So, the other night, we decided to dust off a game I hadn’t touched in ages: Horserenderby. Been sitting on the shelf, you know? Figured it was time.
Getting Started
First things first, I pulled the box down. Had that old board game smell. Opened it up, and laid out all the bits and pieces on the table. There’s the board itself, which I unfolded. Then you’ve got the little horse figures – picked my usual color, blue. Gotta have your color, right? We sorted out the pretend money, which always takes a minute, separating the bills. Then there were the cards – shuffled those up good and proper. Placed the deck where it was supposed to go. Finally, everyone got their starting cash. Ready to go.
The Race Was On
We got into it. Started rolling the dice. My horse got off to a decent start, nothing spectacular. Moved it along the track. Early on, it’s mostly just moving, maybe landing on a space where you draw a card. Some cards were helpful, giving a little boost or some cash. Others, not so much – maybe made you pay a fee or move back. Standard stuff for these kinds of games.
The interesting part, for me anyway, is the betting. After a few laps, you start getting a feel for which horses seem to be running well, based on the dice rolls and card luck. I placed a small bet on my own horse, just to start. Felt a bit hopeful. Someone else bet on the horse that was currently in the lead. Seemed like the safe move.
- Rolled dice
- Moved horses
- Drew cards
- Placed bets
Mid-game got a bit more lively. My horse actually pulled ahead for a bit after a lucky roll and a good card draw. Felt pretty good! Then, just as quickly, it fell back after someone else played a card that affected all the horses. That’s how it goes, isn’t it? You think you’re doing great, then bam! Back in the pack. We kept going, rolling, betting, drawing cards. Lots of back and forth. Someone landed on a space that made them miss a turn, which always stings a bit.
Crossing the Finish Line
Eventually, we got to the final stretch. One horse, not mine unfortunately, managed to break away and cross the finish line first. Game over. Then came the part everyone kinda waits for: counting up the cash. We paid out the winning bets. I didn’t win the race, but I actually ended up making a little bit of money from a couple of smaller bets I placed on the winning horse earlier. So, not a total loss!
Overall, it was a decent way to spend an evening. Nothing too complicated, mostly luck with the dice and cards, but the betting adds a little something. It’s not a game I’d play every week, but it’s alright now and then. Packed it all back up, put it back on the shelf. Maybe we’ll pull it out again next year.