Bang! The Dice Game

I think one of my first posts ever was in regards to the game Bang! It's strange to be writing about an expansion to a post made literally years ago. So much has changed personally and professionally it feels like another life.

However, as this is not Dr. Fischer's Introspection Night, let's talk about Bang! The Dice Game. In this game each player takes a role- sheriff, deputy, outlaw or renegade. Your victory conditions will depend on your role. The outlaws win if the sheriff dies. The sheriff and deputy win if the sheriff lives. The renegade has to be the last player standing. And with the exception of the sheriff, everyone's role is secret.

Two Wounds Healed

The game itself involves rolling five dice and potentially then re-rolling them once or twice. The results may allow you to "shoot" other players, heal yourself, or take damage from dynamite or arrows. The more you re-roll the better you can fine tune your results, but also the risk of arrows and dynamite increases as well. This simple system makes Bang! The Dice Game a "push your luck" game combined with a "hidden victory objective" game. Finally, the whole thing takes about twenty minutes to play.

Those qualities hit all my favorite spots. I like push your luck, I like hidden roles, I like rolling dice and I like a quick game. Bang! is just tactical enough to reward some thought but it's hardly a brain burner. If you win you feel clever but if you lose it's hardly crushing.

Other highlights- it's affordable, it's appropriate for younger players and non-hardcore gamers. There's lots of good natured yelling at the table. It's portable as well. Basically a nice, light family game.