Dark Horse

About this board game

Dark Horse is a 15-minute racing card game for 2–6 players, originally released in 2014 under the title Dark Horse before being released as Minuscule. Players secretly bet on critters, manipulate the race with action cards, and score based on the final finishing order.

At the start, each player receives two betting cards and five action cards. The seven critter cards are then placed in a line, with players adding one card at a time to either the front or the back. Once all seven are in position, the seventh critter card is flipped to identify the race’s dark horse.

On each turn, a player must play an action card and resolve its effect. Actions can move a particular position forward or backward, shift a numbered critter one space, or allow a player to exchange one betting card for an unused card. These effects constantly reshape the order before the bets are revealed.

• Hidden betting: Each betting card corresponds to one of the seven critter cards.
• Race manipulation: Action cards move critters or change a player’s betting options.
• Dark horse tokens: Up to three tokens can be claimed, each worth 5 points if the dark horse finishes in the top three, or -3 points otherwise.

After five turns, players reveal their two betting cards and score according to the matching critters’ positions. First place is worth 10 points, followed by 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point for the remaining places. After adding or subtracting dark horse token points, the player with the highest total wins. Dark Horse combines quick decisions, shifting race positions, and calculated risk in a compact card game.