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Biathlon is one of the most fascinating winter sports out there. Imagine pushing yourself to the limit with cross-country skiing, your legs burning as you glide through the snow. Then, just as your heart is pounding in your chest, you have to stop, steady your breathing, and take a perfect shot at a target. It’s a sport that demands both endurance and precision, and now you can experience that challenge right at your table.
Biathlon Blast brings the thrill of the race and the tension of the shooting range into a board game. Strap on your skis, grab your rifle, and hit the track. The question is, can you control your pulse, battle the elements, and outmaneuver your opponents? With the game launching on Kickstarter today, it’s time to put your skills to the test.
👥 2-6 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designers: Lars Max Jensen & Carl Tenland
🎨 Artwork: Damien Mammoliti & Alex Tantraz
🏢 Publisher: carlMax (preview copy provided)
Check out the Kickstarter campaign by clicking here
Gameplay Overview
In Biathlon Blast, the goal is simple: complete three laps, take two stops at the shooting range, and be the first to cross the finish line. But just like in real biathlon, speed isn’t everything. You’ll need to manage your pulse, time your moves carefully, and take advantage of the wind conditions to gain an edge over your competitors.
Each player starts with a deck of cards based on their chosen character. At the beginning of each round, everyone secretly picks a card, then reveals it at the same time. In initiative order, players take their turns and choose which action to perform from the card they played.
Movement is determined by a color system. Black steps let you move across all terrain types: slopes, flats, and descents. Yellow steps work on flatter areas and downhill sections, while green steps are only for descending. The tougher the terrain, the more effort it takes, which means your pulse will rise when pushing through difficult sections and drop when you’re skiing downhill. Keeping your pulse in check is crucial, especially when it’s time to shoot.
Some cards also let you change the wind, which affects all players. A headwind makes movement harder and increases your pulse, unless you’re drafting behind another skier. A tailwind does the opposite, making it easier to move and lowering your pulse unless someone is right behind you. Staying in the slipstream of another player will always help reduce your pulse, so smart positioning can make all the difference.
After taking an action, you discard your card. If it has a snow background, it goes into your personal discard pile and can cycle back into play. If it has an icy background, it’s a powerful one-time ability, but once you use it, it’s gone for the rest of the game.
The Shooting Range – Stay Cool Under Pressure!
Twice during the game, you’ll reach the shooting range. Instead of using your card’s normal action, you’ll have a choice: either take a moment to rest and lower your pulse by two, or take the shot and see how steady your hands really are.
Shooting isn’t just about rolling dice and hoping for the best. Your accuracy depends on how well you’ve managed your pulse. The lower it is, the easier it will be to land a hit. If you’ve been pushing too hard and your pulse is racing, your shots will be much more difficult to land. Wind conditions play a role here too. If there’s a crosswind, it becomes even harder to hit your targets. If you need an extra edge, you can spend a bullet from your player board to gain an additional hit.
In a real biathlon, missing your shots means extra penalty laps or time added before you can continue racing. In Biathlon Blast, the better you shoot, the stronger your start for the next lap. You’ll take your number of hits, double it, and move that many black steps forward at the start of the next round. As soon as you cross the start line for a new lap, you also get to draw an extra action card, giving you more options for the final stretch of the race.
The first player to complete all three laps and cross the finish line wins.
Game Info
Biathlon Blast is a light-to-medium weight strategy game designed for 2 to 6 players, recommended for ages 14 and up, with a playtime of about 45 minutes. It was created by Lars Max Jensen and Carl Tenland and is being published under their label, carlMax. Instead of a traditional retail release, the game is launching through a Kickstarter campaign, which starts today.
Components and Production Quality
Before we get into the gameplay, it is worth mentioning that we played a preview copy provided by carlMax. Some components or artwork might change before the final version, but we already have a solid idea of how the finished game will look.
The game board is double-sided, featuring two different tracks with four distinct trails, which keeps things fresh for multiple plays. The wooden components are sturdy and include skis, bullets, pulse trackers, wind markers, and ski wax, giving the game a nice tactile feel.
Each player gets a player board to help keep everything in place during play. There are 100 movement cards, with each biathlete having a unique deck of 9 personal cards, plus extra cards that can be gained throughout the game.
One of the more exciting aspects is how each biathlete has their own unique abilities. The game comes with eight different biathletes from various countries, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are better at shooting, while others handle pulse control or movement more efficiently. The fact that each player’s components come in a dedicated tuckbox is a small but practical touch, making setup much easier and keeping everything neatly stored between games.
