Review: For Sale: Autorama

ON YOUR TURN

For Sale takes place over 3 phases with each phase made up of a series of rounds. During the first phase you’ll be hiring advisors, the second phase has you purchasing vehicles and the 3rd phase is all about turning a profit.

Each player receives the same starting amount of cash to spend that they’ll use over the course of the entire game. In the 1st phase you’re hiring an advisor to help you maximize your profits. These advisors each come with a numerical value as well as provide advantages that are specific to 1 of the 3 phases in the game. These advisors will be used to purchase vehicles during the next phase, but also  may provide a benefit for purchasing specific value vehicles or help turn a minimum profit into something more substantial later on. These advisors bring another level of strategy to the game that definitely has an effect on the normal auction gameplay.

Advisor cards equal to the number of players are placed in the center of the table. Players then take turns bidding to win the right to grab their chosen card. You have the option to pass at any time. The winning bid pays the full amount while any player who passed must pay the bank half of their offered bid. Even if you fail to bid, you’ll still receive one of the available advisor cards, but it will likely be the least appealing choice available. This is repeated until all advisors cards in the deck have been distributed.

Instead of cash, players will use their advisor card values to bid on vehicles during the vehicle purchase phase. Players will only be allowed to play a single advisor and must reveal their advisor card face up in turn order. Each vehicle has a specific value and is auctioned off just like the advisors, with the highest advisor card played earning the highest valued vehicle.

Finally, players will take their purchased vehicles and head to the selling phase. During this phase, check cards equal to the number of players are revealed. Check cards all feature payment for any vehicle in a variety of values. Players then simultaneously choose a vehicle from their hand and play it face down. Players then reveal their vehicle cards together and the highest valued vehicle gets the best payout from the available checks. This continues until all players have sold all their vehicles.

At the end of the game, players count up their cash and the player with the most money is the winner.

ARTWORK & COMPONENTS

For Sale: Autorama features 30 uniquely illustrated vehicle cards and a number of advisor cards. The artwork is a bit cartoony and it’s done really well and sets a nice tone for the game. I have zero complaints. The game forgoes the coins from previous versions and replaces them with stacks of cash. This is a fine addition, but I still recommend the affordable metal coins from Eagle Gryphon Games.

PROS & CONS

➕ The balance between depth and simplicity is a beautiful thing here.

➕ For Sale is a good example of where the game gets out of the way with unnecessary roadblocks and lets you enjoy playing your opponents.

➕ Choosing when to bid, buy or sell on the various rounds always depends on the available cards on the table, what your opponents have and what they’ve already played/spent creating a really engaging and exciting dynamic.

➕ The advisor cards really add a decent amount of strategy as well as providing objectives to pursue

➕ For Sale is an easy game to teach and plays fast

➕ The game is recommended for ages 10+, but this is one almost anyone in the family can play.

➖ The advisor phase can lead to over analysis during the first few plays until you’re familiar with all the cards

➖ Players not interested in bidding need to look elsewhere

WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS GAME?

Fans of bidding games have a lot to enjoy here. For Sale is very simple and streamlined allowing the players to really embrace the gamesmanship at the heart of the ongoing bidding war. I also think the vehicle theme is going to appeal to a number of players.

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

The best thing is the face-off during the vehicle selling phase. I love trying to outwit my opponents to maximize my vehicle sales. This is a fun moment that gets repeated throughout the game and it’s good almost every time… But, it reaches a new level when the stakes are at their highest during the final phase.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Since For Sale is such a classic and one of my favorites, it’s hard not to compare this new edition to the original I’ve played countless times.

I love For Sale and the simple yet engaging interaction that comes with a smooth bidding game. It’s so clean and brilliant you can’t help but love it. It plays fast, is easy to teach and a breeze to set up and put away.

Where For Sale: Autorama may rub some people the wrong way with the advisor cards. This does bring a lot more strategy to the game, but I often wonder at what cost. It definitely increases the game play and disrupts the flow. I think some are going to enjoy it because of the added dimension it brings, but I can see others being frustrated with a game that was almost perfect the way it was. I really appreciate what they’ve done, but I find myself in the latter, resisting the complexity.

That being said, I highly prefer the artwork and theme here versus the original real estate cards. The vehicles are silly and cool and just look better.

Fans of For Sale may or may not love the advisor cards, but it’s still an amazing game full of wonderful moments and exciting choices that you’ll be rehashing after the game is done. If you’re new to For Sale I highly recommend you pick up the original. It’s a classic and should be in everyone’s collection. If you prefer the vehicles to the real estate theme of the original, you can still adjust the rules for the classic version and have the advisors on hand when the mood hits.