Bang! The Dice Game
Overview
Each player, as either a Sheriff, Renegade, Deputy or Outlaw, must meet their own specific goal: The Sheriff has to eliminate the baddies, and the baddies have to… well you get the idea. Each player also has a character that gives them a specific special ability as well as a life total counted in bullet tokens. Roll dice, read the results and try not to get eliminated by other players or the attack of the (ahem) Native Americans. Last person standing wins…cowpoke.
Gameplay
Each Player is dealt a role; Sheriff, Renegade, Outlaw or Deputy. The Sheriff immediately reveals him or herself. The players are then given their specific character and take a number of bullets as shown on their character card. The Sheriff takes the dice and starts the game.
On a turn players each roll the dice and keep or re-roll any of the results. Players can roll three times total. However, any dice rolled on the third try must be kept. Then you just read the results… like this:
- Bull’s-eye: With numerals one or two in them, they allow you to shoot the player one or two spaces to your left or right. Bang! They lose a life point (Bullet token). Bang, Bang!
- Beer: Choose a player and they gain one life point (Bullet token). Yup, you can choose yourself. Glug Glug Glug… Ahhh.
- Gatling: Roll three or more Gatling symbols and all other players lose 1 Life point and you get to discard all your arrows! Dacka dacka dacka dacka!
- Dynamite: Dynamite bad! If you end up with three of these, your turns ends and you lose one Life point. Sssssssssssssss….. BOOM!
- Arrow: This result is always resolved immediately (That means right now!). Take an Arrow token and place it in front of you. If the last Arrow token is taken, (there are 9) then the Native Americans attack and each player loses one life point for every Arrow they have in front of them. Yikes!
Players continue to take turns, and if a player’s life points reach 0, they are pushin’ up daisies. You get to observe the rest of the players having a great time as your ghostly spirit observes the game and hopes that your fellow Outlaws or Deputies win for you. If that player was the Sheriff, the Renegades and Outlaws win! If all the Outlaws and Renegades are eliminated, the Sheriff and any Deputies win.
Fun and mayhem in the old West!
Who would enjoy this game?
Final Thoughts
Dice rolling! Hidden identities! Character abilities! Bang! The Dice Game has so many appealing qualities, you should just go ahead and git yer mits on a copy!
The best part of the game (as with the original) is the 16 different characters and their abilities. Like Paul Regret who never loses life points to the Gatling Gun. Or Rose Doolan who can use the bulls-eye results to shoot at one person further. And Lucky Duke who gets an extra re-roll.
The game moves fast and is simplified from its predecessor in that when shot at… you are shot. No defense. Also no cool weapons like the Remington or the Blunderbuss. But on the positive side, there are less confusing icons to remember! (Quote from playing the card game: “Let’s see I have a hat, a book and two cards on my card.”) Player elimination still stinks, BUT at least you don’t have to wait as long to play again.
The ever impending Native American attack is a good tension builder. As is the use of the Dynamite. The card game (with some expansions) is still great for the more hard core hobby Bang! gamers, but with Bang! The Dice Game you can teach it in minutes, play fast, reload and play again.
User Reviews (14)
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While this isn’t my favorite board game, it is the game that has landed on our game table more than any other. This game scratches an itch with my gaming group and no matter what game we play as our main event, Bang inevitably ends the evening. This is a game that can be set up quickly, and the game itself goes pretty fast.
What I liked
1. Dice chucking fun: I never played the card version of this game, so I can’t compare it, but the act of rolling dice, Yatzee-style is great fun. The dice are good quality and the images are easily discernible. With this game, my group has taken to trying to change up their dice rolling styles in the hopes of impressing the dice gods of luck.
2. Interaction between players: I like the game where everyone is engaged – even when it isn’t their turn. You never know what will happen with the dice roll, and everyone is waiting to see if they will be hit – or maybe helped. Even when a player has been eliminated, they tend to stick around to see the results – and cheer or jeer those still in the game.
3. Special character abilities: With this game, you get a character who has a special ability. Some of these abilities are very powerful and others are kind of pathetic, but I find that by taking on a character with a unique ability, everyone seems to get into the game a bit more and each person’s roll varies – even if everyone were to get the same results.
What I didn’t like
1. Are you feeling lucky? – Dice rolls can go poorly for a particular player who may lose interest in the game as it goes on. In our gaming group, there is a guy who is always killed first – and sometimes by the second round. So, if you tend to roll cursed dice, you could easily (and understandably) grow to hate this game.
