewards, but if things are looking bad, you can end your movement whenever you please in order to avoid a Loss of Control.
Once a player has planned out their move, they may roll their dice one by one (except for the Brake die, which must be rolled at the same time as its accompanying Gear die). The player's car is moved one space along the road per die rolled, whatever the result.
Any dice that roll a Warning symbol are kept to one side. If a player reaches the Warning symbol limit shown on their Dashboard, they suffer a Loss of Control. If this happens, their car is moved to the space where the final Warning symbol occurred, then the Loss of Control is resolved.
Players do not have to roll all the dice they laid out for the turn when rolling one by one and, as long as they don't suffer a Loss of Control, may choose to stop and end their movement at any time. However, once a die is rolled its results must be applied.
Rolling the dice one by one allows players to keep an eye on how many Warning symbols they roll, allowing them to end their movement prematurely to avoid a Loss of Control.
When a player ends their movement, whether it was because they chose to stop, made it to the end of their planned route, or suffered a Loss of Control, proceed to the End of the Turn phase.
2. Going Flat Out!
This is a riskier option, but risks are always rewarded when playing Rallyman: DIRT! Rolling all your dice at once means that you're taking a calculated risk, but it also means you'll be able to generate Second tokens, which can be very helpful later on in the Stage.
If you're feeling lucky, you can choose to roll your dice all at once! This is called going Flat Out.
To go Flat Out, a player lays out their move as normal. They then mark the space where their movement is supposed to end with a pile of Second tokens of a value equal to the number of Gear and Coast dice that they are about to roll.
Then, the player takes all of the dice they planned to use and rolls them all at once.
Once they've rolled their dice, they check their results. If the player rolls less than the Warning symbol limit shown on their Dashboard, they've made it! The player moves their car to the space marked with their Second tokens. They take those tokens and then their movement ends.
If the player rolls equal to or more than the limit of Warning symbols shown on their Dashboard they suffer a Loss of Control!
Before resolving the Loss of Control, the player must first take all of the dice they rolled (without modifying their results) and lay them back out on the road as if they were planning a normal move. They do not have to follow the same path as they originally planned, or use all of their original dice, as long as enough are placed to cause a Loss of Control.
The dice must still be placed as per the normal rules and must result in a Loss of Control whether it be through the accumulation of Warning symbols or a road effect such as a speed limitation. You may not avoid the Loss of Control by rearranging your dice.
Once the dice are laid out, the Loss of Control will be resolved on the space where the Warning symbol or road effect that caused the Loss of Control occurs.
This gives the player some choice as to where and in which Gear they will resolve their Loss of Control.
Example: After planning his trajectory, Gareth decides to make a Flat Out roll! Sadly, he suffers a Loss of Control. In his current configuration, he would resolve his Loss of Control on a Dangerous tile (red signpost) which could cause significant damage to his car. Instead, he rearranges his dice and uses a different path (the Slide spaces) so that his Loss of Control is resolved on a safer tile (yellow signpost) and at a lower speed (4 instead of 5). He could also provoke a similar result by rearranging his dice to exceed the speed limitation on the Corner.
However, even if your Flat Out move is not successful, you still take your Second tokens!
Whether the player successfully made their Flat Out move or suffered a Loss of Control; move to the End of the Turn phase.
Second Tokens
Second tokens represent the seconds you gain thanks to your peerless driving! These can be collected during a Stage when performing risky Flat Out moves. They can then be used to ensure the success of even the most dangerous maneuver later on, or to shave time off of your final score for the Stage!
You gain one Second for each Gear, Coast, or Leader die used in your Flat Out roll (even those that rolled a Warning symbol). Second tokens are taken from the piles placed around the table and are available in increments of 1, 3 and 5 seconds.
Red Brake dice do not generate any Second tokens.
Going Flat Out is the only way to gain Second tokens.
Using Second Tokens When Moving
One of the uses of Second tokens is to allow you to "secure" your dice. This means that you don't have to roll them and, therefore, can avoid any possible Warning symbol results.
A player may only use Second tokens to secure their dice when rolling them one by one, not during a Flat Out move.
Players may use Second tokens to secure a die at any time before it is rolled. Once rolled, a die may never be modified.
Generally, it's a good idea to secure dice when you've already rolled a dangerous amount of Warning symbols during your turn to avoid suffering a Loss of Control.
