Dustbiters is a fast-paced card game of vehicular combat where two players push, shove, and destroy their way to the front of the line. Created by a collaboration of the indie video game developers who were behind Minit, Disc Room, and Genital Jousting, Dustbiters is a simple take-that game that manages to pack a lot of strategy into its 21 cards.
The Dustbiters theme is reminiscent of the apocalypse movie Mad Max. Players each control a convoy of vehicles racing away from a giant dust storm, and at the end of every round, whichever car is in the back will be destroyed. The goal of Dustbiters is to either be in control of every vehicle on the board, or simply be the last car standing. The game starts with eight cars lined up, four to each side, and every turn grants the player three action points which can be used to move, draw new cards, place a card on the line, or activate a car's special power. Throughout the game, players will vie for position while trying to steal, or destroy, the other player's cards.
Every one of the 21 cars in Dustbiters has its own unique special power, and this is where the game's strategy really shines. Some examples: The Teleporter can swap positions with any other car, the Hijacker can steal another player's car, and the Jammer can completely disable other car's special powers. With every card being unique and players both drawing from the same deck, Dustbiters creates a fun and fast card game that players will want to play again and again. There is a strong combo system built into the game as many of the cards play off the others to create some devastating attacks. Even if the game seems lost, one perfect turn can change the momentum fast.
The art in Dustbiters meshes effortlessly with its theme, as each car has a simple cartoon quality that doesn't overwhelm the card but expresses some of the character of the vehicle and the mechanics behind it. The color palette used throughout gives the feeling of an old dusty desert, and the card-sized manual lays out the rules well while still keeping the theme. The small footprint of the box makes it easily portable and the game can be played almost anywhere there is a flat surface. Dustbiters is ideal for travel, and lasts just long enough to sneak in a game at any time.
With massive miniature games running rampant on Kickstarter and the costs of board games consistently rising, it's nice to find a simple, well-made game that packs a lot of strategy into a small box. The cards and packaging of Dustbiters are high-quality, and will easily hold up over multiple plays. The box also allows for cards to be sleeved while still fitting into the insert with ease. There is nothing over-produced in Dustbiters - it's a well-balanced and enjoyable 15 to 20-minute card game that will easily make gamers want to play "one more time."
Dustbiters is currently available on Kickstarter. A copy of the game was provided for the purpose of this review.