Five marbles, one track, and nobody at the table knows how many you’re actually racing – and that’s the twist that makes Whirly Derby the most chaotic 20 minutes you’ll spend with your family all year. Every round, you secretly choose how many of your marbles you’re sending down the track. One, three, all five, your call, and nobody else gets a say. Launch, and they spin, whirl and smash their way to the line.
Welcome to Whirly Derby
Whirly Derby is the new marble racing game from Big Potato Games, and it is genuinely one of the most fun twenty minutes we’ve had at Mum Central HQ in a long time. We test a lot of games. Most either lose the kids in ten minutes or need an instruction manual read out loud twice before anyone understands the rules. Whirly Derby does neither. You’ll have it explained and your first round finished before the kettle’s boiled.
There’s no reading required, no maths, and definitely no strategy advantage for the adults in the room. Just nerve, timing and a healthy dose of ruthlessness. Which means your eight-year-old can absolutely flatten you, and honestly, you’ll deserve it.
And that’s really what makes Whirly Derby different from every other family board game gathering dust in your cupboard. The hidden marble count means you’re always guessing what everyone else is up to. The card picking order means every race actually matters, not just the winner’s spot. And the Thunderball means the person losing badly is suddenly the biggest threat at the table. Nobody checks out of a game where losing is a comeback strategy.
Win 1 of 2 Amazing Big Potato Game Bundles, worth $240 each!
Thanks to our friends at Big Potato Games, we have two incredible game bundles to give away, each containing 7 of their hottest games, including Whirly Derby! Each prize pack is valued at $240, and will be delivered to your door, just in time for Christmas!
I know, I know … you’re thinking ‘Wow Mum Central, just in time for Christmas!” YOU BET! We’re all about making Christmas easy on the hip pocket and taking a load off the family budget! So here we are, potentially 7 Xmas gifts sorted, you’re welcome! But first, let’s find out more about what makes Whirly Derby the hottest new game of the season!
So How Do You Play Whirly Derby?
Each player gets five marbles in their own colour. Every round, you secretly decide how many you’re playing: one, two, or all five. That’s your call, and nobody else gets a vote. The whole game hinges on nobody knowing what anyone else is about to send down the track, because you all reveal at once.
Before you launch, flip over three trophy cards. These are the prizes on offer for that round, and everyone’s about to fight over them.
Load your marbles into the launcher and send them onto the Whirly Derby track. First colour down wins, and winning means first pick of the three trophy cards up for grabs. Second place gets second pick, third gets third pick. Grab them, bank them, and watch your points stack up. Collect a matching set, and you score bonus points on top, so half the strategy is working out which cards are worth chasing and which ones you let your little brother have. Once a card’s gone, it’s gone, so timing when you play your marbles matters more than you’d think.
Come last, though, and you don’t walk away empty-handed. You get your marble back, and that’s worth more than it sounds. Which means, unlike pretty much every other game on the shelf, coming last is actually something you’ll find yourself hoping for.
You’ve got 8 races to settle the winner. And just when you think you’ve locked in your strategy, you get 3 x marble resets across the game to completely flip your approach and throw everyone else off. Use them wisely. Or don’t, and watch the chaos unfold anyway.
Whirly Derby plays 2 to 6 people and is recommended for ages 8 and up, so it covers everyone from the youngest cousin to Nan. Nobody’s benched, nobody’s bored, and nobody’s arguing over who goes first, because everyone’s marbles are already secretly on the line.
The Ultimate Family Game Night Upgrade
If your game shelf is full of boxes nobody actually asks to play, Whirly Derby earns its spot immediately. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it works for mixed ages, which is exactly what you need when the whole crew is stuck inside on a rainy Sunday or killing time before the barbecue’s ready.
Rounds move fast enough that nobody checks out, and short enough that you’ll squeeze in three or four games before anyone notices the time has gone. Waiting on the roast. Filling the twenty minutes before everyone piles into the car for sport. The “I’m bored” holiday afternoon slump. Whirly Derby fixes all of it.
Make Your Gift Giving Easy This Christmas
If you’ve still got three or four names left on your list and zero ideas, this is the one to grab. It suits siblings who fight over everything, cousins who only see each other twice a year, and grandparents who want in on the action without anyone having to explain the rules twice.
No sizing charts. No wondering if they already have it. No wrapping six separate pieces. One box under the tree, and you’ve sorted the whole family’s Boxing Day entertainment in one hit.
So there you have it. One track, five marbles, and a whole lot of chaos waiting to happen. Whether you’re upgrading your own game night or ticking half your Christmas list off in one hit, Whirly Derby is the box you want under the tree this year. On your marks, get set, let’s go.
Win 1 of 2 Big Potato Game Bundles Just in Time for Christmas
We’ve teamed up with Big Potato Games to give 2 Mum Central readers the ultimate games night glow up. Each bundle is jam-packed with some of the best games Big Potato Games has to offer, so here’s your cheat sheet on what you’re actually winning.
- Whirly Derby – Race your team of marbles down the speedway and bag a podium finish to bank championship points. It’s tactics, luck and a bit of chaos rolled into one, with a Thunderball twist to help you claw back from last place.
- Battle Flips – Head-to-head word guessing with a Hangman meets Battleships twist. Pick a secret word, flip letters to eliminate your opponent’s guesses, and race to crack theirs first.
- Block Party – Grab a secret item card and build it out of blocks before the timer runs out. Everyone else guesses what you’ve made, so the wilder your build, the better the laughs.
- I’m Gonna Risk It – A push-your-luck card game where you can only ever take a card higher than your last. Lock in early, hunt for special power cards, or flip blind and hope for the best.
- P for Pizza – Match a letter to a category and shout your answer faster than anyone else at the table. First to build a full nine-card pizza slice wins the crown.
- Pounce – Spot a word that fits the category and one of the letters on the table, then grab it before anyone else does. Collect letters until you can spell a five-letter word and you’re the winner.
- Chicken vs Hotdog – Flip your Sling’em (chicken or hot dog, you decide) to land challenges and flip your Character Cards. The first team to reveal all six cards takes the win.
Seven games, one prize, and basically your entire Christmas game night sorted without spending a cent. Whether you keep it for your own family or hand it over as the gift that solves four present-buying decisions at once, this is a serious haul to win.
To enter, simply complete the entry form below in full, and we could be calling out your name!
GOOD LUCK!
This post is brought to you by Big Potato Games & Asmodee.
