Support

Stuck on Donkey Derby, found a bug, or want to tell us you’ve won the Clifford Cup? Email us.

Common questions

Which iPhones does it run on?

It’s optimised for iPhone Duo, where the machine spreads across both screens. On other iPhones the two halves stack down the one screen: the race board at the top and your lane below. It needs iOS 27.1 or later.

How do I play on iPhone Duo?

Fold your Duo like a little laptop, with the top screen upright and the bottom one flat. The race board stands on the top screen and your lane lies on the bottom one.

Can I play in landscape?

No. Donkey Derby is portrait only, either way up.

How do I roll a ball?

Drag a ball out of the well at your end of the lane and flick it up towards the holes. Aim and speed come from your finger. Balls you sink, and balls that miss, roll back to the well.

What do the holes score?

Yellow is 1 hop, blue is 2 and red is 3. Your donkey hops once for every point. A ball smashed right over the red cushion scores nothing.

What is the spotlight?

Every so often in a race a light falls on one of your holes for a few seconds. Sink a ball in it while it’s lit and that hole is worth one more hop.

Why won’t the balls go in at the start?

The holes stay shut until the starting bell. When it rings, they open and you’re racing.

Which donkey is mine?

The one you picked on the race card: Daisy Chain, Millie’s Magic, Idrees Lightning, Zayn the Rocket or Meadow Lark. Three of the others run against you in each race. Yours carries your ball colour on its number.

How long is a race?

From 3 furlongs to a mile, at eight hops to the furlong. First past the post wins. A meeting is six races, ending in the Clifford Cup. The places score 5, 3, 2 and 1 points, double in the Clifford Cup.

How do I get tickets, and what are they for?

Every finish prints tickets, and the better your place, the more you get. Save them up for the Prize Stall: new sets of balls and silks for your jockey, from 500 tickets to 1,000. Tickets are won by racing and can’t be bought. It’s all for fun: there’s no real money in the machine anywhere.

Who is the commentator?

A real recorded voice over the course tannoy, calling the start, the changes of lead and the finish. Every call is captioned on screen too.

Why is there no sound?

Like most games, Donkey Derby stays quiet while your iPhone is in silent mode. To hear it anyway, turn on Sound in silent mode in the game’s Settings. Sound, music and haptics each have their own switch there too.

Where are my tickets and prizes kept?

On your iPhone. If you delete the app, they go with it. You can also start again from the game’s Settings, which hands your tickets and prizes back to the stall.

Are there ads, or any tracking?

No ads and no tracking. The game doesn’t collect any personal data. The privacy policy has the detail.

I’ve got a new iPhone. Do I have to buy it again?

No. Sign in to the App Store with the same Apple Account you bought it with and download it again for free.

Can I get a refund?

Apple handles App Store payments and refunds. You can ask for one at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Do you make anything else?

Yes: Tuppenny Tumble, our seaside 2p pusher for iPhone.