Crooked Derby

BET IN SECRET. LIE IN PUBLIC. RIG THE RACE.

Crooked Derby is a turn-based digital board game about bluffing, deduction, and fixing a horse race in plain sight.

You are not a jockey. You are a crooked bettor.

Before each race, secretly back one of six equally matched horses and decide how much of your bankroll to risk. Everyone can see your stake—but only you know which horse carries your money.

Then tell the table your Public Story: the horse you claim to have backed. Tell the truth, sell a convincing lie, or choose the story your cards might help you defend.

Once the gates open, every card is played face-up. Send a named horse surging forward, drag the leader back, rescue a long shot, or prepare a late-race swing. Your hand will not always favour your own horse, so every move becomes evidence.

Are you protecting your bet? Building an alibi? Or baiting the table into the wrong conclusion?

While your rivals take their turns, compare their actions with their stories. Before the finish, you can Call the Bluff on another bettor. Read them correctly and expose their lie at the final reveal. Get it wrong, and the honest bettor gets the last laugh.

When a horse crosses the line, every secret bet and Public Story is revealed and the pot is paid. One race can make you rich; one reckless wager can ruin your match. Finish the series with the most money to win.

Key Features

• Secret bets, public stakes — everyone sees the risk, but not the horse.

• Public Stories and Bluff Calls — lie about your bet and challenge suspicious rivals.

• Visible card-driven manipulation — every move changes the race and reveals something about its player.

• Every horse starts equal — the favourites and long shots emerge entirely from the table’s decisions.

• Play with 2–6 bettors — face bots in solo play or join public and private Steam tables.

• Cosmetic-only progression — earn disguises, titles, card backs, emotes, records, and other profile rewards.

• A colourful 3D board-game presentation with animated horses, expressive bettors, and dramatic final reveals.

• Compact multi-race matches built around tension, misdirection, and sudden reversals.