While board games can take a number of approaches for their themes and settings, one area that often gets overlooked are professional sports. Many people don’t think of adapting a game which already exists into a board game setting. On top of that, however, professional sporting events which are not as popular as, say, football or baseball tend to get overlooked even more. It is probably safe to venture that most people would never even think of the rodeo circuit as producing some great potential for board games. Yet, rodeo board games can provide some of the strongest thrills one can find in the board game community.
One might be confused on how a game based around the riding, roping, or wrestling a steer might translate well into a board game, but it takes much the same approach as a board game about auto racing might. Racing a car around a track is a far different cry from sitting around a table and rolling dice and playing cards, yet both racing and rodeo provide the same type of thrill that can be tapped into well with a board game.
Rodeo Time is one of these board games which makes the most out of what the rodeo circuit has to offer. It is a game which is open to all ages, allowing young children the chance to play alongside older grandparents, including everyone in between. The game simulates such events as calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and even bull riding. A rodeo usually includes all of these events, sometimes even a few more such as full grown steer roping, instead of just trying to rope the calves.
This game is played with a combination of dice and cards, giving an element of random luck that helps younger players deal with the challenges which might be presented. Rolling three dice onto the game board will help players when riding the bulls, but they must be careful. If they roll poorly, they will be bucked off and score a zero for that event! Additionally, the cards will help any player score well in the timed events, such as roping, but drawing or playing the wrong card can add some terrible time penalties to the score! Only by playing their luck and being shrewd will a player score the best in all of their categories.
Championship Rodeo is another board game which gives players the chance to compete in the professional rodeo market without leaving the comfort of their own homes. This game simulates what it is like for the player to be a part of the rodeo circuit, sending them around the board to compete in different rodeos and do well. If a player performs well enough at all the different rodeos around the circuit, they will not only win prize money and trophies, but will qualify to enter the finals of the World Championship Rodeo. The player will continue on to compete in this rodeo and if they score well enough, they will be named the Rodeo World Champion!
Rodeo Opoly is another game of this type related to Rodeos. This game has been published by a firm called Late For The Sky. The game is similar to the well-known Monopoly game. However, the theme here is Rodeos. So, you have to buy rodeo properties, and collect something called ‘scores’. You can trade these scores for gold rings. And the number of gold rings you have determines the amount of rent you can collect for your properties. All in all, a fun game for persons with interest in horses.