Dirt & Dust, the game by Albi that mixes deck-building and dice placement to bring the high-octane world of rally racing on the tabletop, is now in stores. Designed by Petr Čáslava, Dirt & Dust is a game about rally, but it is not a racing game: it delivers an adrenaline-fueled rally experience, with strategy meeting speed. In this article, Petr talks about the game's creation and development.

The game designer Petr Čáslava.

"Board games are all about abstraction - boiling complex ideas down to their essence. In a way, they also involve a bit of derivation, pulling from real-world themes to deliver a unique and immersive experience. The best games leave space for imagination, telling a story without being overbearing. That’s something I’ve always appreciated - and tried to capture.

When I started designing a racing game, I kept returning to one central challenge: How do I convey the intensity and emotion of motorsport on the tabletop? There are already some fantastic racing games out there, and many approach the theme in clever ways. But for me, they often missed something deeper - something more personal.

I realized that what I wanted wasn’t just to simulate cars speeding across a track, but to explore the people inside those cars. Every time I moved a model forward, I found myself wondering: How does the driver feel in that moment? Are they nervous? Confident? Would they have taken that risk?

Dirt & Dust - Driver's cards.

That question led me to give each driver their own identity. And so, in Dirt & Dust, characters like Ferenc Kovács, Aiko Yamamoto, Sofía Fernández, and Harry Jordan came to life. Each of them has a unique personality and a custom set of cards that reflects their racing style. Harry basks in the spotlight, while Sofía thrives on risky maneuvers. These differences add depth, not just to the characters, but to the gameplay itself.

From early on, I knew I wanted dice to play a role. They just fit the theme — fast decisions, risky outcomes. But randomness alone doesn’t make a good game. So in Dirt & Dust, dice are rolled at the start of each turn, and players then decide how to use them. High values are good for building momentum or setting up long-term strategies; low values allow for quick, precise actions. The dice bring tension and unpredictability, but players stay in control, just like real drivers who must adapt on the fly.

I initially imagined the game as a team experience: one player as the driver, one as the co-driver, mimicking real rally dynamics. One would roll and resolve dice, the other would manage the team’s card options. But in practice, this turned out to be a bit unwieldy. Eventually, I switched to a deck-building system—and I’m glad I did.

Deck-building turned out to be the perfect fit. The deck represents your racing team — not just the driver but also the engineers and mechanics working behind the scenes. As the game progresses, players can add new cards to their deck, shaping their future strategy. It’s a satisfying balance between planning and improvisation. The deck helps you prepare your car and plan your approach to the course, while the dice capture the split-second decisions that define every race.

A view of the stage board, cards and other components.

There’s no static game board in Dirt & Dust. Instead, the race tracks are modular, allowing for easy customization and expansion. This system lets me recreate the real-world locations that inspired the game: from the twisty coastal cliffs of Big Sur, California, to the tight alleyways and roundabouts of Porto, Portugal.

Each of the five core tracks has its own unique atmosphere and challenges. And the modular design means more tracks can be added down the line — offering new experiences without changing the core mechanics.

Another element I wanted to bring into the game was the ever-present danger of rally racing. That sense that at any moment, something could go wrong - an obstacle, a slip, a mechanical failure.

To represent that, I introduced hazard dice. Players choose how many to roll — more dice bring higher risks, but also the chance for greater rewards, like crowd admiration or speed boosts. It’s a push-your-luck system that mirrors the real tension of rally: the more you risk, the more exciting (and dangerous) it becomes.

I won’t pretend Dirt & Dust is easy. Some players might not make it to the finish line on their first try — spinning out, crashing, or ending up in a ditch. But maybe that’s part of the fun. Just like in real racing, it’s not only about winning - it’s about the thrill of the ride, the tension of the unknown, and the satisfaction of mastering the course, one corner at a time."

* Petr Čáslava is an award-winning game designer. He also organized the first official Star Wars fan gathering in the Czech Republic, co-founded the Czech Origami Society, and — according to him — is a kung fu master.

This article was originally published on Game Trade Magazine issue 305 (July 2025).

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