A player can secure as many dice as they like during their turn, as long as they can pay for them:
- The first die each turn costs 1 Second to secure.
- The second die costs 2 Seconds to secure (3 Seconds total).
- The third die costs 3 Seconds to secure (6 Seconds total).
- And so on.
When securing a die, a player must discard the required number of Second tokens back to the piles on the table before removing the dice from the road. They may then continue on with their turn, rolling or securing their dice as they see fit.
You cannot spend Seconds to ignore road effects or a Loss of Control.
You may use Second tokens to secure a dice roll involving a Brake die. However, you must secure all of the dice that are part of that roll. If you do not have enough Seconds, you may not secure that roll.
Example: Jonathan wants to secure his dice as he goes round a Corner. Securing 3 dice costs him 6 Seconds (1+2+3). If he had already secured other dice during his turn, it would cost him even more!
End of the Turn
A player's turn ends when any of the following things happen:
- They have finished their movement.
- They are blocked.
- They suffer a Loss of Control.
If a Player Has Finished Their Movement or Is Blocked
The player takes a Time card corresponding to their current Gear (their furthest Gear die on the road) and places it in front of them.
If they only rolled Coast (white) dice on their turn or did not move, they take a Time card of the same value as the one they obtained the previous round.
Time cards dictate how many seconds you add to your overall time in Rallyman: DIRT. The higher the Gear, the lower the number of seconds added to your time!
Keep each of your Time cards in a pile next to your Dashboard, you'll be adding them up at the end of the Stage to determine your final time. Additionally, the top card of the pile indicates the Gear you are in between your turns for the purposes of effects such as: overtaking, indicating which Gear you will start your next turn in and determining the order of play at the start of a round.
If a Player Suffers a Loss of Control
The player takes a Time card corresponding to the Gear they were in when they suffered the Loss of Control and flip it to its "0" side before placing it on top of the pile next to their Dashboard.
A Loss of Control adds more time to your total than even the lowest of Gears and means that you'll have to drive even harder to make up for the lost time.
In addition, on the right side of the card, at the top of the white strip, there will be one of two icons. Depending on what icon the card shows, apply the following results.
Spinout:
Leave the car on the road in its current space. Even though it has suffered a Loss of Control, the car still counts as being on the road. Spinning out still loses you a lot of time but doesn't cause any damage.
At the start of the player's next turn, flip the car back around and continue to play as normal.
Example: Joelle suffers a Loss of Control and reveals a Spinout! Even though she loses time, she suffers no damage and her car stays on the road.
Crash:
Place the car to the side of the road, adjacent to the space where the Loss of Control occurred. The car does not count as being on the road for the purposes of impeding other cars.
At the start of the player's next turn, place the car back on the road in the space where the Loss of Control occurred and continue play as normal.
For each black mark next to the corresponding signpost on the Time card, draw one Damage token from the bag and place it on your Dashboard, Damage side up (without the Shortcut symbol in the top left hand corner).
The Danger level of each tile is indicated by the color of the signpost at each end of it.
Example: Olivier suffers a Loss of Control in 4th Gear. He flips over his Time card which indicates a Crash. His car is placed to the side of the road and then, after consulting the Danger level of the tile, he has to draw the maximum of 3 Damage tokens.
If you flip over a card with SISU written on it then your driving skills have allowed you to turn the situation to your advantage! You suffer no damage to your car and lose very little time! Leave your car in the space where the Loss of Control occurred. You start your next turn in the Gear shown on the card.
Order of Play for Cars Not on the Road
Even though they may not be physically present on the road, the space where a car left the road (the zone the car is placed adjacent to) counts as that driver's position when determining the turn order at the start of a round.
Should a car that is off the road be the same distance along the road as another car, the car that is on the road goes first.
Damage Tokens
Damage tokens represent a variety of consequences that may befall you should your luck run out!
When drawing a Damage token, it is placed on your Dashboard. The effects of Damage tokens stack.
- Gear Damage: The number of Gear dice the player may use each turn (no matter their value) is reduced by one for each of these tokens present on their Dashboard.
- Brake Damage: The number of Brake dice the player may use each turn is reduced by one for each of these tokens present on their Dashboard.
- Coast/Leader Damage: The number of Coast or Leader dice the player may use each turn is reduced by one for each of these tokens present on their Dashboard.
