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- BGG #27,948
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- 5.2
Calamity!
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 1983
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,251
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants
1991
Rules assistance for Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–6 players
- 60 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.9/5
Rules assistant for Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants is a board game released in 1991 for 4–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Ian Livingstone and its main mechanics are Secret Unit Deployment and Commodity Speculation.
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About the game
Automania, The Game Of The Motor Giants, was Ian Livingstone's second self-produced game, after Boomtown, in a limited edition of 1000. The board is a simple scoring track and large flags for each country. Players have nice wooden car shaped pieces in six colors and a larger car to score with. There is a numbered deck of 56 Market Cards in English and German which affect the game each round. Players use a Record Sheet and the rules are in English and German. Players represent national car manufacturers trying to export cars to six other countries. Combining the placing some export cars in the markets on the board and secretly noting the remaining export cars on your Record Sheet, players also assign advertising budgets to the markets. Each market has a export limit that it can accept and the cars go for a fixed price in each market, so whoever spends more money on advertising gets to sell their cars first. But before revealing the spending, players play one of their Market Cards, which affect the Market in various ways (e.g. 36 - Car of the Year, Sweden will sell all its cars in the USA). After the market is reorganized, players then determine what cars are actually sold and how much Sales Revenue they have earned. Then subtract costs from sales to give profit. For each $10,000 profit you earn, you move your scoring marker one space on the scoring track. First round the track wins. Reportedly a fun game, it drew some criticism in Sumo for the imbalance caused by the Market Cards. The designer replied and suggested which cards might stand removing (7 to 17, 26, 27 and 35). Ian's reply is on the Game Cabinet and makes interesting reading today.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Livingstone Games
Questions and answers
Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants supports 4–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants belongs to these categories: Economic and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Secret Unit Deployment and Commodity Speculation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants are: Ian Livingstone. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Automania: The Game of the Motor Giants as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.