The Races

The Races is a horse racing party game for as many players as you've got, or just you and a field of bot players.

It's broadcast on your computer or TV in glorious Teletext-era resolution. The horses aren't real, the money isn't real, but the emotional rollercoaster very much is.

One person owns the game and hosts. Everyone else joins from their phone (or any device with a browser) using the web address and room code on screen. Place bets, buy a horse, train it, enter it into races, sabotage someone else's, and watch it all come together on the big screen, with live* commentary from the RACEFAX commentary team.

It's perfect for the living room at a party, a Discord call with your most competitive friends, or watching your mate who takes everything too seriously lose it over a fake horse falling at a digital fence.

*Commentary is generated in the game from what's happening in the race.

A fully simulated fixed-odds betting system. Prices update every 15 seconds while betting is open, based on each horse's form, how much money is going on it, and over a thousand simulated races run in the background. Every horse gets the price it deserves, but whether it deserves to win is another matter.

Between races, the market opens. Buy a horse outright and it's yours for the night. Train it to raise its Speed, Stamina and Safety. Enter it into the next race, and get paid if it wins or places.

Short on coins? The loan shark is always open, and always patient.

If you love a bit of subterfuge, bribe the jockey of a horse nobody owns to have an off day. Just don't get caught, or the Stewards will be having a word.

Buy tickets for the RACEFAX Lottery and win a jackpot that could catapult you into the lead. Every session gets a freshly generated race card, so no two nights are ever the same.

The big one. Twenty horses, all with glory in their sights. The longest race of the night, with seven perfectly placed fences.

On average, half the field won't make it round. Thousands of coins go to the owner of the winner if they were brave enough to enter.

Between races, get a glimpse into this strange universe. Catch up on the news ticker, get next week's winning* lottery numbers from Psychic Patricia, or take a HOT TIP straight from the RACEFAX desk.

*RACEFAX do not take responsibility for incorrect predictions.

Uncle Tote walks everyone through the game as it happens, so nobody has to sit through an explanation before the first race. Want to change how the night plays? The house rules let you limit bets, switch the market off, rein in the loan shark and more.

One PC or Mac runs the session. Plug it into a TV, share it on a Discord call (other VOIP services are available), or huddle round one laptop like the good old days. Players join on their own devices through our website with the room code the game gives them. No app downloads, no accounts.

Play solo against bot players, or fill the room with friends.

You set how long a session runs, from 15 minutes up to three hours.

For a full, meaty night we recommend 90 to 120 minutes, and at least 30 minutes for a quick one.