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Good American Western Themed Boardgames: Suggestions
Wade
United States
Pueblo
Colorado
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After visiting a fellow gamers basement yesterday who has over 500 games many of them old German games never released in the US I got to thinking about good American Western Themed games (she had a number of obscure Western games). I'm designing a card driven euro hybrid from 1900-1940 but I have some other good ideas for a pure western area development game. It seems most games just focus on cowboys and gunfights, but are there any games that focus on a broader development of the region? Any suggestions (Besides Bang! like card games).

It seems like a perfect period for a good epic or regular euro game (trains, industry, mining, settlers, natives etc)
Anyway,
Thanks!
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Posted Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:49 pm
1. Board Game: Colorado County [Average Rating:6.23 Overall Rank:2418]
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Wade
United States
Pueblo
Colorado
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 I had never seen this one last night and although it looked good
The BGG reviews are poor:(
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Edited Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:48 pm
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2. Board Game: Pony Express [Average Rating:5.24 Overall Rank:5010]
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Wade
United States
Pueblo
Colorado
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 This was also unopened (2 copies) but the reviews for this are even worse:(
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3. Board Game: Way Out West [Average Rating:6.21 Overall Rank:1446]
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Brad Miller
United States
Seattle
Washington
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 It's got some fairly glaring flaws, but it's pretty fun nonetheless. Does have gunfights, but it's more of an economic/area control game than a shoot em up. But you can use your cowboys to fight other players' cowboys, kill them, or take over their buildings.
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4. Board Game: Cowboys: The Way of the Gun [Average Rating:6.26 Overall Rank:1683]
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Richard Irving
United States
Salinas
California
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 I have heard pretty good things about this new gunfighting game--But I haven't played it yet. Kind of SImplified version of AH's Gunslinger.
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Matt Burchfield
United States
Virginia Beach
Virginia
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Eh..it's a lot different than Gunslinger, purposefully so.

Sorry to nitpick, it's just that the Gunslinger-Lite misnomer was started by some folks (not us) before the game was released and has lead to some misplaced perceptions of intent.

I do consider it the best old west boardgame out there though :cool: Biased as I may be.
5. Board Game: Bang! [Average Rating:6.83 Overall Rank:328]
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Richard Irving
United States
Salinas
California
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 Obvious choice.
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6. Board Game: Silverton [Average Rating:7.07 Overall Rank:454]
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Bill
United States
Sayville
New York
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 Old West train/mining game set in 19th century Nevada. Definitely worth a look if you're into non-gunfighting Western games. I've only played the the "short" game (which ran fairly long by Euro standards as it was).
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Iain K
United States
Lakewood
Colorado
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Correction, this game is set in Colorado, New Mexico, and Eastern Utah during the late 1800's Silver boom.

This is an excellent game if you're interested in Ghost towns, railroading and mining history. It has one of the best economic engines of *any* game I have ever played.

And personally, I love the mining claims.

Played with our "auctioning claims" variant, this is an excellent game.

It could be argued that this is the only game on this list that is even remotely based upon the actual history of the Western United States.

Read my comments on the game's page for more details.
Edited Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:44 pm
Rick Vinyard
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Las Cruces
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citizen k wrote:

This is an excellent game if you're interested in Ghost towns, railroading and mining history. It has one of the best economic engines of *any* game I have ever played.

And personally, I love the mining claims.

Played with our "auctioning claims" variant, this is an excellent game.

It could be argued that this is the only game on this list that is even remotely based upon the actual history of the Western United States.


I'll second each and every one of those comments. As a game, it plays very well. This is one of those games that seems to pull you into it rather than feeling like it has a pasted on theme.
7. Board Game: Boomtown [Average Rating:6.68 Overall Rank:524]
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Bill
United States
Sayville
New York
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 Very light mining game with a fairly well implemented (yet ultimately still pasted-on) Western theme.
8. Board Game: Thunderin' Guns [Average Rating:5.61 Unranked]
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Dave VanderArk
United States
Grand Rapids
Michigan
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 Looks to be sort of a cross between a RPG and a boardgame. I have a copy but have not yet played it.
9. Board Game: Dry Gulch [Average Rating:5.50 Overall Rank:4471]
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Dave VanderArk
United States
Grand Rapids
Michigan
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 This one sounds interesting to me, but I have not broken down and bought it yet.
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10. Board Game: Wyatt Earp [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:291]
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Marc K
United States
Unspecified
Washington
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 Almost got to play this earlier this year, but the owner hasn't brought it back to the table yet. It sounded like it played a bit like rummy, though.
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Jeff Coon
United States
Plano
Texas
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If you're looking for Western theme, keep looking. The theme is tacked on, similar to the Mystery Rummy games. You collect sets of outlaws, and gain points equal to reward money that goes on the outlaws. The theme has little to do with the gameplay.