2. To blave means to bluff – Don’t get me wrong, bluffing games are a staple in gaming – and my group loves them. And I enjoy them too, but… I am just really bad at bluffing. Any traitor game or bluffing game there is – I will hope and cross my fingers that I score a loyalist card. In this game, I want to be the Sheriff or at least the Deputy. If that doesn’t happen, I’ve got to try to pretend to be a good guy and I keep shooting the sheriff by mistake – a deception my group will quickly see through. So this isn’t a problem with the game, but my own inability to keep a poker face.
Final Verdict
I love this game when I am the sheriff, when the dice are in my favor, and when my special ability is on par with a super power. When the dice keep blowing me up, my special ability isn’t so special, and when I’m an outlaw trying to convince everyone I”m the deputy, well, I’m still having a pretty good time and looking forward to playing it again next week!
Overview
Bang! the card game has been around for over a decade now. The Dice game is a new foray into its western theme. It plays up to 8 people in around 15-20 min.
Gameplay
Players take on the roll of Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw, Renegade.
-The Outlaws want to kill the Sheriff
-The Sheriff wants the Outlaws and Renegade Dead.
-The Renegade wants to be the last man standing.
The number of Deputies, Outlaws and Renegades varies by the number of players.
Each Player is given a character card. Each with its own life total and special ability.
Players roll five dice choosing to keep certain results. They can roll up to 3 times (similar to King of Tokyo).
-A player must keep any dynamite rolled.
-They must take an arrow from the pile if it is rolled
-Beer can be used to give life to any player of your choosing
-range 1 and 2 shots. Must be used to only target people at that range. So a range 2 must be someone two spaces from you unless you are on the final 3 people.
-3 Dynamites deals you one damage
-3 Gatling (bullet holes)does 1 damage to everyone but you.
Once the last arrow is taken, everyone who has arrows, takes damage equal to the number they have.
It plays fast with just enough of a push your luck element.
Components
They are quite nice. The dice are indented so the symbols won’t wear off and high enough quality that they will last a pretty long time of use and abuse.
The Cards and tokens are of medium-high quality and should last as long as they are not abused.
Pros
-Plays quickly up to 20 min. with a group of 8 that I played it with.
-Really good quality components.
-Accommodates up to 8 Players.
-Great filler game for leading up to or winding down from your big game of the night.
-Quick Turn over for a player elimination game, so they are not out of a game for very long.
-Can be used as a party game with how quick it is and simple to learn.
Cons
-Not a game you would use as the main one for a gaming day/night
-Lacks the upgrades from the card game. No impressive I just got a Winchester rifle and a hideout.
Conclusion/Thoughts
Bang! the card game has suffered from expansion bloat and can end up taking a long time to wrap up. This is a nice quick game and you can get several in. The Dice Game is going to replace the card game for when we want to play Bang! I highly recommend this version.
For those who have played BANG!, then you know how most of it works. Someone plays as the Sheriff, while others play as the Deputy, Outlaws, or Renegade, but you only know who the Sheriff is. The other roles are a secret. Each role has a different goal. The Sheriff and his Deputies must kill all the Outlaws, who need to kill the lawmen. The Renegade needs to be the last man standing by helping to eliminate the Outlaws and then the lawmen.
Each player is given a character card which has a special ability, like getting an extra health for Beers, or using the Gatling Gun with only 2 symbols. These also determine what your starting and maximum life total are.
The dice have 6 different symbols on them. Dynamite, which can’t be re-rolled. Arrows, which makes you immediately take an arrow from the pile. Beer, which will heal you. A target with 1 or 2 inside, which allows you to damage someone either 1 or 2 spots away. Three Gunshot, which lets you damage everyone if you roll a set of three. Aside from Dynamite and Arrows, everything resolves at end of turn.
On your turn, you roll all your dice. You have two more rolls of any number of dice you want. Once all your rolls are over, you resolve the results.
If you take the last arrow from the pile, then the Indians attack! Everyone takes a damage for each arrow they have. If you end up with 3 Dynamites, your turn is over, take a damage, and resolve any results you have.
The game overall is a bunch of fun and fast moving. Even in the larger 7 player games I haven’t noticed any of my players getting bored while waiting for their turn to roll. Everyone is invested what the others are doing, and trying to determine who is what role.
The components are of good quality too. The dice are larger and very solid. The bullets for life totals and arrows are made from a nice and thick cardboard. The character and role cards feel great, and I’m not worried about them getting messed up too easily.
This game is a fantastic, more portable option to BANG! The Card Game. My set of BANG! is quite large now with all the expansions out, but BANG! Dice is all snug in a nice little box. This game will be used for all my BANG! games except for my more hardcore crowd of players.