These tokens may reduce the availability of dice to a minimum of 0. Any further tokens that would reduce this further are still kept even if they have no further effect.
Example: Andrew starts his turn with a Gear Damage token and a Brake Damage token. During his turn he'll only be able to use five Gear dice (no matter their value) and he won't be able to use his Brake die!
- Green Flag: If a Green Flag is drawn, you got lucky! Green Flags have no effect.
The Spare Tire
Each car carries one spare tire that the player can use to repair a busted tire and get one of their Coast (or Leader) dice back!
At the end of their movement, if they are in 1st Gear, a player can declare that they are going to perform a tire change. They take their car and place it to the side of the road adjacent to the space where they ended their movement. They then take their Spare Tire card and flip it to its "0" Gear side before placing it on top of the pile of Time cards next to their Dashboard. This is their Time card for the turn. Finally, they take one of the Coast/Leader Damage tokens from their Dashboard and place it back into the Damage token bag.
At the start of the player's next turn, they place their car back on the road in the space where they ended their movement and play as normal.
A Spare Tire card may only be used once and is not replaced until a player has access to Assistance (see Continuing the Rally!).
Once a player's turn has ended, play passes to the next player for this round. Once all players have had their turn in a round, a new round begins. The order of play is determined as before and players take their turns. This continues until all players have crossed the Stage's finish line.
Ending the Stage
A Stage ends once all players have crossed the finish line.
When crossing the finish line, a player's final Time card is taken depending on the Gear they are in on the space immediately after the finish line. Any other dice placed after that space are not taken into account for your Time card and do not generate Seconds in the case of a Flat Out roll.
In the event of a Loss of Control being suffered on the turn a player should cross the finish line, as long as the Loss of Control is resolved in a space after the finish line, that player still counts as having finished.
They take the Time card as described above and count the number of seconds shown for that Gear. If this is a one-off Stage, the player takes no damage. If the Stage is part of a Rally, then the player takes the damage shown on the back of the card as per the normal rules but still counts the time shown on the front.
Once a player has completed a Stage, they calculate their final time. To do this, they simply add the number of seconds shown on each Time card they collected during the Stage together before subtracting their remaining Second tokens from it to achieve their final time.
The player with the lowest time wins the Stage!
Example: A stage completed in 3:00 minutes, with 5 seconds shaved by remaining Second tokens, gives a final time of 2:55.
Retiring from a Stage
If a player ends their turn unable to use any Gear dice due to damage, then they must retire from the Stage. Their car is removed from the road and their final time for the Stage will be 1 minute more than the player with the slowest time for that Stage. Before the next Stage, they may remove all Damage tokens and replenish their Spare Tire card exactly as if they had access to Assistance.
Continuing the Rally!
A game of Rallyman: DIRT isn't meant to be over after a single Stage however. You can count it as just one of the Stages in your own Rally event!
As mentioned at the start of this rulebook, a Rally is normally composed of multiple Stages. Playing out a full competition will push your Rallyman: DIRT experience to the limit, as over the course of multiple Stages, each choice and each move you make can have a big effect on your position on the podium!
A bad score on one Stage can be compensated by a particularly good time on the next one. Risks that you would normally take without hesitation in the context of a one-off Stage become much more debatable when damage to your car can have a lingering effect on you!
The number of Stages and their design is completely up to you and your imagination! You'll find some examples of Rallies at the end of this rulebook.
If you're ready to roll, here are some additional steps you'll need to perform between each Stage.
At the End of the Stage
Register Times
Each player fills out their time on the Rally sheet, entering their name and the time for the Stage they just played.
This sheet is available to photocopy at the end of this rulebook or can be downloaded from our website jeuxsynapsesgames.com.
Assistance
It's not possible to repair your car during a Stage. In fact, repairs only become available after certain Stages.
If the Stage you're currently playing on contains the Assistance tile in its design, then you'll be able to repair your car at the end of the Stage.
If players have access to Assistance at the end of a Stage, then they take all of the tokens on their Dashboards and return them to the Damage token bag.
If players do not have access to Assistance at the end of a Stage, they must write the number of Gear, Coast/Leader, and Brake Damage tokens they have on their Dashboards on the Rally sheet.
Tidying Up
- Second Tokens: Players use their Second tokens at the end of a Stage to lower their final time. After calculating these tokens, they may return them to their piles. Second tokens are not kept in between Stages.
