Original Prusa and Albi release Crash Derby, a board game designed for 3D printing but fully playable without a printer.
Board games and 3D printing have complemented each other for years: players replace cardboard markers with sturdy plastic parts, print sorting inserts, or expand games with their own miniatures. Against this backdrop, Original Prusa and Czech publisher Albi have now implemented a joint project. The result of several years of collaboration is Crash Derby, a racing and demolition board game that was developed with 3D printing in mind from the outset, but remains fully playable even without your own printer.
The idea was born when Prusa and Albi shared a booth at the Spiel trade fair in Essen over three years ago. The goal was to create a title that integrates 3D printing without making it a prerequisite. The basic version already includes printed car miniatures, but can be expanded with additional printed parts. Printables serves as a platform for additional models, upgrades, and community contributions.
Crash Derby is a playful race with demolition derby elements. Two to four players each control a car on the game board. Instead of a classic finish line, the goal is to collect four flags at different positions. The vehicles have weapons and upgrades that can be used to disrupt opponents’ plans and damage their upgrades. Collisions are almost inevitable due to the dense distribution of flags. The core mechanic is a “steering wheel” on the player board with three gears in which actions are planned in advance. After each round, the gears turn, which can lead to unexpected maneuvers if planning is imprecise. The rules are designed for a playing time of around one hour and a recommended age of ten and up.
The premiere took place at the US board game convention PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, once again with a joint booth by Prusa and Albi. At the same time, pre-sales started in the Prusa Shop, including a discounted pre-order price and gift vouchers. More 3D-printable content is planned for the future: several vehicle models and a steering wheel player board are already available on Printables.
