Cotemporary games focused on the old west are few and far between, but when one can be had I certainly like to give it a look. Deadwood is a fairly simple set-up to go with a fun looking board. Released in 2011, the object is to have the most money by the end of the game, which comes about once the train reaches town. Each player has a ranch and cowboys, and has to choose how to use them in order to come out ahead in the end.
A lot of the fun of this game is the progression of growth as you try to get ahead. Both the town and the rail line are growing, and this effects how you play. You build the town by placing buildings which each have different attributes, and through out the game you’ll have to decide to either leave your cowboys in a building and gain it’s special advantage, or return them to the ranch where they can be utilized as a resource for your next turn.
This is a great game, and a lot of fun comes in the box, so I really recommend getting it for you and your family or friends, whoever you play with. But now let me warn you of some pretty common silliness: the point of the game is to build the town of Deadwood before the train arrives, all set in a classic western desert setting. Obviously Deadwood wasn’t in the desert, not anywhere near it, nor was the train on it’s way at the time the town was being built up. And probably most of all, Deadwood was a gold mining town, not a cattle town. All of this is purely academic when it comes to sitting down and enjoying some table-top fun, but for any novice student of the old west, these things will probably stand out.
That said, it’s a great game, and these aesthetic discrepancies shouldn’t stop anyone from indulging the good times contained herein. It’s currently only twelve dollars on Amazon for a new copy, so it’s even a great price!
Handy With A Gun...! 