Horse Nurse is one of those strange, tiny indie games that sound like a joke until you actually play it—and then somehow it becomes memorable, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt. Created by BooCherry and available on itch.io, it’s a one-page tabletop storytelling game where you take on the role of a “horse nurse” balancing two absurdly different instincts: being a horse and being a nurse. The premise sounds ridiculous at first, but it’s exactly that odd mixture of the ordinary and the surreal that makes it such an entertaining and creative experience. The game’s setup is simple: each player takes the role of a horse nurse in what feels like an episode of a stable-side medical drama. Your job is to keep your patients (and yourself) healthy while dealing with emergencies, barnyard chaos, and the ongoing struggle between your animal instincts and your professional duties. The rules are light and diceless—you spend “treats” to perform nursing actions, and you gain treats by doing horse things. That cycle becomes the central rhythm of the game, creating a tug-of-war between your desire to help others and your need to indulge your equine nature. Because it’s so lightweight, the game plays fast and leaves plenty of room for imagination.The best thing about Horse Nurse is its flexibility. Depending on the group, it can swing from absurd comedy to genuine drama in a heartbeat. Some playthroughs feel like chaotic sitcoms filled with horse puns and slapstick mishaps, while others turn into touching stories about care, compassion, and responsibility. The game works like an improv sketch generator—every session feels like a collaborative writing prompt where the players shape tone, pacing, and emotional depth. The “episode” framing helps ground things so it never drifts into total nonsense. You might be stitching up a wounded stallion one moment and trying to keep the barn from flooding the next, all while your character struggles with burnout or jealousy. That sense of narrative contrast—mixing silliness and sincerity—is what gives Horse Nurse its charm.Another major strength is accessibility. There are no dice, stats, or complicated systems. Anyone can jump in after a two-minute explanation, making it perfect for one-shots, convention games, or casual nights with friends. The “treat” mechanic is easy to grasp and gives just enough structure to keep things from becoming pure chaos. Because it’s so open-ended, creative players can stretch it in countless directions. The GM (or “General Manager”) has an important role in setting the tone and pacing, but even inexperienced GMs will find it forgiving—most of the fun comes from player improvisation rather than strict rule adherence. The short length of a typical session (one to three hours) also works in its favor, letting you finish a story in a single sitting while leaving everyone laughing or oddly moved by the end.That said, Horse Nurse isn’t perfect. Its minimalism is both its strength and its weakness. Groups that prefer crunchy, rules-heavy systems like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder might find it too unstructured. Without dice or stats, there’s little sense of challenge beyond what the group invents. The game’s flow depends entirely on player buy-in—if your group isn’t comfortable with storytelling or doesn’t embrace the absurdity, the energy can fizzle fast. It also leans heavily on the GM to keep momentum going. A passive or uncertain GM can lead to slow pacing, leaving players unsure what to do next. Because there’s no clear fail state or mechanical tension, Horse Nurse requires strong personalities and quick thinking to shine. Some sessions can meander if players focus too much on trivial tasks or get stuck in repetitive jokes. The balance between “nurse” and “horse” activities is another challenge—sometimes players lean too far into one side, and the thematic tension that drives the game fades.Replayability is another mixed bag. The first session often feels fresh and hilarious, but later ones might lose some of that novelty unless the GM changes the scenario or raises the emotional stakes. That said, creative groups can easily invent new twists: rival stables, mysterious illnesses, or even inter-stable competitions. Because the framework is so adaptable, you could spin Horse Nurse into a full campaign of rotating hospital episodes or treat it as an occasional comedic palate cleanser between heavier games.Despite those limitations, Horse Nurse consistently delivers a kind of joy that’s rare in tabletop gaming. It invites you to take something ridiculous seriously—and in doing so, it becomes surprisingly meaningful. The act of caring for fictional horses, navigating small crises, and balancing instinct with duty feels oddly therapeutic. Even when everything descends into chaos, the game celebrates teamwork, creativity, and compassion. It’s a reminder that good stories don’t need complex systems—they just need the right spark and a group willing to play along.In terms of presentation, Horse Nurse is delightfully simple. It’s a short, cleanly written document with charming flavor text and enough personality to carry the concept without bogging you down. It’s priced affordably (around $2), making it an easy impulse buy for anyone curious about indie tabletop design. You could teach it to kids, use it as a warm-up exercise for an improv group, or play it at a party when people want something silly and collaborative. It’s the definition of low-commitment, high-reward fun.Over multiple sessions, I found that the game’s emotional tone can vary dramatically depending on who’s at the table. One group turned it into a comedy about incompetent horse doctors dealing with a barn fire. Another treated it as a heartfelt drama about compassion and sacrifice. Both versions worked because Horse Nurse gives players the freedom to explore tone and theme without boundaries. It’s more like a creative writing exercise in group form than a traditional
