My new obsession: A horse-racing board game of pure luck

Summary

My new obsession: A horse-racing board game of pure luck 16 Apr, 2026 Someone recently introduced me a weird and wonderful little board game that has become my latest obsession. It's a game for 2-12 players where horses race on a track. Except that the players don't control the horses directly. Nor do they choose when and how to bet on said horses. Nor do they have any input whatsoever regarding how the game unfolds (though the proceedings are not deterministic – merely luck-based, like a casino game). The game basically amounts to a skill-free gambling machine. It wouldn't require much effort to turn it into a zero-player affair. Oh, and did I mention that the game has no consistent title? As far as I've found, it has been (re)released many times under several different names, including: Perhaps it's one of those ancient folk games that seem to have come to us fully-formed from deep in the past? Or else it's in the public domain, such that anyone is free to run with it? I have no idea. The mystery is part of the appeal – what on earth is this non-game, where did it come from, and why does it keep being repackaged? I have no answers. All I know is that it's strange, and entertaining, and I love it. I'll probably try to code my own variation of it at some point. In the interest of making more people aware of this strange and delightful game, I've compiled its rules and variations in this post: Classic Mode is the aforementioned input-free variation. It's strangely enjoyable! Advanced Mode adds a few wrinkles that introduce player inputs and a modicum of strategy. Other House Rules are a handful of minor changes that I've found elsewhere on the internet. They add minor variations that increase the amount of player agency in the game. Horse Race Board Game RulesA game for 2 to 12 players. This rule set is adapted from Horse Race Board Game, published by Ropoda. Components Game board 2 six-sided dice 2 decks of cards 11 horse tokens The BoardThe board consists of: A sta...