In this unique take on the sports management genre you create your own rider and manage your team throughout an engaging Career Mode, or compete in completely customisable race events. An intense, infinitely-replayable experience where you battle your own choices as much as your competitors.
This game delivers a unique take on the sports management genre, placing the racing itself at the forefront rather than relegating it to a secondary element. Players guide their cycling team through turn-based, board game-like races, requiring deep strategic planning and decision-making to overcome the challenges of professional cycling.
At the core of the gameplay loop, players must carefully manage their riders' energy, positioning, and timing within each race. Balancing short-term tactics like breakaways and sprints with long-term considerations of rider fitness and recovery between stages is crucial to success. The game faithfully captures the nuanced tactics of real-world cycling, including concepts like slipstreaming, energy management, and specialized rider roles.
The robust career mode tasks players with building up their cycling team from the amateur ranks to the professional level. Scouting, hiring, and developing riders over multiple seasons allows players to customize their squad and pursue different strategic approaches, such as specializing in grand tours or classic races. Reviewers highlight the addictive nature of this progression system, with the steady improvement of their team fueling a "just one more race" mentality.
A key innovation is the use of procedural generation to create unique race courses for each stage, ensuring that no two races are exactly alike. This system allows for constantly shifting obstacles and terrain, forcing players to devise new strategies to overcome the challenges. Reviewers praise this feature for adding replayability and preventing the gameplay from feeling stale, even after extensive play.
Despite the game's complex cycling simulation mechanics, it strikes a strong balance between accessibility and depth. The tutorials and user interface effectively teach the core concepts, allowing even players unfamiliar with cycling to quickly grasp the fundamentals. At the same time, experienced players can continuously discover new nuances and strategies to master, catering to both casual and hardcore fans of the genre.