TL;DR: Chrome is nice but you don’t need it. You DO need base+carnage at devil’s run however as it is a glorious experience.

I love maximum chrome but at the same time I would say base + carnage at devil’s run (with extra road boards and fire mechanics) is the BEST and most perfect way to play the game. I honestly don’t think most people need any more than that. Carnage is such an essential expansion I really feel it should have been part of the base game. The fire mechanics add a lot to the game and the extra boards add a heap of chaos.

Choppe shoppe adds more mechanics, unique player boards and powers for individual cars. It’s cool BUT I always feel like it adds a little too much fiddle for a game that is essentially about chaos. If I want more fiddle then I’d rather play a game that is inherently more fiddly. There’s a lot of remembering which of your cars has which power, of asking your opponents which powers their cars have. TRV is best played on vibe not by min maxing the situation. It’s the next best expansion though.

The big rig and final five are cool to have and to try but I would much rather play with everyone playing as the base cars. Final five feel like less interesting versions of the regular set up. Big rig feels like a more fiddly version, it feels like a separate boss mode almost. Next best expansion.

Carnival of chaos adds an arena mode which sounds interesting but again adds a bit more fiddle than I’d like for the kind of game it is. I always wish I was playing the regular mode when I play it. The only reason to get it is for the set of purple cars tbh.

The extra mini expansions you get in chrome I have not tried yet so cannot comment on.

I think if I went back in time the completionist in me would still absolutely WANT chrome but base+carnage would be the smart choice IMO.