Gas, Grit, and Glory: Interstate Vigilante

If Mad Max made a board game and filled it with 90's car combat nostalgia, it might look a lot like Interstate Vigilante from Piracy Boardgames. Designed by Nick Ackroyd, this fast-and-furious skirmish game drops 2–4 players into the dust-blown chaos of Death Canyon County, where the only law is horsepower and high explosives. With slick mechanics, modular map tiles, and gloriously chaotic action sequences, Interstate Vigilante delivers exactly what it promises: turbo-charged battles, strategic crashes, and satisfying smackdowns on wheels.

Whether you’re nitro-boosting across the desert, lobbing mortars out your back window, or slamming your rival into a garage wall for sweet, sweet justice, this game is an adrenaline-fueled ride from start to finish. The setting, from the worldbuilding to the card names and custom driver bios, is rich with dystopian flair, supported by hand-crafted graphic design that perfectly blends grit, neon, and vintage B-movie poster vibes.

With its strong thematic execution and tactile play, Interstate Vigilante earns a well-deserved spot in the garage of any player who likes their board games a little loud and a lot explosive.

Gameplay Rundown

Interstate Vigilante is a 2–4 player tactical skirmish game that pits muscle cars against each other in a race for points, using modular road tiles to create a sprawling, ever-evolving map of Death Canyon County. Players start with custom dashboards and a loadout of weapons and upgrades, and take turns adjusting their speed, steering through road networks, and unleashing mayhem through a wide variety of action options: ramming, jumping, shooting, mining, and more.

Each player selects a Driver and matching car, each with its own special weapon and personality. Loadouts are determined by your vehicle's specs and modified with Ammo and Upgrade cards you pick up on the road. The game begins with a few rounds of tactical skirmishing before the central Gas Can objective drops—at which point the game becomes a deadly delivery mission. Capture it, race it back to Mel’s Garage, and score big. Get wrecked, and you'll respawn elsewhere with a new loadout—because in Interstate Vigilante, even defeat comes with a second wind.

One of the standout elements is the Battle Box, a dice-dropping mini-arena where combat outcomes hinge not only on dice results, but on how those dice physically land. It adds real tension, drama, and a touch of dexterity fun to every firefight.

Victory goes to the first player (or team) to deliver three Gas Cans—but there are points to be made in sheer destruction too. Whether you're playing free-for-all or 2v2 team mode, the game runs a tight 30–45 minutes with explosive turns and meaningful decisions.

Strategy

Despite the visceral action and chaos, there’s a strong strategic core under the hood. Movement, for instance, requires planning—not just how fast you’re going, but how each 90-degree turn affects your firing arcs and potential collisions. Choosing when to ram, when to lay mines, and when to burn Nitro makes every turn a small tactical puzzle.

Ammo cards range from short-range cannons to devastating rockets, while Upgrade cards add versatility and surprise. Timing your Special Weapon (each tied to a unique Driver's License card) adds flavor and customization. This is not a rules-light beer-and-pretzels game—there’s enough meat here for tactical thinkers and skirmish fans to chew on, while still being accessible to newcomers after a round or two.

One thing that stands out: the distinct driver personalities and flavor text scattered throughout the components. Each character—from the greasy rockabilly survivor to the neo-cyberpunk car slinger—feels ripped out of a post-apocalyptic Saturday morning cartoon. That thematic weight helps players get immersed, roleplaying their vigilante antics as more than just moving tokens on a map.

Players who love Gaslands, Twisted Metal, or Car Wars-style maneuver games will feel right at home here.

Style

Interstate Vigilante has a rugged charm that fits its theme. From the illustrated driver licenses to the weathered road tiles and dashboard trackers, everything looks hand-crafted for mayhem. The Battle Box—a drop-zone mat with dice-modding zones—adds physicality and fun to combat resolution, making each firefight feel like a little event in itself.

The iconography is clean, card effects are clearly laid out, and setup is surprisingly intuitive for the genre. It’s obvious a lot of love went into making the chaos readable and the turns satisfying.

We especially loved the car dashboards with real indicator rings—such a clever, tactile way to track stats like speed, gas, and chassis integrity. Even better, the game’s visual aesthetic—a mix of comic-style fonts, hand-inked art, and vintage grindhouse inspiration—gives the whole experience an identity all its own. A perfect marriage of theme and function.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths:
✅ Tactile Combat System: The Battle Box dice mechanic is clever and fun—dice rolls feel earned.
✅ Custom Dashboards & Drivers: Each player gets a personalized car build and special ability.
✅ Thematic World-Building: The game world feels alive, grimy, and full of Mad Max-style attitude.
✅ Replayable Chaos: Every map is different, every loadout is new, and every jump might wreck you.
✅ Hand-Crafted Personality: From character bios to the artwork, this game oozes flavor.

Weaknesses:
⚠ Steeper Learning Curve: The first game might feel like a wild ride without brakes—expect a warm-up lap.
⚠ Table Space Required: Between map tiles, cards, dashboards, and dice, you’ll need a decent-sized play area.
⚠ Time Sink Requirement: Depending on the player count, this game can skew on the longer side. Be prepared to slug it out to the bitter end

Final Thoughts

Interstate Vigilante is a bold, brilliant riot of a game. It plays like Car Wars for the entire family —over-the-top, rule-bending, and packed with moments you’ll be referencing for weeks. Nick Ackroyd and the team at Piracy Boardgames have crafted a rock-solid tactical brawler with just the right amount of grit, strategy, and absurdity.

Whether you're turbo-charging over a jump, lobbing mortars at your rivals, or dragging a Gas Can back to base with one hit point left, Interstate Vigilante rewards creativity, aggression, and ridiculous stunts.