BANG! Card Game Rules (2026 Guide)

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BANG! card game rules (2026) — a Wild West hidden-role game for 4–7 players. The Sheriff plays face-up, everyone else hides a role, and the cards you play decide who gets shot. This guide covers what’s in the box, role setup, a full turn, distance, the key cards, and how each side wins.

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What comes in the box

The base game has 7 role cards (1 Sheriff, 2 Deputies, 3 Outlaws, 1 Renegade), 16 character cards, 80 playing cards, 7 summary cards, 7 player boards, 30 bullet tokens, and the rulebook. Bullets track life points.

Roles and how each side wins

• Sheriff: plays face-up. Wins with the Deputies when every Outlaw and the Renegade is dead.
• Deputies: secret. Protect the Sheriff and win with them.
• Outlaws: secret. Win as a team the moment the Sheriff dies.
• Renegade: secret. Wants to be the last one standing, which means killing the Sheriff last, after everyone else.

Roles by player count:

• 4 players: Sheriff, Renegade, 2 Outlaws
• 5 players: Sheriff, Renegade, 2 Outlaws, 1 Deputy
• 6 players: Sheriff, Renegade, 3 Outlaws, 1 Deputy
• 7 players: Sheriff, Renegade, 3 Outlaws, 2 Deputies

Setup

1. Shuffle the right roles for your player count and deal one to each player face-down. The Sheriff flips theirs face-up.
2. Deal each player a character. Each character shows a special ability and a number of bullets (3 or 4). The Sheriff gets one extra bullet.
3. Take bullet tokens equal to your life points.
4. Shuffle the playing cards and deal each player cards equal to their life points.
5. The Sheriff takes the first turn. Play goes clockwise.

A turn in three phases

1. Draw two cards.
2. Play as many cards as you like, with one big limit: only one BANG! card per turn (unless a card or character says otherwise).
3. Discard down to your current life points. Your hand limit is the number of bullets you have left.

Distance and range

Distance is the number of seats between you and another player, counting the shorter way around the table. Eliminated players don’t count, so the table shrinks as people die. You can only BANG! a player whose distance is within your weapon’s range.

• Everyone starts with the Colt .45: range 1.
• Weapons replace each other: Volcanic (range 1, but unlimited BANG! cards), Schofield (2), Remington (3), Rev. Carabine (4), Winchester (5).
• A Mustang in front of you makes you one step farther away for everyone else.
• A Scope makes everyone else one step closer for you.

The cards you’ll use most

• BANG! — shoot a player in range. They lose one bullet unless they play a Missed!.
• Missed! — cancels a shot aimed at you.
• Beer — gain one bullet back. It doesn’t work when only two players are left. You can also play it out of turn to save yourself from your last bullet.
• Saloon — everyone gains one bullet.
• Gatling — a BANG! at every other player.
• Indians! — everyone else discards a BANG! or loses a bullet.
• Duel — you and a target take turns discarding BANG! cards; the first who can’t loses a bullet.
• Panic! — take a card from a player at distance 1. Cat Balou — make any player discard a card.
• Stagecoach / Wells Fargo — draw 2 / draw 3 cards.
• Barrel, Jail, Dynamite — blue cards that stay in play. Each uses a “draw!” check: flip the top card and look at its suit. Barrel dodges a shot on a heart. Jail skips your turn unless you flip a heart (the Sheriff can’t be jailed). Dynamite passes left each turn and explodes for 3 damage on a 2–9 of spades.

When a player dies

A player who loses their last bullet reveals their role and drops out. Anyone who kills an Outlaw draws three cards as a reward. If the Sheriff kills a Deputy, the Sheriff discards every card in hand and in play, so shoot carefully.

Strategy tips

• As Sheriff, watch who shoots at you, not what they say.
• Deputies should act like Deputies early. A Sheriff who can’t tell friends from enemies loses.
• Outlaws win together, so spread damage onto the Sheriff instead of chasing everyone.
• The Renegade should help the Sheriff early, then turn at the end.
• Save Missed! and Beer for the turns when you’re the obvious target.

FAQ

How many players do you need for BANG!?

Four to seven with the base game. It is best at five to seven, when there are Deputies in play.

Can you play more than one BANG! per turn?

Not normally. The Volcanic and some characters break that rule.

How long does a game take?

Usually 30–40 minutes, longer with new players.

Is there a two-player version?

BANG! The Duel is a separate two-player game. The base game needs at least four.