A board game version helped the developers of Star Wars Galactic Racer evaluate its roguelite progression system.

Background: A Board Game Idea From XCOM

Years ago, Jake Solomon prototyped the Firaxis reboot of XCOM by making a simple board game version. That prototype was rudimentary enough to be played on scrap paper in an office, allowing the team to communicate ideas and find where the fun could be without committing to software.

That same method now appears in a very different project: Star Wars Galactic Racer, Fuse Games' high-speed arcade racing game. The contrast matters because XCOM is turn-based tactics, while Galactic Racer is built around speed and moment-to-moment racing.

Development: Prototyping a Racing Game Without an Engine

Fuse Games creative director Kieran Crimmins told Eurogamer, "You can't know if you can feel the system until you can play the system." CEO Matt Webster added that modern engines are capable enough to build much of the prototype in software, but a written idea can be faster. From a board game perspective, the team can decouple itself from a particular software prototype and focus on moment-to-moment play.

The early prototype of Galactic Racer was therefore not a playable race build, but a board game. Its purpose was to test the game's progression system before the final software build took shape.

The System Tested: Tuning Points, Speeder Parts, and Status Effects

The board game simulated Galactic Racer's progression loop. Rewards differ based on the event, but typically give tuning points to spend on one of three random stats. A race may also award a part for the player's speeder, which can affect its abilities or grant a bonus related to a specific status effect.

After several races, the player gets to go shopping. Credits earned from racing can be spent on more upgrades and parts, or on a whole new ability.

The structure is described as a roguelite-style progression system. New unlocks are added to a pool so they may appear in future runs, while each run provides tuning points that can be used for permanent upgrades carried over between runs. For a racing game, that is an unusual loop: it adds run-based rewards, persistent progression, and randomized upgrade choices on top of speed competition.

Latest Progress: Validating Feel Before Committing to Software

The current stage is early prototyping. The team used the board game to validate whether the progression system feels good moment to moment, rather than relying on a software build to answer that question.

Crimmins' quote frames the design logic: the system can only be understood by playing it. Webster's comment explains why the board game remains useful even with capable modern engines: it gets the idea down faster and keeps the focus on the immediate experience.

For readers, the significance is that Star Wars Galactic Racer's racing rewards may be shaped less by engine technology and more by early tabletop testing. The prototype shows a high-speed racer being built around roguelite progression, three random stat upgrades, speeder parts, status effects, and post-race shopping.

Current Stage: Early Prototype, Not a Finished Game

The reporting points to a project in validation rather than a completed release. The board game is the early test of Galactic Racer's progression system.

That leaves the design phase in a clear place: Fuse Games is testing the feel of the system before expanding it into a full racing game. The next question for players is whether the board game's loop survives translation into speed, controls, and engine-powered play.