(However, if you like rummy games, it is a good game!)
11. Board Game: The Cattlemen [Average Rating:3.47 Unranked]
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Marc K
United States
Unspecified
Washington
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 Here's a game which looks to fit your "no guns, land grab" theme request. No clue how it plays. :D
Dave VanderArk
United States
Grand Rapids
Michigan
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That "3" rating is well deserved. This one is pretty dreadful.
12. Board Game: Lawless [Average Rating:6.10 Overall Rank:2059]
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Race for the Galaxy!!!
United Kingdom
Reading
Berkshire
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 Deals with Ranching, but if you still need a little violence it does have Hired Guns, Cowboys, Undertakers, the Sherrif, a Crooked Mayor and Saloon Girls - amongst many other very thematic events!
13. Board Game: Go West [Average Rating:5.92 Overall Rank:2325]
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Tomello Visello
United States
Reston
Virginia
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 I only know what I read here, but this looks like development rather than gunfights.
14. Board Game: Manifest Destiny [Average Rating:6.72 Overall Rank:829]
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Don Weed
United States
Ferndale
Washington
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 Can't get anymore 'western expansion and development' than this.
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Charles Féaux de la Croix
Germany
Berlin
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It sure can. This train-wreck design has one of the worst implemented themes I've ever encountered, as far as I'm concerned.
15. Board Game: Geronimo [Average Rating:5.45 Overall Rank:4461]
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Don Weed
United States
Ferndale
Washington
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 A lot more resource oriented than you would first think. Has a key development theme.
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16. Board Game: Apache [Average Rating:4.58 Unranked]
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Don Weed
United States
Ferndale
Washington
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 One side (the white man) must develop the countryside with railroads and towns. The other tries to impede the development.
Les Haskell
United States
Old Hickory
Tennessee
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Isn't that Burt Lancaster?
17. Board Game: Anasazi [Average Rating:5.08 Overall Rank:5409]
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Dea Draper
United States
Boise
Idaho
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 Haven't played this one, but it is on my want list. The goal is to have successful expeditions finding Anasazi settlements and score points for treasures.
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Edited Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:09 am
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18. Board Game: Spectral Rails [Average Rating:7.00 Unranked]
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Dea Draper
United States
Boise
Idaho
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 This is a pre-order right now, but is also on my want list. Has to do with ghost riders in the Southwest.
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19. Board Game: Old Town [Average Rating:6.50 Overall Rank:1264]
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Ray
United States
Carpentersville
Illinois
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 Exploring a deserted Western town in Old Town (2000)
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20. Board Game: Oregon [Average Rating:6.81 Overall Rank:438]
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Nathanael Straight
United States

Louisiana
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 This new game looks pretty good and has the western theme.
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21. Board Game: Pony Express [Average Rating:7.07 Overall Rank:2613]
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Philippe Nouhra
France

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 A race game with poker dice used to take actions and shoot at other players. :)
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7 comments [Hide]
Richard Irving
United States
Salinas
California
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Quote:
have some other good ideas for a pure western area development game. It seems most games just focus on cowboys and gunfights, but are there any games that focus on a broader development of the region?


See any good western movies that didn't have gunfights and cowboys?
Didn't think so.

Homesteading the farm was BORING work.

Actually there one idea for an area control game with a Western theme mioght work. Oklahoma, March 2, 1889.
Dave Serrette
United States
Lafayette
Louisiana
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I love Western movies, and I've been looking for some good Western themed games for a while. Some of these seem very good.

Something that would be interesting to see would be a game more akin to Spaghetti Westerns. Could you imagine a The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly style board game? Or better yet, a Django board game? I think I would need a few beers to get through an El Topo board game though.
Crusher Crancko
Spain
Granollers
Barcelona
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Add also Lost Valley to this list.
Rick Vinyard
United States
Las Cruces
New Mexico
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denverarch wrote:
It can have cowboys and gunfights, what game wouldnt, but I was looking for perhaps a little deeper strategic "grander" game. Thamks for the suggestions...


Silverton
Tony Ackroyd
United Kingdom
Brighton
E Sussex
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Calling all fans of Westerns (films). We need some more ratings in this thread:

Best Western Films: Initial Brackets Thread

It seems there aren't many Western fans on BGG.
So far only 25 users have answered the poll. There are still 55 films that no-one has rated at all and most of the other films have very few ratings.
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