- Time Cards: Once a player has calculated their final time for a Stage, they may return these cards to their respective decks. Time cards are not kept in between Stages.
- Shortcut Tokens: Return any "OK!" and "-1" tokens left out to the Damage token bag. This does not include Coast/Leader Damage tokens.
You have now finished the Stage and are ready to move on to the next one!
Performing a Rally Over Multiple Gaming Sessions
A Rally, especially a long one, is perfectly suited to being played over multiple gaming sessions! Once the Rally sheet is filled out, it's easy to pack the game up and resume your competition at a later date!
Using a Spare Tire Between Stages
If you have not used it already, you may use your Spare Tire card in between two Stages where you do not have access to Assistance. Performing this action after a Stage does not add any time to the previous or next Stage.
You may discard your card (you may not use it again until after Assistance is next available) to remove a Coast/Leader Damage token from your Dashboard, placing it back in the Damage token bag.
After performing Assistance (or not), note on the Rally sheet if you have access to your spare tire for the next Stage (Y) or not (N).
Example: Kayla and her friends are getting ready to resume the next step of their Rally. The Rally sheet shows that she suffered a Coast Damage in the previous Stage. She takes a Coast/Leader Damage token from the Damage token bag and places it on her Dashboard. She then takes her Spare Tire card as she did not use it in the previous Stage. Finally, Kayla had the second best overall time at the end of the previous Stage so she will start the next Stage as the second player.
The Spare Tire may only be replaced when Assistance is available. Take your Spare Tire card and place it back near your Dashboard. This is the only way to recover your card.
Starting the Next Stage
Setup
Setup follows exactly the same steps as described at the start of this rulebook except:
- Players start with any damage that carried over from the previous Stage, as noted on the Rally sheet. Make sure you have the correct type(s) and amount of tokens present on your Dashboard at the beginning of the next Stage.
- Players may only take their Spare Tire card if it is available, as noted on the Rally sheet at the end of the previous Stage.
- Player order is not determined at random, rather it is based on the results of the previous Stages. The player with the best overall time is the first player. The player with the second best overall time is the second player, and so on.
The Stage may then begin as per the normal rules.
Example: To calculate your overall time at the end of Stage 2, add your time from the First Stage with that of the Second Stage.
Crowning the Winner!
Once all the Stages in your Rally are complete, total up each player's time for all the Stages.
The player with the fastest time is the winner!
Advanced Rules
Flying Start
With a Flying Start, you can go straight to 2nd Gear instead of 1st Gear when starting from 0.
When a player starts their turn in Gear 0, they may go straight to 2nd Gear dice, ignoring the standard rules and skipping 1st Gear.
When the player resolves their move, whether rolling one by one or moving Flat Out, check the result of the 2nd Gear die: if it's a Warning symbol, the player's turn ends immediately. They move forward one space and end their turn in 2nd Gear. They do not suffer a Loss of Control.
If the player was going Flat Out and would have suffered a Loss of Control as well as this effect, the Loss of Control is ignored.
You can perform a Flying Start on the starting line or when coming back on from a Loss of Control.
You can secure the 2nd Gear die with Second tokens.
You cannot choose to perform or cancel a Flying Start when reorganizing your dice following a failed Flat Out move.
Redline
Sometimes what you need isn't finesse or tactics, it's raw power. With the Redline rule, push your engine into the danger zone and tear up the Stage!
As long as a player's car is in its highest Gear, they may choose to continue their movement further by using the Brake die as if it were a Coast die.
A Brake die used this way does not generate Second tokens during a Flat Out move.
Checkpoints
In a Rally, the "Score" is a set time in which a car must be present at a checkpoint between two Special Stages. Being late or early for this will incur a time penalty. Teams will sometimes deliberately try to get these penalties so that they can increase their time and not have to go first on the next Stage.
At the end of a Stage in a Rally where this special rule is in effect, each player calculates their final time as per the normal rules.
Afterwards, each player can choose a "penalty", secretly taking any number of 5-Second tokens (they can choose to take none) from the reserve (not ones they earned during the Stage). Once all players have taken as many tokens as they wish, everyone reveals the amount of tokens they took at the same time.
Each player then adds the "penalty" they took to their time for that Stage. This will affect overall times and the starting order for the next Stage.
SISU!
Sisu is a Finnish word that best describes the stoic determination of a driver gunning for nothing less than first place!
