Criminally overlooked by many, RNHRG (blimey) is a fantastic party game that pushes cheating to the fore. Built around a simple dice-rolling mechanic, the game gives players a handful of cash to bet on the nag they are convinced is going to take the race. However, it’s important to realise that there are no limits to your betting – with each player able to take a flutter on an opponent’s nag as well as your own. This quickly opens up the playspace to backstabbing, bluffs, betrayals, and more. And with a stack of ‘dirty tricks’ cards, the combination of bone simple rules and tricksy plays makes it a perfect drinking game for semi-responsible adults.

Roll. And move. This simple mechanic forms the basis of many racing games, but few have perfected it as much as Rallyman. Built around a push-your-luck mechanic, the game sees players take simultaneous moves as you careen round the track, tasking you with gear control as your pirouette and slide past your opponents. This is complicated by a ‘warning’ symbol on your dice that can cause disaster or make the choice to – and this is the literal terminology – go ‘flat out’ and risk it all for an advantage. Throw in a modular board, and you’re guaranteed a thrilling ride every time.

Ever wanted to simulate the raw thrill of powerboat racing on the tabletop? Well, you can anyway. A cult classic from 2008 by Corné van Moorsel, the game uses a three race structure to add tactics to the mix as you slice around a modular board and avoid damage to your boat. Simultaneously care-free and cautious, the game’s ‘add a dice’ system makes every decision count – reflecting each boat’s momentum as you careen round the course. Add in easy-to-pick up rules and a gorgeous design that looks great on your table, and picking up a copy is no-brainer.

Another underrated masterpiece, Snow Tails places you at the reins of a sled dog team and charged with making your way to the finish. Just like the real life Iditarod, your sled team is controlled by putting down two numbered cards – with difference between each representing the direction you turn in. While initially difficult to grasp, this produces a playing experience like no other as weave and turn round trees and slopes to slide (or crash) over the finish line.

A child’s playset come to life, Formula D is a twee joy that balances risk, reward, and pushing your wee-tiny toy car to its absolute limits. Famous for its tiered rules – ranging from beginner to adding weather and unique cars – the game revolve around accelerating through your gears. Represented by a selection of tide, the game give the tactile thrill of slamming a polyhedral dice across the table and…instantly spinning out of control. Balancing careful tactical decisions and brinksmanship, Formula D is the perfect choice for kids at heart everywhere.

Taking a break from spinning our wheels for a minute, we can check in with the Nordic equivalent of pigeon racing. Designed for two players, you take on the role of Great Odin’s ravens as you tear through the sky to return to your creator while playing flight and Loki cards. The former lets you speed across the board and the later, unsurprisingly, lets you mess with your opponent by changing the board states, messing with their hands and more. Perfectly replicating a battle between muscle and wit, the game is a delightful filler that can slide into every shelf.

A low-cost delight, El Dorado brings you’re a frenzied brush through the south American jungle. Built around a modular board, players are tasked with managing their hands and their time as they forge through brush, river, and other perilous territory to reach the legendary lost city. With each player enjoying unique powers and assets, rivals can complicate things by making pitstops to economise their hand. Just not too much, lest their opponents take the time to lap them. Add a few expansions to spice things up, and you have a mainstay to your table that can open or close an evening with ease.

In an ideal world, we’d be able to complete a race with our arms folded and without breaking a sweat. Robo…gives us one of those. Built around a programming mechanic, robo rally has you and your competitors input commands into your droid and pretty much pray to your respective gods that they end up somewhere near the finish line. With hazards, traps, and other robots complicating things, each game quickly dissolves into laughter as your hunks of scrap get turned around, enjoy a spectacular unforced error, or pull off a miraculous victory. A true joy.

Combining bluffs and tactical hand management, Flamme took the market by storm when it was first released in 2016. Tasking players with crossing the finish line in a hyper-stylised bike race, players use their two man cycle teams to manoeuvre themselves into position to thread their way through the pack and explode to victory. Combining rules for drafting and legitimate tactics with sprinteurs and rouleurs, and the game comes to life. Throw in mind games, bluffs, and double bluffs and you have a delightful tour de farce.