Review by Ken Tidwell, May 8, 1994. Livingstone Games recently issued a thousand copy limited edition of Ian Livingstone's Automania , the game of the motor giants. Automania simulates the struggle for control of six of the world's largest car markets. Four to six intrepid gamers assume the role of automobile producing nations and duke it out for the hard earned sheckles of the car buying public. The mechanics are fairly simple.
Every nation produces a fixed number of cars each turn.
The players openly export two of their cars to countries of their choice. Next players secretly allocate their remaining cars. Players can concentrate their cars in one of the six export markets or shoot for picking up the dregs of many markets. Players must consider the going rate for cars in the various markets in addition to the rate of consumption. Players also have to remember that their exports may end up rusting on the lot.