Betting on the Horse to Go into the Winner’s Circle
A while ago I learned a Reiner Knizia game called Winner’s Circle. It’s a horse racing board game where you get to bet on which horse will win and then try to make your favored horse win by rolling a specialized die.
This is similar to a standard roll and move game but not quite. You do roll the die and move a horse, but there’s almost always a tricky decision to make first.
You can move any horse you want, so there’s some bluffing going on. Are you moving the horse you really want to win, or are you moving someone else’s favorite just a little bit farther around the track, so he won’t pass your horse before the finish line?
The publishers tried to give the seven plastic horses realistically-colored coats. They range from white to silver to chestnut to black, with a few others in between. They did a good job of making them distinguishable from each other, but they could have made them match the colors on the game board more closely (or vice versa).
Considering that the beautiful horses that come in the box are probably the only expensive item to make, this game might feel a little overpriced, but if you’re interested in a good Knizia game, check it out.
I had fun playing this game. Of course, it always helps when you win!
See your Winner’s Circle at Amazon.