Bang! The Dice Game

24th September 2019

Tuesday night gaming at 'The Sovereigns' in Woking continues.

The second game of the evening was 'Bang! The Dice Game'. A hidden role game driven by push your luck mechanics. Let's see how this goes?

What's in a game?
Bang! The Dice Game comes in a small portable package. Components include:

• Dice: 5 Custom dice used in the game.
• Character cards: Each player will be randomly dealt a character. Each character  has a unique special ability and hit points (Denominated by bullets in this game.).
• Role cards: This wouldn't be a hidden role game if there weren't roles to hide from other players. There are 3 types of role and they are explained below.
• Tokens: Bullet tokens represent life. Arrow tokens have another use that will be explained below.

How's it play?
First there's set up.

• Bullet and arrow tokens are placed to form a supply in the central playing area.
• A role card is randomly dealt to each player face-down. Whoever is the sheriff must reveal their card. All other players keep their role hidden.
• A character card is randomly dealt to each player. These kept face up. Each player collects bullet markers equal to what is shown on their character card.

What are the hidden roles?
There are 3 types of hidden role in the game. The number of each role that appears in a game will depend on the number of players, except there is only ever 1 sheriff.

• Sheriff/deputies (The good.).
• Outlaws (The bad.).
• Renegades (& the ugly.).

Each of the different roles have their own objective.

• Sheriff/deputies: If the outlaws and renegades are defeated, then the sheriff and deputies win.
• Outlaws: If the sheriff is defeated, all the outlaws immediately win.
• Renegades: A little unusual here. A renegade player wins if they are the last one alive, even other renegades must be eliminated. And the outlwas must be defeated before the sheriff, if the sheriff is eliminated before the outlaws, then the outlaws win, not the renegade.

And we're good to go. Playing the game is quite straight forward.

• The active player rolls all 5 dice.
• The active player can choose to re-roll any or all the dice (Except for 'dynamite results - see below.).
• The active player may also choose to have a first re-roll. This may include dice not included in the first re-roll.
• The active player can stop rolling at any time. In which case the dice results are dealt with.

Dice and their meanings
So we now know what we do with the dice. But what do they mean. The 5 custom dice all have the same symbols on their faces instead of numbers.

• Dynamite: Dynamite is the only die that cannot be re-rolled, if a player accumulates 3 or more of them. BOOM! Their turn is immediately over!
• Arrow: The active play takes an arrow token from the supply and puts in on their character card. This die may be re rolled. But if the die is re-rolled, the active player still keeps the arrow they took.
• '1': With this result, the active player can do 1 point of damage to an adjacent player.
• '2': This is like the result above, but with a longer range. This result allows the active player to do a point of damage to a player 2 seats to the left or right.
• Beer: This result allows the active player to heal a point of damage either to themselves or any other player.
• Gatling gun: A single result has no effect, but if the active player has 3 of them, then they do a point of damage to all other players!

But what about the arrows?
There are 9 arrow tokens in the supply, when the last arrow has been taken by a player; then Indians Attack!
When this happens, characters immediately take damage equal to the number of arrows in their personal area. Then all the arrows are returned to the central area.

Overall
Bang! The Dice Game is a little unusual for a hidden role game. There is very little need for questioning amongst players. As is the fact that one role is revealed to all players, putting a big target on the sheriff player's back! The deputy players and possibly renegade players will need to protect the sheriff.

That's not the sheriff's only problem, the sheriff needs to figure out who is an ally and who is an enemy and not attack their deputies.
Deputies need to identify other deputies if possible (If there are other deputies). But their 2 main objectives are protect the sheriff and attack anyone attacking the sheriff.

Outlaws have it easy really, they can concentrate on attacking the sheriff. Outlaws can try a protect other outlaws, but well they're outlaws!

Renegades are in a tricky position, they want to get rid of the sheriff, but need to eliminate outlaws first.

Bang! The Dice Game is a 'lighter' hidden role game and is quick to learn and play. It serves well as a filler game.