Matthew BaileyGame 10 of our “Fantastically Festive Christmas School Holidays 2023 Marathon” is “Crazy Pilot”, played with Toby (5) and Jack (.8.).
“Crazy Pilot” is a rather unique card game released by Helvetic that I can best describe as a card game version of a hazard perception driving test. The concept of the game is to escape a zombie- and monster-ridden city, trying to navigate your way out as swiftly as possible. The name clearly draws inspiration from the late ’90s arcade and Dreamcast video game, “Crazy Taxi”.
Initially, everyone receives a deck of 20 scenario cards. These cards depict a car on a road surrounded by quirky monsters, hazards, zombies, and traffic signals such as stop signs, zebra crossings, and red lights.
Each player then arranges these 20 cards in an order of their choosing, places a start card on top, and passes the deck to the player on their left. This phase felt somewhat odd, and during our second playthrough, we skipped it entirely, opting to arrange our decks randomly.
Next, you select a car card and place it in front of you. The objective is to examine each card individually and decide the appropriate action based on the depicted scenario. Actions can include moving straight ahead, switching lanes, performing a U-turn, or coming to a stop. Depending on your choice, you position the scenario card around your car accordingly.
Some cards conceal zombies, introducing a “Where’s Wally” element to the game. Spotting a zombie prompts you to shout “zombie!”, with everyone joining in. If correct, you add the card to your zombie pile; otherwise, you incur a penalty point. Misplaced cars also deduct points.
The first player to finish receives a “First Finished” card worth 2 points, while the others continue until completion. At the game’s conclusion, correctly positioned cards earn you points, while misplaced ones result in deductions. The player with the most points wins.
While we derived some enjoyment from “Crazy Pilot”, I hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend it for a few reasons. Deciphering certain card scenarios can be ambiguous, with inconsistencies in the game’s logic. Our scores averaged between 10 and 15, with Toby (5) surprisingly excelling. However, post-game discussions revealed some dissatisfaction. The zombie mechanic, although intriguing, felt a tad cumbersome by our third playthrough, becoming more of an afterthought than a core feature. Additionally, while there’s merit in finishing first, subsequent positions don’t offer any advantages.
In terms of components, the card quality is decent, featuring sturdy card stock. However, the box’s design, which fails to close securely, puzzles me. Artwork on the scenario cards varies in style, serving its purpose but lacking consistency.
We had fun with “Crazy Pilot” but it’s not going to be an instant recommendation from us. The mechanics do not work quite as well as I think they could and at the end of the day they are trying to make something subjective into objective and that never goes as well as it could. I would definitely say this is worth a play if you see the board game cafe but I’m not sure it’s worth picking up.
