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WhiteHorseGames

@whitehorsegamesltd

Building our board game business. Design, playtests, prototypes, reviews and mistakes. Join our mailing list ↓

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There's nothing like a quick boardgame to make a good evening great. 🎲

We're spoiled for choice near us — arcades, boardgame cafes, shops on every corner — and our move is always the same: grab a seat, pull out a small game (or buy a new one), and play "just one more round."

Short games hit different. You know you've got time for a few rounds, so you play looser, take more risks, bluff harder. The rules are light, the stakes feel high, and somehow they're more fun while needing way less brainpower than the 3-hour epics.

We've got a soft spot for anything pocket-sized that plays in under 30 minutes — the Monopoly Deals, Skulls, and Hives of the world.

We finally tried Mind and Flip 7 recently too, and... yeah, we get the hype. 👀

Swipe for our current rotation of quick-fire favorites ➡️

What are we missing? Drop your go-to short games below 👇

───

Carousel slides:

1. Monopoly Deal — All the wheeling and dealing of Monopoly, none of the 3-hour commitment. Fast, ruthless, and endlessly replayable.

2. Hive — Chess's cooler, more portable cousin. No board needed — just tiles, strategy, and bugs trying to surround your queen.

3. Skulls (Skull) — A bluffing game built entirely on nerve. Read the room, call the bluff, and hide your tell to reach the top.

4. The Mind — No talking, no signals, just pure intuition. Either you're in sync as a team or you're not!

5. Flip 7 — A push-your-luck card game where greed is the whole point. Simple to learn, brutal to lose.

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There's nothing like a quick boardgame to make a good evening great. 🎲 We're spoiled for choice near us — arcades, boardgame cafes, shops on every corner — and our move is always the same: grab a seat, pull out a small game (or buy a new one), and play "just one more round." Short games hit different. You know you've got time for a few rounds, so you play looser, take more risks, bluff harder. The rules are light, the stakes feel high, and somehow they're more fun while needing way less brainpower than the 3-hour epics. We've got a soft spot for anything pocket-sized that plays in under 30 minutes — the Monopoly Deals, Skulls, and Hives of the world. We finally tried Mind and Flip 7 recently too, and... yeah, we get the hype. 👀 Swipe for our current rotation of quick-fire favorites ➡️ What are we missing? Drop your go-to short games below 👇 ─── Carousel slides: 1. Monopoly Deal — All the wheeling and dealing of Monopoly, none of the 3-hour commitment. Fast, ruthless, and endlessly replayable. 2. Hive — Chess's cooler, more portable cousin. No board needed — just tiles, strategy, and bugs trying to surround your queen. 3. Skulls (Skull) — A bluffing game built entirely on nerve. Read the room, call the bluff, and hide your tell to reach the top. 4. The Mind — No talking, no signals, just pure intuition. Either you're in sync as a team or you're not! 5. Flip 7 — A push-your-luck card game where greed is the whole point. Simple to learn, brutal to lose.

2 days ago

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1/9

It's not easy to do something new in your 30s. At this point, we have established lives, families, routines and corporate careers.

That said, there's been no time like now to commit to building White Horse Games. We love doing it and while it's hard, doing something you're passionate about gives you energy.

So here's a little breakdown of a typical day, where White Horse Games tends not to start until late evening. 🕙

Right now, we're a 2-person outfit, meaning game design, playtests, social media, websites, mailing updates, conversations with artists, manufacturers and everything else goes through us.

I make notes throughout the day on my phone of what needs doing and what matters most, so when I sit down at my desk, I'm not wasting 30 minutes procrastinating. I use that time purposefully.

That said, my desk chair is comfy and I do make sure to check things when I wake up just incase I've had a wobbly hour half asleep trying to write a post....

One day, we aim to be successful enough to run WHG full time, but that's not today's reality.

