MapDice Strategy: Tips to Win More Dice Races on Real City Streets
▶ Play MapDiceMapDice looks like a game of pure luck: roll two dice, move, repeat. But the players who win again and again are the ones who make better choices with the same dice. Which character should drive? Which road should it take? When should you fire a rocket, and when should you keep it? Here are the tips that will turn your next race on real city streets into a win.
Spread your characters, but not too much
You need all four characters at the destination to win, so a single runaway leader is not enough. Keep the others moving too, and remember that a double forces you to bring a character out of START if any are still waiting there. A good rhythm is to push your leader when the road ahead is clear and to use smaller rolls to bring the stragglers forward.
Use the safe zones and watch the threats
Characters close to START and close to the destination cannot be caught, so those areas are safe places to wait. Everywhere else, the game tells you when a rival can catch one of your characters with a certain roll. Check those warnings before you move: often the best move is the one that takes your character out of reach, not the one that goes furthest.
Build blockades on narrow roads
When two of your characters stand close together, they form a blockade that rivals cannot drive through. On a long avenue with no alternative, a blockade can hold back a whole pack of rivals for several turns. It does not last forever, though: a rival who rolls a double breaks through, so do not rely on it when the leader is right behind you.
Win the showdowns
When you land on a rival, you choose: overtake it and earn a bonus distance while you keep driving, or knock it back to START. Knock out characters that are far advanced, because they lose the most. Overtake when the rival is still near START anyway, and take the free distance instead. A knockout can also earn you a prize item, which makes it even more tempting.
Make every item count
Your bag holds only two items, and you can use one per turn, before you roll. A rocket pushes a nearby rival back, freeze stops a character for its owner's next turn, oil and spikes are traps you leave on your own road, and a shield protects a character from the next weapon or trap. Do not let the bag sit full, because new crates will be wasted, but keep a shield for your leader in the final stretch. When a road surprises you with nitro, police, a traffic jam or roadworks, adapt your plan instead of fighting it, and use AUTO-DRIVE when you simply want the best road at every junction.