During step 6 of the Setup phase, players takes the SISU token of their color along with everything else. You may then finish setting up the game as per the normal rules.
Once per Stage, during their turn, a player may discard their SISU token. If they do so, then they may ignore any and all Warning symbols they obtain during that turn. This can be used when rolling one by one or Flat Out and may also be used after dice have been rolled. SISU tokens do not prevent a Loss of Control due to exceeding a speed limitation or other road effects.
You may choose to allocate 1 SISU token per Stage or 1 per Rally. You may even have them return only after Assistance, just like Spare Tire cards. It's up to you! To keep track of when you've used a token, you can write "SISU" next to your time on the Rally sheet.
The SISU token is a very powerful tool, allowing the player to play an entire move without the risk of a Loss of Control. You're free to use these as you please but we suggest using them during long Rallies or giving them to newer players.
One Shots - Removing the Leader Dice
The Leader dice are a slice of realism taken from actual rally racing. This mechanic really comes into its own when playing over multiple Stages, and especially when using the Checkpoints rule. However, if you are playing a quick one Stage race and feel that they are not conducive to your Rallyman experience, feel free to replace the Leader dice indicated in the Leader column with normal Coast dice.
Ready to Play
Tile lists for building each Special Stage (SS) of six ready-to-play Rallies. Each entry lists the quantity and tile reference number/side needed to build that Stage.
Rally 1
by Jean-Christophe Bouvier
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 210b
- 1 x 213a
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 219a
- 1 x 227a
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 210b
- 1 x 213a
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 219a
- 1 x 227a
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202b
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 213a
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 219a
- 1 x 227a
Rally 2
by Roger BW
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204a
- 1 x 207a
- 1 x 209a
- 1 x 212b
- 1 x 214b
- 1 x 219b
- 1 x 223b
- 1 x 224a
- 1 x 228a
- 1 x 229a
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201b
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203b
- 1 x 206a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 215b
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 220a
- 1 x 222b
- 1 x 225a
- 1 x 227b
- 1 x 231a
- 1 x 232b
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203b
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 211b
- 1 x 213b
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217b
- 1 x 221b
- 1 x 226b
- 1 x 230b
Rally 3
by Dwayne Karenko
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 209b
- 1 x 211a
- 1 x 214a
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 221b
- 1 x 223b
- 1 x 224b
- 1 x 225a
- 1 x 227a
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202b
- 1 x 203b
- 1 x 206a
- 1 x 209a
- 1 x 212b
- 1 x 213b
- 1 x 214a
- 1 x 216b
- 1 x 219a
- 1 x 220a
- 1 x 221b
- 1 x 222a
- 1 x 224b
- 1 x 228a
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203b
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 209b
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 211b
- 1 x 212a
- 1 x 213b
- 1 x 216a
- 1 x 217b
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 222b
- 1 x 230b
- 1 x 231b
Rally 4
by Dwayne Karenko
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 209b
- 1 x 214a
- 1 x 224b
- 1 x 227a
- 1 x 231b
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202b
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 206b
- 1 x 209b
- 1 x 210b
- 1 x 213b
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 220a
- 1 x 224b
- 1 x 226a
- 1 x 227a
- 1 x 231b
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 206b
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 213b
- 1 x 214a
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 220a
- 1 x 226a
- 1 x 229a
Rally 5
by Roger BW
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204a
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 207b
- 1 x 208b
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 219a
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204b
- 1 x 205b
- 1 x 207a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 217a
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 219a
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204a
- 1 x 205a
- 1 x 207a
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 217b
- 1 x 218b
- 1 x 219a
Rally 6
by Aaron Steward
Special Stage 1
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202b
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 204a
- 1 x 208b
- 1 x 218a
- 1 x 219a
- 1 x 220a
- 1 x 222a
- 1 x 223a
- 1 x 226a
- 1 x 229b
Special Stage 2
- 1 x 201a
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203a
- 1 x 205b
- 1 x 209b
- 1 x 210a
- 1 x 211b
- 1 x 214b
- 1 x 221b
- 1 x 225a
- 1 x 227a
- 1 x 231b
- 1 x 232b
Special Stage 3
- 1 x 202a
- 1 x 203b
- 1 x 206b
- 1 x 207b
- 1 x 208a
- 1 x 212b
- 1 x 215a
- 1 x 217b
- 1 x 219b
- 1 x 220b
- 1 x 222a
- 1 x 229b
Rally Sheet
The rulebook includes a printable Rally sheet for tracking a multi-Stage Rally. For each Stage (up to three shown per sheet, plus room for a running Overall Time, Final Time and Position for each player), it provides fields for:
- The player's name and their time for the Stage.