So if you want to follow the journey as we get there, or even give us advice, join our mailing list. The link is in our bio and I'm sure you'll find a few 10pm spelling mistakes! 📬

@whitehorsegamesltd

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It's not easy to do something new in your 30s. At this point, we have established lives, families, routines and corporate careers. That said, there's been no time like now to commit to building White Horse Games. We love doing it and while it's hard, doing something you're passionate about gives you energy. So here's a little breakdown of a typical day, where White Horse Games tends not to start until late evening. 🕙 Right now, we're a 2-person outfit, meaning game design, playtests, social media, websites, mailing updates, conversations with artists, manufacturers and everything else goes through us. I make notes throughout the day on my phone of what needs doing and what matters most, so when I sit down at my desk, I'm not wasting 30 minutes procrastinating. I use that time purposefully. That said, my desk chair is comfy and I do make sure to check things when I wake up just incase I've had a wobbly hour half asleep trying to write a post.... One day, we aim to be successful enough to run WHG full time, but that's not today's reality. So if you want to follow the journey as we get there, or even give us advice, join our mailing list. The link is in our bio and I'm sure you'll find a few 10pm spelling mistakes! 📬

2 weeks ago

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2/9

Our board game collection has been judged by the dogs.

Their criteria differs to ours:

Can I eat it?
Can I chase it?
Will I enjoy barking at it?

From Pass the Pigs to Wingspan, Everdell and The Crew, they’ve given their verdicts on a few games from our shelves.

Follow along for more!

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Our board game collection has been judged by the dogs. Their criteria differs to ours: Can I eat it? Can I chase it? Will I enjoy barking at it? From Pass the Pigs to Wingspan, Everdell and The Crew, they’ve given their verdicts on a few games from our shelves. Follow along for more!

2 weeks ago

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3/9

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Let’s catch you up 👀 We’re White Horse Games, and we’re building a board game company. Our first game is Apotheca (although name still tbd). It's a 2–4 player fantasy alchemy game where you play as an apprentice alchemist trying to rise through the ranks of your guild. You’ll gather magical elements, brew potions, upgrade your alchemist, and sabotage your rivals. 🧪 Right now, the game works. The mechanics are there. We’ve playtested it, broken it, fixed it, and kept pushing it forward. The only issue? It's still on scraps of paper and flimsy card. It's hardly the fun, immersive experience we have in our heads. We are just beginning work on art and there's loads to talk about in future updates, we’re particularly excited about this step. Our plan is to share everything, from design and playtesting to manufacturing through to cost and impact on us. Reach out to let us know what you want to hear more about!

3 weeks ago

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4/9

We love Everdell.

Partly because there’s a big cardboard tree in the middle of the table 🌳 but it’s not just table presence. Everdell is one of those games where everyone seems to be playing their own little version of it and it draws you right into the world.

Someone’s chasing the events,
Someone’s building a 19 card city.
Someone is hogging that pesky stone resource spot.
Someone (guilty) is clearly waiting for one specific card and getting more annoyed every time it doesn’t appear....

The resources are really pretty and tactile too. Twigs, resin, berries, even the stone. I don’t know why they’re so good, but that berry might be my favourite resource in any game I’ve played.

Then you’ve got Andrew Bosley’s artwork, which is just beautiful. Every card feels like it belongs in the same little woodland world and the characters have character, very talented.

Now of course, with a game so good, the base game was never enough, so there are loads of expansions to explore, and we've played them all. I think farshore is probably my favourite, but they are all unique and fun. We love our own house rule of including the super powered cards in the original game.

Everdell is the kind of game that reminds us what we want from our own game design: simple enough to get into, but with different ways to play, and the satisfaction of a big combo and joining all the dots. 🧪

Have you played Everdell?

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We love Everdell. Partly because there’s a big cardboard tree in the middle of the table 🌳 but it’s not just table presence. Everdell is one of those games where everyone seems to be playing their own little version of it and it draws you right into the world. Someone’s chasing the events, Someone’s building a 19 card city. Someone is hogging that pesky stone resource spot. Someone (guilty) is clearly waiting for one specific card and getting more annoyed every time it doesn’t appear.... The resources are really pretty and tactile too. Twigs, resin, berries, even the stone. I don’t know why they’re so good, but that berry might be my favourite resource in any game I’ve played. Then you’ve got Andrew Bosley’s artwork, which is just beautiful. Every card feels like it belongs in the same little woodland world and the characters have character, very talented. Now of course, with a game so good, the base game was never enough, so there are loads of expansions to explore, and we've played them all. I think farshore is probably my favourite, but they are all unique and fun. We love our own house rule of including the super powered cards in the original game. Everdell is the kind of game that reminds us what we want from our own game design: simple enough to get into, but with different ways to play, and the satisfaction of a big combo and joining all the dots. 🧪 Have you played Everdell?

