Dave Chalker and Brett Myers' Thunder Road: Vendetta has been a massive hit for publisher Restoration Games, which kickstarted this "restored" version of 1986's Thunder Road to the tune of US$761,796 in 2022, then landed nearly US$1.7 million in backing in 2024 for the Carnival of Chaos expansion and reprints of the base game and earlier expansions.
Now Restoration Games will release a smaller version of the design with the standalone game Thunder Road: Ignition, which will debut at Gen Con 2026 for US$35 MSRP, with a wider commercial release to follow. That said, Restoration notes that special promo curved road boards will be available with purchase at Gen Con or directly from the publisher.
Thunder Road: Ignition will come a smaller box (compared to Vendetta), using half-sized boards (with curved roads), and it will include four new car crews in four new colors, new commands, and new terrain and damage types. From the company's press release:
"We have been blown away by the reception of Thunder Road," said Justin D. Jacobson, owner of Restoration Games. "But we knew there were plenty of folks outside our regular fan base who might not give it a look. We wanted to do a new version that captures all of the wild action with a little quicker play time, a little smaller price tag, and a few less rules to learn. Sort of like strapping a heat-seeking missile onto a too-small car. With Ignition, the team did just that."
French publisher IELLO will distribute Thunder Road: Ignition outside of North America starting in 2027.
