Bang! is a spaghetti western themed card game from Italian publisher daVinci games.  While I have never been a fan of westerns, I instantly fell in love with this game.  I was introduced to Bang! awhile back through a friend of a friend, which was fortunate for me because I probably never would have tried a western game otherwise.

In Bang! you take on one of four different roles, each with their own path to victory (I must be a sucker for multiple win conditions, because I always love games that have them).  The Outlaws try to kill the Sherriff, the Deputy tries to protect the Sherriff, the Sherriff tries to kill everyone (but the Deputy), and the Renegade tries to be the last one standing.  The most exciting part is that all the roles, except the Sherriff, are kept secret.

The game is designed to work with 4-7 players, but 6 usually works best.  The amount of players affects how many of each role are in play.  This is why 6 is optimal, because it divides the players into two sides: The Outlaws (3) and the Sherriff, Deputy, and Renegade.  This is one reason why I like the Renegade, because even though the main goal is to kill the Sherriff, it must be accomplished last (if the Sherriff dies before everyone else, the Outlaws win).  Thus, the Renegade often sides with the Sherriff early on.

Along with a role card, each player is dealt a character card.  Each character is unique and has a special ability, some better than others.  The character also determines the amount of life you have for the game.  And if I knew more about westerns, I would say that most of their names play off famous characters, such as "Willy the Kid" and "Bart Cassidy."

The core mechanic of the game is the playing of Bang and Missed (or shall I say Mancato!, as the cards are in both Italian and English) cards.  All players sit in a circle and take turns shooting at each other with Bang cards and avoid getting hit, if possible, by playing Missed cards.

One of the more interesting mechanics in the game is how shooting distance is calculated.  Your physical location in the circle of players determines who you can shoot.  The players next to you are 1 away, the next are 2, and so forth.  These distances are altered by playing mounts, scopes, guns, etc.  When a player is knocked out, others become closer and easier to shoot.

One thing that is nice about Bang! is that it is a fairly casual and easy to learn game.  Thinking back on the games I've played, there was always at least one new person in the circle.  Yet, after a single game they are caught up to speed.  This may say something about the lack of depth the game has, which may or may not be true, but the simplicity is what makes it so fun.  Anyone can jump in and compete with the rest, as opposed to just getting destroyed.  And with a game time around 30 minutes (give or take 15) there is always time for two or three rounds.

And, of course, there is always the amusement you will receive by simply "banging" your opponents.  Memorable lines are aplenty, such as, "I'm going to bang you!"  "You have to bang him to death!"  And of course, referencing the Duel card, "You have to bang him, and then he bangs you back, and you keep banging each other until someone can't bang anymore."

When I first discovered this game it was somewhat hard to find, but luckily they have just released the 4th edition, as well as the special Bang: The Bullet collection, so it shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on.  It is also relatively inexpensive (~$15).  If you normally find yourself in a group of 4-7 people who enjoy playing games, you should definitely give Bang! a shot.

Jaybird currently resides in Seattle where he reads comics, works in a library, and writes for this site.  He has also been known to blow your mind, rock your world, and eat pizza.