What Bang! Is
Bang! is a Wild West card game of hidden roles for four to seven players. Most players keep their role secret, and the table gradually works out who is on whose side while trying to eliminate the opposing team. It is published by dV Giochi, and the official rules are available as a free PDF from the publisher.
The summary below covers the base game. Expansions such as Dodge City add cards and rules not covered here.
The Four Roles
Each player is dealt a secret role card, except the Sheriff, who reveals theirs at once.
- Sheriff (public): wants to eliminate all the Outlaws and the Renegade.
- Deputies (secret): help the Sheriff and share the Sheriff’s goal.
- Outlaws (secret): want to eliminate the Sheriff.
- Renegade (secret): wants to be the last player alive, which usually means eliminating the Outlaws first and the Sheriff last.
Role Split by Player Count
The standard distribution is:
| Players | Sheriff | Deputies | Outlaws | Renegade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Setup
- Remove the roles you do not need for your player count, shuffle the rest and deal one face down to each player. The Sheriff turns their card face up.
- Deal two character cards to each player. Each player chooses one and keeps the other out of the game. Character cards give a special ability and a starting number of life points, shown as bullets.
- The Sheriff gets one extra life point. Each player takes life-point markers or tracks life with the bullets on their character card.
- Shuffle the main deck and deal each player a number of cards equal to their starting life points.
- The Sheriff takes the first turn, and play continues clockwise.
How Many Cards Do You Start With?
Every player starts with as many cards in hand as their life points. Because most characters have four life points and the Sheriff has one more, a typical start is four cards for most players and five for the Sheriff, but characters differ, so use the bullets on your own card.
Your Turn
A turn has three phases:
- Draw two cards from the deck.
- Play any number of cards from your hand, with some limits. You can normally play only one Bang! card per turn, and you cannot have two identical cards in play in front of you.
- Discard down to a hand size equal to your current life points.
Life Points and Elimination
Taking a hit costs one life point. At zero, you are out unless you can play a Beer in time, which the rulebook allows. Once eliminated, you reveal your role and discard your cards. Two rewards or penalties apply to eliminations:
- A player who eliminates an Outlaw draws three cards from the deck.
- If the Sheriff eliminates a Deputy, the Sheriff discards all their cards.
Distance and Weapons
Bang! can only target players within range. The distance to a player is the number of seats between you, counted the shorter way around the table. Eliminated players do not count, so distances shrink as the game goes on.
- You start with a basic gun that reaches a distance of 1.
- Weapon cards increase your range. Only one weapon can be in play at a time.
- Equipment such as a Scope makes other players seem closer to you, while a Mustang makes you seem farther from others.
The Main Cards
Brown-bordered cards are played and discarded. Blue-bordered cards stay in play in front of you.
- Bang! Targets a player in range, who loses a life point unless they respond.
- Missed! Cancels a Bang! aimed at you.
- Beer Restores one life point, up to your maximum.
- Panic! Steal a card from a player at distance 1.
- Cat Balou Make any player discard a card of your choice.
- Stagecoach and Wells Fargo Draw cards.
- General Store Everyone picks a card from a revealed pool.
- Gatling and Indians! Hit several players at once unless they respond.
- Duel Challenge a player to trade Bang! cards.
- Jail Placed on another player, who may miss their turn.
- Dynamite Stays in play and may explode on a player.
- Barrel Gives a chance to avoid a Bang! without a Missed!.
Several of these cards use a “draw!” step, in which the top card of the deck is flipped and its suit and value decide the result. Check the rulebook for the exact conditions on cards like Jail, Dynamite and Barrel.
How Each Side Wins
- The Sheriff and Deputies win when all the Outlaws and the Renegade are eliminated.
- The Outlaws win when the Sheriff is eliminated.
- The Renegade wins by being the last player alive. If only the Renegade is left after the Sheriff is eliminated, the Renegade wins. If the Sheriff is eliminated while other players survive, the Outlaws win.
Tips for Newcomers
- Do not shoot the Sheriff on the first round unless your character or hand says to. Early deaths can be unfun for the player and unhelpful for you.
- Watch who protects whom. Players who help the Sheriff are probably Deputies, and players who attack them are likely Outlaws.
- If you are the Renegade, keep a low profile and keep both sides in balance.
If you like hidden roles and bluffing but want something that plays with teams, Pictionary is a very different, lighter choice for the same crowd.