I’m always on the lookout for games that can be enjoyed by gamers and nongamers alike. While I do love games with more strategic depth, there is something to be said for a game that can be taught in less than 5 minutes, requires almost no set-up, and can be enjoyed by nearly everyone. After watching some very positive reviews on Bang the Dice Game, I decided that the small investment on this game would be worth a try. What did I find out?
GAMEPLAY
Anyone who has played the original card game from which this game is derived can speak to the fun of reliving gunbattles of the wild west, facing attacks from angry indians, and risking the explosion of dynamite while trying to accomplish their objective. While the original card game can be fun, it can also be encumbered by the many cards introduced by the expansions causing the game to drag out into a lengthy playing session. Fortunately, Bang the Dice game has corrected this potetntial problem.
Players are assigned roles like in the original including the Sheriff, his Deputy, the Outlaws, and the nefarious Renegade. In addition to this, aysemtrical character cards are assigned that afford special unique abilities to each player. Replacing the cards is a set of 5 dice that take care of the players actions. Players role the dice in turn utilizing a Yahtzee style mechanic, 2 rerolls are permitted and players resolve the actions indicated on the dice. These actions include shooting 2 ranges of other players, arrows (representing indian attacks), beer (for replenishing wounds), and the problematic dynamite.
Gameplay is very fast and engaging, players are never left in a situation of AP, and the game flows very smoothly. Even 8 player games can be wrapped up in under 15 minutes.
COMPONENTS
The game comes complete with role cards, character cards, life markers (represented by bullets), arrow tokens, and 5 dice. The artwork on the cards is simple but attractive. The card stock chits are nicely prineted on quality thich card stock. Best of all are the integral part of the game, the dice. The dice are large, deeply embossed, and silk screened/painted with bright colour. The graphics on the dice can be easily seen by anyone at the table thanks to the wonderful size of the graphics and dice. They are substantially weighted as far as dice are concerned and roll beautifully. For the relatively low cost of this game, the component quality is very good.
The instructions that are included in the game are clearly articulated on a single sheet of paper and also include more detailed instructions of character roles, an alternative 3 player set-up , and character ability distinction.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
Bang the Dice Game should be an obvious choice as a party or family game. As indicated above, the game plays very quickly and players are continuously engaged thanks to the very short player turns. Gameplay is very interactive as players try and flush out hidden roles and attack other players. I would recommend this game to anyone and would chose this game over the original Bang everytime.
I have never played the original bang but I read a lot about how this is the simplified version of itself and I’m actually glad that I played this one first just to try it out with people who have never played it.
I had a group of 8 players and while some might think that it is a large group, it played out really well and actually quite fast paced. While it is a dice rolling game, I feel that the ability to re-roll as well as adding in the deduction aspect of the game and a some decision making really makes this the type of game that you would want to play at a party. There is a bit of thinking involved but you are not staring at your cards trying to figure out what you need to to do next. The dice really help make the decisions for you.
What I love most about this game is the replay factor. Every time you play this game, it will always be different mainly because you are trying to deduct who is who by analyzing what their actions were. Also the specific characters roles can really change the game a lot.
I also love how they kept this game simple to dice, health points, arrows and character cards. That’s all you need and it is a game that has just the right amount of components to make for a very dynamic and fun gameplay experience.
I highly recommend this game because you will be playing it again and again and again especially with large groups. I wouldn’t play it with a group of less than 6 players because 6 to 8 players really keeps things interesting.
Played this game the other night with a group of friends. Game is not too complex and easy to learn. I enjoy the bluffing factor, not knowing who is an outlaw, etc at the beginning.
It took about 3-4 mins to learn, and only 30-45 mins to complete the first game. We’d played it 5 times total.
Due to the elements needed for the game, it easy to take to someone’s house for a party or restaurant.
Because luck plays a big part of it, even people new to gaming have a good chance of winning.
I enjoyed playing it so much, that I ordered the game online the very next game. Over all, this game just plain fun!
I actually like the card based game. My in-laws always want to play it when we get together for the Hollidays. This Thanksgiving we played the card game three times, than I brought out the dice game. We then were able to play about ten games in a row.
The dice game is just so much quicker, in setup and play. We didn’t have to access the rules as much as the card game version.
I think its a really good pick to get new players into gaming. Young and old alike have a great time with this game. Easy to learn for all ages. Played with my son, 11 and an aunt 75, and all ages in between.
While i’m not a huge fan of bluffing / lying games (Coup for example) Bang the dice game is one of my favorites party game that goes well with gamers and casual gamers alike ! Rules are very simple, games don’t take more than 15 minutes but with a good crowd you’ll be craving to play again.
