This Rules as Written, we strap in for a high-octane dive into Games Workshop’s 1988 cult classic, Dark Future—the dystopian car combat game where law is a freelance contract and the highway is a warzone. We break down the game’s unique gear-phase movement system, its streamlined (but deadly) D6-based combat, and its flair for cinematic chaos through modular track design and passive weapons like oil slicks and mines. We also explore the setting’s grim cyberpunk tone, where corporate collapse, climate disaster, and televised violence blend into a world of Sanctioned Ops and renegade biker gangs. Along the way, we compare Dark Future to its genre cousin Car Wars, reflect on why the game faded into obscurity, and dig into its lasting influence through novels and video game adaptations. If you’ve ever wondered what Warhammer 40K’s weird American cousin looked like—this is it. Start your engines.
