Play Winning Post (Japan) (Rev A) Online

Winning Post came out for the Super Nintendo in 1993, a horse racing and breeding simulation from Koei. It was part of that wave of deeper, more complex strategy games that started to appear on the console, focusing on management rather than action.

You control a stable owner, managing everything from purchasing yearlings and arranging stud pairings to training schedules and entering horses in races across Japan. The main objective is to breed a champion horse and dominate the racing circuit. Key mechanics involve scrutinizing detailed pedigree charts to find compatible bloodlines and carefully allocating limited training points each week to develop a horse's speed, stamina, and spirit. The pacing is deliberate, almost methodical, and the difficulty comes from making long-term investments that might not pay off for several in-game years. It feels like a deeply engaging puzzle where every small decision echoes for seasons.