Donkey Derby uses something like a roulette wheel for players to win letters which they use to make words. There are four versions of the game based on the word list from which the players are trying to form the words. There is a "Beginers Game", a "Bird Game", an "Animal Game" and a "Capital City Game".
The color for each player is determined each game by lot. When 2 or 3 players are playinging each player gets 2 letter cards (or a special Donkey card) on each spin. If four players are playing there is a twist. The Yellow player gets one letter by spin and also gets to take any letter he wants from the bank. For five players the black player gets one letter plus he can "rob" any player of a letter not in a word.
The game is played for points. 400 points is recommended for 2-4 players, and 500 points for 5 players. The donkey cards are worth points or can be traded back to the bank for three letter cards.