Only minor downside is that you need at least 5 people for it to make sense. (Doesn’t work well with 4 imho)
One of my best “Bang for your buck” (Pun intended) games !
I played the card game before playing this one. If you haven’t played the card game then try this before trying the card game cause it’s so much easier to learn how to play. If you’ve played the card game but never played the dice game then you need to try this version as it’s more fun, easier to follow and faster. I really had no clue what I was doing when i played the card game and I was the renegade which is the most difficult role to play. In this version I was an outlaw and could follow the game so much easier as i wasn’t trying to figure out my cards but following what people were doing and then reacting to the dice I rolled. A good game that is easy to learn and get the juices following before you get into heavier games later in the evening.
If you like the card game you may like this version of the game. Everything you need to know about the game is in the description above. In the above description they mention that there are less icons to remember. This translates as a much faster game than the card game especially for larger numbers of players. There is less player interaction except on your turn so it is easier to eliminate other players and harder to save them. It is easy to teach and as Isaid quick so if you need a light, but fun filler game this is it.
General:
Bang is a fast social, role playing game (such as Resistance, Mafia, Coup,…) but Bang The Dice Game is even faster.
Number of players:
This game is designed for 3 to 8 players but actual game play starts at 5.
Components:
Cards:
there are 2 types of card in the game. The combination of 2 of these cards will make your role. One of these cards is what other people knows about you and define your abilities to shoot and survive(Character Cards), the other one is what lies beneath and what your goal is (Role Cards) except for Sheriff which have to reveal his/her identity. Thus lots of different combination will be occurred.
Dice:
You have 3 re roll for these 5 Bang dices each turn, and the result shows actions you can take, and possible penalties you have to suffer. The character cards may affect these results or number of re rolls.
Misc:
Arrow Tokens: each time you roll an arrow on the dice as penalty you have to pick an arrow that reduce your health later; if you couldn’t get rid of them.
Life Tokens: as you run out of these tokens, you are dead.
Conclusion:
Bang the Dice Game is a Small, fast, fun, filler game for 5 to 8 players. however you can play it with 3 or 4 players too, but she shoot me down with more than 5 players Bang Bang!
You can story tell during the game, it will make the game more interesting.
This game is currently my playgroup’s very favorite. It has so many juicy elements that add intrigue and re-playability to the game. The randomness of dice rolling and push your luck elements add a ton of excitement to the game. Bang!: The Dice Game also allows for deduction, bluffing, and has differentiated roles that add an extra element. Another plus is the quick game play. Most games last only 20ish minutes, even with 8 players. In addition, even if you are eliminated, most roles (excluding the renegade) have win conditions that can still be achieved post mortem, and you have people to root for even though you are done rolling.
The only downsides to the game that I have experienced are the unbalanced roles. Some roles are really lame (dodging gattling gun hits), while some seem overpowered (making players take an arrow every time they shoot you).
I purchased this game as a quick warmup or filler on family game nights. I read reviews and got excited about how fast the game was and how simple to teach and play.
When it arrived our family of 3 opened it immediately and played about 5 games the first night. With just 3 players the game lacks any real strategy, the sheriff has to kill the renegade, the renegade kills the outlaw and the outlaw kills the sheriff. If you kill your targeted person you win, if not then it is a dual of the final two players to the death. In our first 5 games, which lasted an average of 3 rounds each we just did as much damage as possible to the person we’re trying to kill. It was fun to roll the dice but the gattling gun didn’t play a role and if it was quick enough arrows didn’t come into play. Typically healing wasn’t the major focus so it came down to rolling a ‘1’ or ‘2’ and dishing out damage. Hardly a challenge.
With that said we still enjoyed the time we played because of one fun element, the character cards and the unique abilities they had. That is the saving grace of 3 player games, hoping to get a character with an ability that will save you, like turning damage into arrows or being able to roll a 4th time.
I hope that playing the game with 5-8 people will open up the fun and strategy a bit more. The other reviews here seem to say just that. So I will not tell you to pass this one over, instead just be warned that 3 players is a bit cut and dry.
First time playing this after playing Samurai Sword. Previously this one was avoided since players do not come back once killed. This time it was played as a time filler (agree with previous review – this game isn’t going to take center stage at a game night. But it is fun! The game is short enough that eliminated players aren’t going to be sitting out for long, and likely will be interested in seeing how it plays out anyway. And it felt like you were making more progress since eliminated players did not come back. This and the dice elements made me like this game even more than Samurai Sword.