- Damage: boxes to record the number of Gear (G), Coast/Leader (C), and Brake (B) Damage tokens carried on the Dashboard at the end of the Stage.
- Spare Tire: a Yes/No box to note whether the Spare Tire card is still available for the next Stage.
- Overall Time: the running total time across all Stages played so far, plus the player's current position (#).
- Final Time and Position: filled in once the Rally is complete.
You can photocopy the Rally sheet or download it from our website: jeuxsynapsesgames.com. The Rally sheet is in A4/US letter format.
Gaming Aid
Determine order of play (see Order of Play)
Order of priority: DISTANCE > SPEED > POSITION
- Distance - The car furthest ahead on the road plays first.
- Speed - If two cars are of equal distance along the road, the car in the current highest Gear plays first.
- Position - In case of a draw in terms of speed and distance, the car situated on the inside lane of the current or next Corner plays first.
Plan your route
Dice (see The Dice)
- Gear dice: Numbered 1 to 6. These dice allow you to move forward one space while changing speeds. They must be played in ascending or descending order.
- Coast dice: These dice allow you to move forward one space while maintaining the same speed.
- Leader dice: These dice follow the same rules as Coast dice but are only used by the first player each round.
- Brake dice: This die can be combined with a lower Gear die than your current speed to move forward while reducing your speed by more than one Gear. Use the Brake die along with a Gear die of the target speed.
Each die may only be used once per turn.
Road effects (see The Rules of the Road)
- Corners: Corners can be taken by either cutting through the inside or drifting around the outside.
- Speed limitation: This is the highest Gear you can be at in this space. If you enter in a higher Gear, you suffer an immediate Loss of Control.
- Slide spaces: Cars may treat these as two spaces (separated by the dotted line) spanning the width of the road.
- Shortcut: Counts as a space with a speed limitation. When crossing, draw a token from the Damage token bag and apply the effect on the Shortcut side.
- Jumps: Placing a die of the Gear indicated in one of these zones moves it forward one space. If the die is one higher, move it forward two spaces. If the result is a Warning symbol, you suffer a Loss of Control. If the die is two or higher, you suffer a Loss of Control.
- Water Hazards: You must enter these spaces with a Coast or Gear 1 die. If not, your movement ends immediately.
Roll your dice (see Rolling the Dice and Moving Your Car)
- One by One - You can stop rolling and end your turn whenever you want.
OR
- Flat Out! - Roll all your dice at once to gain Second tokens.
Second tokens (see Second Tokens)
You can use these tokens to secure dice when rolling one by one. These dice do not have to be rolled and therefore cannot produce Warning symbols. This may only be done before a die is rolled and costs 1 for the first die each turn, 2 for the second die, etc.
You cannot use Second tokens to ignore road effects. You can use Second tokens on a roll involving a Brake die but you must secure all of the dice that are part of that roll.
Leftover Second tokens reduce your time at the end of a Stage.
Loss of Control (see End of the Turn)
If you roll equal or more than the amount of Warning symbols shown on your Dashboard or a road effect dictates so, you suffer a Loss of Control! Your movement ends and you take a Time card equal to the speed you were at when the Loss of Control occurred. Flip it over to its 0 side and apply the effects of the icon shown.
Damage tokens (see Damage Tokens)
- Green Flag: No effect.
- Gear, Brake, Coast/Leader Damage: For each of these on your Dashboard, the number of dice you may use during your turn of the corresponding type is reduced by one.
Ending the Stage (see Ending the Stage)
Once all cars have crossed the finish line each player adds up the value of their Time cards before subtracting any remaining Second tokens. The player with the lowest time wins!
Advanced rules (see Advanced Rules)
- Flying start: When starting your turn in Gear 0, you may opt to skip 1st Gear and go straight to 2nd Gear. If the Gear 2 die result is a Warning symbol, your turn ends, but it does not cause a Loss of Control.
- Redline: If you are in your highest Gear, you may use the Brake die as if it was a Coast die.