My new obsession: A horse-racing board game of pure luck
by surprisetalk on 5/25/2026, 3:45:04 PM
https://alexanderbjoy.com/horse-race-board-game/
Comments
by: jader201
This sounds similar (but not quite) to Ready Set Bet [1], which is probably a lot easier to find than this.<p>This game, as the title suggests, is pure luck, based on the cards you were dealt.<p>In RSB, it’s real-time, and as dice are rolled to move horses forward, you can place bets on a number of spots, based on how the dice are being rolled (always by a designated player that is either part of the betting or not — recommended that they don’t bet if you have enough players).<p>Obviously still a lot of luck, as with most dice rolling games. But a decent amount of strategy in timing your bets, especially since bets freeze once horses get to a certain line in the game.<p>[1] <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/351040/ready-set-bet" rel="nofollow">https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/351040/ready-set-bet</a>
5/27/2026, 3:13:59 PM
by: psvv
The highly random and somewhat convoluted mechanisms remind me of something like character creation in the rpg classic traveller.<p>You do have a little choice there (unlike here), but I think the same appeal is present even without the choice.<p>The experience is a bit like reading fortunes from tea leaves.<p>The fun comes from assigning meaning to the outcomes. This happens, generally, automatically as a human instinct. In traveller, the process of character creation generates a kind of narrative in your head of who the character is.<p>I've been thinking about these kind of experiences a lot lately.<p>Is it a game? I don't think a discussion of definitions is very interesting, but I would call it a game by any casual meaning of the word. Certainty, in traveller's case, a roleplaying game. But I recognize the same appeal in these zero-player games.<p>You're playing something, just in your own mind. The primary game isn't what's on the table, but what's in your mind. You're not committing to choices in physical (or digital) space, you have no agency there -- but there's still a rich experience happening between your ears -- full of hopes, predictions, disappointments, elation, creativity. It's like reading but you're also part author. You're not reading from a book, but from pattern matching inside randomness.<p>I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself. I have little more than the recognition of something interesting in this direction, but beyond that I can't articulate it.
5/27/2026, 6:01:28 PM
by: MyHonestOpinon
A bit Off topic. I am looking for a Board Game for my step dad. He is a retired 80+ years old rancher. He doesn't know any english at all, so he is very limited on choices. Something that can be played by himself or with other person.
5/27/2026, 4:45:01 PM
by: maplant
Not to distract from what is undeniably a pretty cool thing, it's hard to even call these "games" as there's absolutely no decision making going on. I absolutely loathe games like these because you're not actually doing anything.
5/27/2026, 5:21:42 PM
by: tempestn
I'd hoped this would be a post about Giro Galoppo, which is a fantastic little board game if you have kids (and can find a copy). It's easy enough for small children to learn, but the mix of strategy and luck is such that an adult can put real effort into winning, but will still probably only win 2/3 to 3/4 of games, not every time. And it's quick to play. Great game.
5/27/2026, 6:50:23 PM
by: alexpotato
There is also an even easier variant (best for young kids) where each person gets 1 or more horses.<p>You then have people roll the dice and move the horse one spot forward if the number on the dice match the horse number.<p>It's total luck but a great way to explain probability to the younger kids and probability distributions to the older kids.
5/27/2026, 5:21:23 PM
by: NooneAtAll3
I thought this was going to be about physical horse racing game, where "horses" are moved by random ball interactions<p>see f.e. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nDQEI3s_2aI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nDQEI3s_2aI</a>
5/27/2026, 4:59:30 PM
by: mattbettinson
We played this in university with a deck of cards. Great fun
5/27/2026, 7:11:34 PM
by: pessimizer
I love what they're calling here "zero-player" games. They're automatons that you can build other games on top of (often in combination with other automatons) or, like this, they are games where players can simply identify themselves with one of the game's components. The latter are excellent for groups of drunk people.<p>Spectator sports are basically zero-player games.<p>Another classic is "LCR" (Left Center Right), and one that was popular a few years back is "Yahtzee Turbo."
5/27/2026, 4:00:37 PM
by: tqi
kalshi has a feature in beta right now that lets the public bet on the outcomes of this game
5/27/2026, 4:21:56 PM
by: blightful
Reminds me of the horse racing game in needful things.
5/27/2026, 3:58:41 PM
by: andrewstuart
I’m pretty sure this was featured in a Stephen King horror story.
5/27/2026, 6:54:33 PM
by: datadrivenangel
Candyland with extra steps.
5/27/2026, 4:20:54 PM
by: jauntywundrkind
A great uncle of mine had made a similar but simpler game like this we used to play, decades & decades & decades ago. He didn't take credit for it, but he'd gotten it printed on a huge nice sheet of paper, and had horses that advanced down it. You just place bets and turn over cards for each horse, and the highest card horse advances. On rainy days we'd sit in the living room, my sibling & I, basically on top of the giant horse race game, making bets & turning over cards to see who the winner would be.<p>Our game was shorter, and only had uhh 6 tracks I think. The odds rose quite a lot for the un-favored horses, like, a lot a lot. The horses/tracks all had names, but I can't remember their names.
5/27/2026, 3:31:09 PM