Truck Off: The Food Truck Frenzy Roll And Write - Game Review
- May 31, 2023
- 4 min read
Title: Truck Off: The Food Truck Frenzy Roll And Write
Designed By: Ryan Lambert and Adam Rehberg
Published By: Adam's Apple Games
Released: 2019
Player Count: 1-99
Time to Play: 25 Minutes
Ages: 14+
Overview:
The other day I saw a post in a board game Facebook group about what themes people would like to see more of in board games. One suggestion was Food Trucks. I went "Oooo! I have a game rec for that person". So today we are going to check out Truck Off: The Food Truck Frenzy Roll And Write, which I will be referring to as Truck Off RAW going forward, from Adam's Apple Games. Truck Off RAW is the roll and write version of their previous game Truck Off: Food Truck Frenzy which came out a few years before.
In Truck Off RAW players roll dice and map out where to drive their food truck in hopes of reaching the most hungry customers and earning the most money by the time the game ends.
What's purr-ty cool:
Mechanics: In true roll and write fashion, Truck Off RAW allows for as many players to play as you have sheets for. Every turn, every person will take an action using the same options, so no matter if you are playing with two people or 10 people, the time to play does not vary much. I am personally a big fan of games like this (Welcome to and Cartographers come to mind) because I love to see how differently everyone's board winds up at the end when we all had the same choices throughout the game. It is nice because one player does not win just because they got lucky. Everyone has the exact same options, so it is really all about how well you can maximize your choices. One cool twist that Truck Off RAW has though is that each round there is an active player who rolls the dice. this person then gets to choose one die to reroll if they wish. This gives the active player a chance to be strategic and either reroll a die to try and help themselves, or to stop someone else from getting what they wanted.
What I really like with Truck Off RAW is that the dice rolls don't impact how much you can move, each turn you always have 4 movement points. The dice instead impact how much money one earns for stopping at a matching colored venue. This means that you might have a plan in mind that you then alter based on a good or bad roll and your location on the board to matching venues.
The venue scoring is also set up in an interesting way. You have a route on the top of your scoresheet and you have to fill it in in order, any time you skip over some colors to reach the next color you need, you cannot go backward, so you have to try and time your locations to unlock bonuses and score as much as you can before the game ends.
The game ends when the first person hits the finish (where at least 12 turns have been taken), so you have to try and judge your route with how fast others are moving. You also have to decide if it is more strategic to add a number to a specific color column, the row you are in or the next row. It makes for some cool choices as you decide which bonuses you want to focus on most. Some allow extra movement, or allow you to build bridges, move to a new location etc. I like how they vary the pace and feel of the game depending on what you pick.
Components: I love how the game sheet is designed. It is double-sided which means more games on less paper. They also have different bonus setups on each side which adds some variability. The colors are bright and aesthetically pleasing. They also have unique shapes and symbols for if you are color blind. I like how the bonuses are explained at the top of the sheet so you don't need to reference the rulebook for those while playing. And I like how you track your score as you play so you can see how you are doing as the game progresses.
I am also a fan of how each different colored venue matches a different type of die (these match their shapes on the board too, which is just extra fun). For example purple venues are d4 die and thus low scoring, while black venues are a d20 so are capable of scoring way more points. This means that sometimes you may alter your plans based on a very high or low die roll that makes more sense than what you were originally planning to do. I like that even though the game involves dice rolling, it is not super luck based, as you have ways to work with a few options each turn.
Portability: Finally, one last thing I like about Truck Off RAW that is worth mentioning is that Truck Off RAW is a good on the go game. It's a relatively small box that does not weigh much. It takes up very little table space, and it plays in under 30 minutes. For me, this makes Truck Off RAW a great option to bring with me when I go somewhere. You could easily play this while out waiting for food at a restaurant, or while sitting in a park. It is pretty simple to teach others too!
The cat's meow:
"Hey! It's my first review. Hope I am doing this right. These sheets make a great bed to nap on!" - Solo
Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.
This review makes Truck Off RAW sound like one of those compact games that earns its shelf space because it fits so many situations: a quick weeknight game, a lunch-break play, a convention filler, a restaurant wait activity, or a casual group session with people who do not want to learn something heavy. I especially like the review's point that the dice create incentives rather than restrictions. That keeps the game accessible but still gives experienced players something to optimize. The solo mention through Solo the cat is also adorable, and the personality in the review makes the whole piece more memorable. If someone wanted to host a food-truck-themed outdoor board game day, planning the physical space would matter, and tools…
The food truck theme works especially well here because it naturally translates into movement, location value, timing, and customer demand. A lot of board games wear their theme lightly, but based on this review, Truck Off RAW seems to make the theme do real mechanical work. Driving around the map, choosing where to stop, adapting to changing dice values, and racing toward the finish all feel connected to the fantasy of operating a food truck in a busy city. The fact that the game is playable by 1 to 99 players is also very appealing for clubs, classrooms, conventions, and large casual gatherings. Simultaneous play makes that huge range possible without turning the game into a long waiting exercise. For anyone…
I really appreciate that the review talks about how different everyone's boards look at the end even though all players had the same options. That is one of my favorite things in this genre. It creates a post-game moment where everyone leans over the table to compare routes, bonuses, missed opportunities, and strange little detours. In many ways, the final sheets become a record of each player's decision-making personality. One person rushes the finish, another chases high-value black venues, someone else builds carefully toward bonuses, and someone inevitably regrets skipping a color too early. That makes the game feel social even when the turn structure is simultaneous. For groups waiting for the next game night, a days until calculator is great…
The scoring route described in this review sounds like the heart of the game. Having to fill in the top route in order, while losing access to skipped colors, introduces a really satisfying push-your-luck and timing puzzle. It means players cannot simply chase whatever scores the most on a given turn. They have to think ahead, consider what colors they still need, and decide whether a current opportunity is worth disrupting a longer-term plan. That kind of forward pressure is exactly what makes a short roll-and-write feel strategic rather than automatic. I also like that the game ends when someone reaches the finish after at least 12 turns, because it gives pacing decisions real consequences. For people planning travel game…
The comparison to games like Welcome To and Cartographers really helps position Truck Off RAW for readers who already know the roll-and-write space. What sounds distinctive here is the way the active player can choose one die to reroll, creating a small but meaningful interaction point in a genre that can sometimes feel multiplayer-solitaire. That one decision adds table presence: the active player is not only optimizing their own board but also considering what other players might need. It gives the game a little bit of tactical friction without turning it mean or chaotic. I also like that the venues use different dice types, because that creates immediate emotional moments when a high-value die comes up and suddenly changes everyone's priorities. For anyone…