A tabletop horseshoe game for playing a horseshoes style game on a self contained game board includes a game board base having a substantially planar playing surface, a proximal end, and a distal end, a horseshoe projecting mechanism adjacent to the proximal end, and a fixed stake across the playing surface towards the distal end. The horseshoe projecting mechanism, which in one embodiment defines a pendulum style projecting member and an elevated launching pad is operative to be swung toward a mini horseshoe positioned on the launching pad so that it contacts the mini horseshoe and launches it towards the stake at a desired velocity and angle so that it may encircle the stake or otherwise be moved to a position close to the stake.