Horseless Carriage

Run an early car company, speculate on commodities and build your factory in a very heavy four-hour economic game.

Designers: Joris Wiersinga, Jeroen Doumen
Published by: Splotter Spellen
Editions by: Ediciones MasQueOca

Horseless Carriage is a very heavy economic game about the dawn of the car industry, and its manual-labour bluster is part of the charm. You run an early automobile company at the height of a tinkering age, speculating on commodities, laying out your factory with a modular board and pushing technology tracks forward. Turn order depends on stats, so who acts first is a prize in itself. The factory keeps growing: you add a new motorblock section and place tiles to fit the pieces together in patterns. It is a game for people who like to think through supply, production and timing for hours. Three to five players, about four hours, and a real commitment, 2023 design.

Early automobile company managementStat-based turn order and technology tracksModular factory board with tile placement

Who it's for

You and three friends want to spend a whole evening on a dense economic planner with a clear industrial theme.

Not for you if…

You are short on time or new to heavy games. This is a long, demanding game for a dedicated group.

Vibe's take

Dense, deliberate and absorbing: every choice ripples through your factory and the market, and the long game rewards patience with a satisfying, hard-earned machine.