3 weeks ago

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5/9

Playtest update from the weekend...

For the first 4 hours of board game day we played Apotheca and it went really well!
Nothing broke but we uncovered some really important tweaks.

We are still working with pen, paper and scribbles. In fact if you look closely you'll notice a crisp being used as a turn marker.....

Since we were at Miles's place, we had the joy of team dog mascots, Jasper and Rocky (Rocky pictured). The dogs were more interested in frozen carrots 🥕 than our game!

Anyway, the good bit: the game works.

It feels fun, everyone enjoyed themselves and the feedback was pretty wholesome. There was a good veriety in styles, combos, sabotage and general strategising.

The less polished bit:
Outside of the looks, the gameplay took longer than we expected this time around. 🕑 Our playtesters Ali and Jake really spent the time exploring the game and looking for optimal strategies but it didn’t take away from the fun.

We did a mop up after and agreed to change a few things:

Mercury was an early choice of element card but didn’t make sense for a strength potion, so that’s now out and Trollbone is in.🦴

The hand limit felt a tiny bit too tight, so we nudged it up by 1. It caused a first turn strategy to feel restricted meaning the lower hand limit would introduce an obvious meta.

And finally, everyone played really well and therefore we very nearly ran out of potions. Aside from doing a bit of math, this was an easy decision and we’ve added 15 more to bring the deck up to 65. 💪

Playtesting is one part frustrating but 5 parts fantastic. Yes its ugly and breaks a lot, but when you find something that works and everyone'shaving fun, it's a privilege.

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Playtest update from the weekend... For the first 4 hours of board game day we played Apotheca and it went really well! Nothing broke but we uncovered some really important tweaks. We are still working with pen, paper and scribbles. In fact if you look closely you'll notice a crisp being used as a turn marker..... Since we were at Miles's place, we had the joy of team dog mascots, Jasper and Rocky (Rocky pictured). The dogs were more interested in frozen carrots 🥕 than our game! Anyway, the good bit: the game works. It feels fun, everyone enjoyed themselves and the feedback was pretty wholesome. There was a good veriety in styles, combos, sabotage and general strategising. The less polished bit: Outside of the looks, the gameplay took longer than we expected this time around. 🕑 Our playtesters Ali and Jake really spent the time exploring the game and looking for optimal strategies but it didn’t take away from the fun. We did a mop up after and agreed to change a few things: Mercury was an early choice of element card but didn’t make sense for a strength potion, so that’s now out and Trollbone is in.🦴 The hand limit felt a tiny bit too tight, so we nudged it up by 1. It caused a first turn strategy to feel restricted meaning the lower hand limit would introduce an obvious meta. And finally, everyone played really well and therefore we very nearly ran out of potions. Aside from doing a bit of math, this was an easy decision and we’ve added 15 more to bring the deck up to 65. 💪 Playtesting is one part frustrating but 5 parts fantastic. Yes its ugly and breaks a lot, but when you find something that works and everyone'shaving fun, it's a privilege.

3 weeks ago

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6/9

Last time we played Apiary, I managed to win by heavily expanding my faction and making the most of a few very generous recruit tiles. 🐝

Was luck involved? A little. Am I still the champ? Yup. 🏆

We really like Apiary. There’s a lot going on, but it doesn’t feel like a slog. You can make a plan, get distracted by a better option, pivot halfway through, and the rules embed pretty quickly so rate of play is less of an issue than you'd think at first glance.

The worker placement is the stand out mechanic for us. The good looking little bees get stronger the longer they stay out, but eventually they hibernate and that eventually ends the game, so there’s always that decision of whether to use them now or push for more. 🐝

We also like that other players don’t just completely clog the game up. The bumping system keeps things moving, which makes a big difference. It's competitive, just not obstructive.

