25 OUTLAWS

Howdy! Welcome to 25 Outlaws, a rip-roaring Western game that’s just perfect for cunning strategists like you. In this game, you’ll gather a crew of outlaws who’ll be your trusty sidekicks throughout the wild escapades that await you. Be warned, though – the name of the game is robbery! Your outlaws will be out there, trying to swipe everyone else’s hard-earned loot. But be careful, partner – if you lose all your money and outlaws, you’ll be eliminated from the game. So keep your gang alive, your pockets full, and let the adventure begin!

SETUP

To start off, you and your fellow players will each pick your own gang of outlaws. You get to choose five outlaws who’ll join your crew. Once you’ve assembled your team, carefully shuffle them up. Two of these outlaws will have to be set aside and placed back in the game box. Now, here’s where things get interesting – while you can peek at your own outlaws, you must keep their identities a secret from the other players. It adds to the thrill, doesn’t it?

So here’s the deal: we’ve got ourselves a row of outlaws, lined up right in front of their players. Each outlaw starts off with 5 ten-dollar chips and 1 fifty-dollar chip. These gang members are gonna take turns playing some poker hands. We’ve got a special bank card that sits right in the middle of the table, creating our very own bank space. Before we begin, each player shuffles the three decks separately and puts them face down on the table.

Alright, folks, it’s game time!

Time to Play!

Each round is split into four parts: poker, buying reward cards, holdups, and drawing wanted cards. First up, we kick things off with a round of good ol’ Old West 3-Card Poker.

First things first, I’m going to pick the outlaw I want to use for this round. Once that’s done, we all have to chip in $10 as an entry fee – no sitting out allowed. Next, the dealer will hand out two cards to each player from a shuffled deck. One of those cards will be the one we use to complete our hand. Just your standard poker cards for this first round.

Once the poker round is over, we can buy a reward card to give one of our outlaws an advantage. Any outlaw can buy one, but only one at a time. It’ll cost $30 from the bank. You can play the reward card whenever you want, but you can’t transfer it to a different outlaw.

When I’m in the holdup phase, I can decide to rob another outlaw using a holdup. I can choose any of my outlaws to hold up any of my opponent’s outlaws by declaring the attack. If my opponent wants to fight back, our outlaws will have a duel. But if they decide to cower, they have to give half of their outlaw’s money to the winner. We can only have one holdup per round. If I pass on the opportunity, the round ends and a new one begins. It’s a risky move because if I hold someone up, that outlaw becomes wanted and has to draw a wanted card, which they must place face up next to them.

Once all the holdups are resolved, the round ends. The dealer’s role passes to the next player, moving counterclockwise. Anyone who doesn’t have $100 or any outlaws left is out of the game. This cycle continues until only one player remains.

Time to Duel

During a holdup, duels happen between two outlaws. Both outlaws reveal their cards, which show their quick draw speeds. The outlaw with the higher number is the faster one. That outlaw’s card stays face-up for the rest of the game.

Each player, including any dueling Sheriffs, rolls a die. The number rolled is added to the quick draw number on the outlaw’s card. This determines their reward points. The player with the highest total wins the duel.

The End Is Nigh

When there’s only one player left with at least one outlaw and $100, the game is over. Even if it isn’t their turn, the round stops immediately. The player who still has an outlaw and money is declared the winner.