Overdrive Review

This article originally appeared in issue 62 of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

Great gameplay will interest you in a miniatures game, but it’s having a unique model collection that gets players passionate about them.

Overdrive has the gameplay polished like brass – a fast-paced three-on-three sports game for two players, split into eight rounds of four actions per team. Players can activate their ‘players’ (only mildly confusing) to have them run, grab objectives or slam into opponents.

Each ‘player’ has different stats representing what they need to roll using three dice to succeed a check, adding or subtracting dice based on positioning and any sixes rolled ‘explode’, letting you roll more dice, making any check the potentially pivotal moment of the match.

The miniatures have a wide range of charming designs and abilities, from the spider-droid Skarathron with its ranged poison strikes to Shark-man Karadon who hits harder when an opponent is wounded. The starter set comes with a wide array of models ensuring that players can have interesting games straight out of the box, helped greatly by the variant game modes too.

Whilst the league play is going to be the best way to enjoy this, right now it’s handicapped by the game’s biggest flaw – the lack of miniatures. There’s currently six minis in the base set and one expansion pack for two more. As you need six to play in a league, everyone’s team is going to be VERY similar, with a clunky “no repeating players on the board” rule meaning you’re unlikely to get to play with your favourites every game.

There’s a strong core here, shaking up skirmish games with something feasible to complete in less than an hour, but with no announcements of more incoming minis, I’m hesitant to recommend this as anything other than a possible sleeper hit, should more support be provided in 2022. There’s enough fun here to amuse straight out of the box, but long term enjoyment will rely on consistent additions to keep things fresh.

Matthew Vernall

PLAY IT? Maybe

Designer: Rob Burman & Matt Gilbert

Publisher: Mantic Games

Players: 2

Ages: 11+

Price: £42

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