Teach the Game
A short script for teaching the hidden roles, turn and win conditions.
How you win
“You are hidden-role gunfighters: the Sheriff and Deputies want law to survive, the Outlaws want the Sheriff gone, and the Renegade wants to be the last one standing.” The Sheriff team wins when all Outlaws and the Renegade are eliminated. The Outlaws win if the Sheriff dies unless the Renegade is the only survivor; then the Renegade wins.
The boards
There is no shared board. Each player has a board with a Colt .45 and a place for their character, weapon and bullets. The shared table holds the draw deck, discard pile and, if used, expansion decks or markets.
- Player boards — one per player, for role, character, weapon and bullets.
- Roles — dealt secretly except the Sheriff, who reveals.
- Characters and bullets — face-up powers; bullets track life and hand size.
- Draw deck — the shared playing-card deck.
- Discard pile — face-up cards that leave play.
- Starting hands — deal as many as each player’s starting bullets.
A turn
The Sheriff begins; play goes clockwise. On a turn draw two cards, play any number of legal cards, then discard down to your current bullets. Usually you may play one BANG! card per turn, one weapon in play, and one copy of each named card. Missed! can cancel a shot at you; Beer can restore a life point. See Playing BANG!.
How the game ends
The game ends as soon as one role objective is met. Eliminated players reveal their roles and discard their cards. If the Sheriff eliminates a Deputy, the Sheriff loses all cards in hand and in play. Whoever eliminates an Outlaw draws three cards.
Ways to score
BANG! has no point scoring. The role victory conditions decide the winner.
| Role | What counts as victory |
|---|---|
| Sheriff and Deputies | All Outlaws and the Renegade are eliminated. |
| Outlaws | The Sheriff is eliminated and the Renegade is not alone. |
| Renegade | The Renegade is the only survivor when the Sheriff dies. |
What each resource is for
| Resource | Why it matters | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Bullets | Track health and end-of-turn hand limit. | Lose one for each uncancelled hit; Beer can restore one, up to starting amount. |
| Cards | Attacks, defense, range, healing and disruption. | Draw two at turn start; keep no more than your bullets at turn end. |
| Distance | Limits who can be targeted. | Count living players between seats; weapon range and modifiers determine reach. |
| Roles | Set hidden team and victory goal. | Sheriff reveals; others use actions and table talk to infer sides. |
Teaching tips
- First explain roles and the hidden information, then show the turn sequence.
- Demonstrate that bullets are both health and hand limit.
- Teach the difference between seat distance and weapon range before the first shot.
- Remind players that Beer can save a lethal hit but Saloon cannot.
- Keep the card reference open; the many individual card effects are easier to learn as they appear.