Camel Derby

Camel Derby sets up the classic race stall at a travelling carnival after dark: four wooden lanes side by side under a striped awning, and above them a painted desert board where four tin camels ride their rails on pegs. Drag back and let go to roll a ball up your lane. It climbs the slope, slows, bounces off the rails and either drops into a hole or rolls back to you; a ball that runs over the top goes round the back and down the gutter. The far hole is worth 3, the two in the middle 2 and the near ones 1, and your camel walks that many steps, bobbing and rocking as it goes. First camel past the chequered post wins.

The cup has twelve races in three legs, from the Warm-Up Walk at dusk to the Grand Derby under the stars. Humphrey, Clementine and Biscuit roll on the lanes beside yours with the same physics as you, each with a style of its own, and they get steadier race by race. A place on the podium earns a star and opens the next race, a win earns two, and a win in par balls or fewer earns all three. Stars fill the prize shelf with plush toys, from a teddy to a golden camel.

Time Trial is you and your camel alone: thirty steps to the post in as few balls as you can, with your best kept as a high score to beat. The clock only settles a tie and there is no time limit, so it is a relaxing game to pick up, and choosing between the safe 2 and the far 3 as the post gets close is a small brain teaser of its own. Your stars, prizes and best runs are saved in your browser.