The cardboard accuracy tiles and biathlete standees round out the components. The artwork is clear, colorful, and thematic, fitting the winter sports vibe without being overly flashy.
How the Game Plays
At its heart, Biathlon Blast is a racing game, but like in real biathlon, speed alone will not win you the race. You have to balance movement, stamina, and shooting accuracy to stay ahead of your opponents.
Each player starts with a personal deck of cards, which dictate movement and special actions. These are not just for skiing. You can also adjust wind conditions, mess with opponents, or time your pulse recovery to set yourself up for a better shot at the range.
Instead of following a set turn order, initiative values on the cards determine who goes first each round. This means turn order is constantly shifting, depending on which cards players choose. It is a small but important detail, because acting later can sometimes be an advantage if you want to react to what others have done.
The most powerful abilities are on the icy-background section of the cards, but these can only be used once per game before they are removed. Do you burn them early for an aggressive lead, or save them for a late-game power move?
Shooting – A True Test of Nerves
Shooting in Biathlon Blast is where things get interesting. It is not just rolling dice and hoping for the best. Your pulse level directly affects your accuracy. The more exhausted you are, the harder it is to hit your targets.
If you have been pushing too hard on the track and have not taken a moment to recover, your pulse will be too high, making your shots much riskier. Wind conditions also come into play, with crosswinds making it even harder to hit your targets. If you need to secure a hit, you can spend bullets from your player board to boost your chances.
In real biathlon, missing a shot means penalty laps or added time before you can continue racing. In Biathlon Blast, it is a bit different. The better you shoot, the stronger your start for the next lap. You take your number of hits, double them, and move that many black steps forward. It is a clever way to capture the pressure and reward of biathlon shooting.
Managing Your Deck and Timing Your Moves
One of the cool things about this game is that you always have access to your entire deck. You are not just drawing random cards and hoping for a good hand. That gives players a lot of control over their decisions.
Each card has actions with a snowy or icy background. If you perform the snowy part, the card goes into your discard pile and will eventually cycle back into play. Icy actions are one-time-use only, so once they are gone, they are gone.
Choosing which card to play is not just about movement. Initiative values matter too. Going later in the round means other players may have already changed the wind or blocked key positions. On the other hand, if you time it right, you can slipstream behind opponents, reducing your pulse and conserving energy for later.
Diverse Biathletes and Unique Abilities
The game’s eight biathletes all come with unique abilities that make each playthrough feel different. Some have stronger skiing abilities, while others are more accurate shooters or better at keeping their pulse in check.
There is also a small but interesting ski wax mechanic, which lets players gain temporary boosts. These can increase movement, adjust pulse levels, or even manipulate wind conditions, giving you some tactical flexibility during the race.
Comparisons to Other Games
If you have played Flamme Rouge, Heat: Pedal to the Metal, or Snow Tails, you will find some familiar mechanics in Biathlon Blast. Like Flamme Rouge, it rewards smart positioning and forces you to manage endurance carefully. The pulse system feels a bit like the stamina mechanics in Heat, while the way players handle terrain and movement reminds me of Snow Tails.
What makes Biathlon Blast different is the shooting mechanic. Unlike most racing games where speed is everything, this one forces you to pace yourself. Sprint too hard, and you will struggle at the shooting range. It changes the usual racing formula by requiring both tactical planning and precision.
Final Thoughts
One of the things we really liked about Biathlon Blast is how it captures the balance of real biathlon. You feel the tension between pushing forward and staying in control. If you do not manage your pulse carefully, your shooting accuracy tanks, and you might even collapse from exhaustion if your pulse hits 10. That actually happened in one of our games, and while it was unfortunate for the player who passed out, the rest of us could not stop laughing.
At first, we thought that a player who got an early lead would be impossible to catch, but that is not the case. If you burn through your best cards too fast, you will be stuck with weaker options later, giving others a chance to catch up. The slipstreaming and wind mechanics also create plenty of opportunities to mess with each other, which keeps things lively.
Biathlon Blast does not try to be the most complex strategy game out there, but it delivers a fun and engaging experience with a strong theme that fits perfectly with the mechanics. If you like racing games with a twist, Biathlon Blast is worth a look. It is easy to learn but still offers meaningful decisions, making it great for both casual players and strategy fans.
📝 We received a preview copy of the game from carlMax.
