- BGG rating
- 7.1
Dark Horse: Outlaw
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,354
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Dark Horse
2012
Rules assistance for Dark Horse
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Dark Horse
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dark Horse is a board game released in 2012 for 1–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Don Lloyd and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Network and Route Building.
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About the game
Dark Horse is a board game set in the Wild West with an average playing time of 30 to 90 minutes. The game puts one to four players in the role of a unique character in charge of a small territory in the old west. Some examples of the characters in the game are Banker, Cowboy, and Tracker. The characters have various abilities that give them advantages in the game as well as a starting bonus of some sort. Each player collects and uses various resources to build towns, cities, and rails to grow their territories. Players start the game with one city and two towns with the goal of growing out their territories to include additional towns, cities, and railroad connections throughout the areas that they control. The objective of the game is to collect the most victory points when the game ends. Players do this by expanding their territory, collecting gold, and obtaining Influence Points from certain actions on the game board. Players will need to watch each other’s progress as the game can end in several different ways. Summary of Play Each turn players roll two colored dice and place those dice on a specific action on the game board. The game has built in actions and tokens that allow players to manipulate their dice in certain ways. So players will have to decide whether to use these actions or limited tokens such as the Wild Die tokens to modify their dice. This allows players to use a majority of the dice rolls that come up each turn to further improve their position in the game. The game promotes fast play as each player takes turns placing one or more dice on only one action per turn. Actions can include but are not limited to drawing cards, collecting resources, building additional towns and cities, and taking special actions such as the Sheriff, Mayor, Trader, or Tycoon. Some actions, such as Rail Baron, require a certain natural die roll while other actions require that your dice add up to a certain value. Players gain influence points during the game by taking specific actions which counts for a players overall victory points needed at the end of the game. Players will also need to focus on building their railroad connections as efficiently as they can to maximize their score at the end of the game.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Knight Works, LLC
Questions and answers
Dark Horse supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dark Horse is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dark Horse for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dark Horse has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dark Horse belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Dice, and American West. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Network and Route Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dark Horse are: Don Lloyd. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dark Horse as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.