The seed cards are great too. I expect they divide opinion but we feel they give the game added flair and little boosts that start to shape what you’re doing, without making the whole thing feel overcomplicated. 🌱

That’s the sort of thing we keep coming back to with our game, Apotheca. 🧪 We want players to start with simple choices, then slowly realise they’ve built something useful whether that's a few potions working together or an upgrade that unlocks big combos.

We want to avoid loads of rules dumped on you upfront. Just enough depth for the game to open up as you play.

Have you played Apiary 'honey'?
Did it live up to the 'buzz'?
Too many puns? well this game should have 'space' in your collection.... 🚀

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Last time we played Apiary, I managed to win by heavily expanding my faction and making the most of a few very generous recruit tiles. 🐝 Was luck involved? A little. Am I still the champ? Yup. 🏆 We really like Apiary. There’s a lot going on, but it doesn’t feel like a slog. You can make a plan, get distracted by a better option, pivot halfway through, and the rules embed pretty quickly so rate of play is less of an issue than you'd think at first glance. The worker placement is the stand out mechanic for us. The good looking little bees get stronger the longer they stay out, but eventually they hibernate and that eventually ends the game, so there’s always that decision of whether to use them now or push for more. 🐝 We also like that other players don’t just completely clog the game up. The bumping system keeps things moving, which makes a big difference. It's competitive, just not obstructive. The seed cards are great too. I expect they divide opinion but we feel they give the game added flair and little boosts that start to shape what you’re doing, without making the whole thing feel overcomplicated. 🌱 That’s the sort of thing we keep coming back to with our game, Apotheca. 🧪 We want players to start with simple choices, then slowly realise they’ve built something useful whether that's a few potions working together or an upgrade that unlocks big combos. We want to avoid loads of rules dumped on you upfront. Just enough depth for the game to open up as you play. Have you played Apiary 'honey'? Did it live up to the 'buzz'? Too many puns? well this game should have 'space' in your collection.... 🚀

4 weeks ago

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7/9

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How many have you played. We've compiled a list of our favourite games. We know you'll have played some of them but who's played them all? Here's our list: - the crew - everdell (including expansions) - ruins or arnak - tortuga (mainly when played with an odd number) - libertalia - apiary - brass Birmingham - codenames - wingspan - azul #boardgames #gamecollection #favourite #top10 #gaming

4 weeks ago

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8/9

Are you thinking of starting your own game? If you are, then what are you waiting for?⏳️

We didn't have all the answers, in fact we still don't. However as we've developed our first game Apotheca, we picked up a couple of tips you might just need to hear 👂

Firstly, play games and love games. It's hard to design a game if they aren't your passion. You need to pay attention to how a game makes you feel and how players interact. Think about what really made a game fun.

Being passionate helps with the second advice too, going all in on learning. Be a student, listen a lot, consume a lot of information and know your craft. 📖 The skill is taking your unique creativity as well as the well trodden paths and combining them in new ways so know your basics!

Lastly, make it, break it, try something new. If you think you can design a game in one go, think again. Players make games great and you need to get your ideas in front of players to really test your ideas. Don't take the feedback personally.

Let us know of any board game ideas you've had recently that you're struggling to start!

#boardgamedesign #gamedesign #advice #startnow
#boardgames

@whitehorsegamesltd

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Are you thinking of starting your own game? If you are, then what are you waiting for?⏳️ We didn't have all the answers, in fact we still don't. However as we've developed our first game Apotheca, we picked up a couple of tips you might just need to hear 👂 Firstly, play games and love games. It's hard to design a game if they aren't your passion. You need to pay attention to how a game makes you feel and how players interact. Think about what really made a game fun. Being passionate helps with the second advice too, going all in on learning. Be a student, listen a lot, consume a lot of information and know your craft. 📖 The skill is taking your unique creativity as well as the well trodden paths and combining them in new ways so know your basics! Lastly, make it, break it, try something new. If you think you can design a game in one go, think again. Players make games great and you need to get your ideas in front of players to really test your ideas. Don't take the feedback personally. Let us know of any board game ideas you've had recently that you're struggling to start! #boardgamedesign #gamedesign #advice #startnow #boardgames

1 month ago

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9/9

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