Junkyard Derby is a card-driven steampunk racing board game. Players construct a racing machine from components found in the junk pile and battle down the track to the finish line.

There are four components every racer needs to race: chassis, wheels, steering, and propulsion. There are over 250 racer combinations, so players may customize a racer that fits their style. Each component has its own attributes; some are quick and flimsy, others slow and sturdy. Junk cards may be combined to build contraptions and upgrades. Contraptions are single-use items that affect may damage another racer, speed up a racer, or repair racers quickly. Upgrades are permanent add-ons to a racer which improve its stats.

Once built, the cart moves along the track according to its speed rating. There are five hazard spaces on the board. When players hit a hazard, they interact with it by rolling dice and adding the relevant modifier from their custom racer. Hazards can slow down a racer, stop it temporarily, or damage it.

Each damage dealt to a racer is represented by a token which covers a beneficial stat on the racer. While covered by a damage token, that stat isn’t added to the racer. As long as you have a positive net speed, players may move with damage on their carts. Players may repair damage by skipping a move step and removing two damage tokens, then continuing to race on the next round. The first player to pass the finish line wins!