BANG! rules: how to play and how to win
Reviewed on 10 October 2026 against the publisher’s rulebook. How we check
BANG! plays 4 to 7 players: a Wild West shootout where everyone has a secret role, except the Sheriff. There are no points: one side wins. Here are the essential rules, setup and win conditions, based on the official rulebook.
- Players
- 4 to 7
- Play time
- About 40 minutes
- Winner
- One side: the Sheriff and Deputies, the Outlaws or the Renegade
BANG! quick rules
- The goal
- Every player has a secret role. The Sheriff, known to all, must eliminate all the Outlaws and the Renegade, helped by Deputies nobody can identify. The Outlaws want to kill the Sheriff. The Renegade wants to be the last one alive, with the Sheriff last.
- Life points
- Your bullets are your life points: the number is printed on your Character card, and the Sheriff gets one more. It’s also the maximum number of cards you keep in hand at the end of your turn. When you lose your last bullet, you’re eliminated, unless you play a Beer right away.
- A turn
- The Sheriff starts, then play goes clockwise. Draw two cards, then play as many cards as you like: only one Bang card per turn, never two cards with the same name in front of you, only one weapon in play. Finally, discard so you don’t hold more cards than bullets.
- Shooting someone
- Play a Bang card on a player within range. The distance is the number of seats between you, going the shortest way; with the starting Colt, you only hit your direct neighbors. A more powerful weapon extends your range, and the Mustang or Scope change the distance you see. The target can play a Missed, even when it’s not their turn; otherwise, they lose a bullet.
- Cards in play
- Brown-bordered cards are played, then discarded. Blue-bordered cards, weapons and items, stay in front of you. The Beer restores a life point, but not once only two players remain. The Jail blocks a player, except the Sheriff; the Dynamite costs three life points when it explodes. The Barrel, the Jail and the Dynamite make you do a draw: flip the top card of the draw pile to check its suit.
- Eliminations, rewards and penalties
- An eliminated player reveals their role and discards all their cards. Whoever eliminates an Outlaw draws three cards as a reward, even if they are an Outlaw themselves. If the Sheriff eliminates a Deputy, the Sheriff discards all their cards, in hand and in play.
- The end of the game
- If the Sheriff is killed, the Renegade wins if they’re the only player still alive; otherwise, the Outlaws win, even if they’re all dead. If all the Outlaws and the Renegade are eliminated, the Sheriff and the Deputies win.
- Beginner traps
- Weapons never change the distance between players, only the range of your shots. A Gatling and a Duel aren’t Bang cards. A Missed has no effect against Indians. With two players, the Beer is useless; and the Saloon can’t save you from your last bullet, only the Beer can.
How to win BANG!
- No points
- BANG! has no points: at the end, everyone reveals their role and one side wins.
- The Sheriff and the Deputies
- They win together if they eliminate all the Outlaws and the Renegade.
- The Outlaws
- They win if the Sheriff is killed, even if they’re all dead, unless the Renegade is then the only survivor.
- The Renegade
- They win by being the only player still alive: they must eliminate everybody, the Sheriff last.
Example ending
With 5 players, Emma is the Sheriff, Jake a Deputy, Alex and Mia Outlaws, Leo the Renegade. Mia is eliminated, then Emma falls while Jake, Alex and Leo are still alive. The Renegade isn’t the only survivor: Alex and Mia, the Outlaws, both win, even Mia, who was already out.
Common mistakes
- Thinking an eliminated Outlaw has lost: if the Sheriff falls later, their whole side wins.
- Giving the win to the Renegade as soon as the Sheriff dies: they must be the only player still alive.
- Ending the game when all the Outlaws are out: if the Renegade is alive, play goes on, alone against the Sheriff and the Deputies.
- Revealing your role before you’re eliminated: only the Sheriff plays openly.
How to set up BANG!
The roles depend on the number of players: use only the line that matches your table.
The roles
- With 4 players, take 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade and 2 Outlaws.Put the other Role cards back in the box.
- With 5 players, take 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 2 Outlaws and 1 Deputy.Put the other Role cards back in the box.
- With 6 players, take 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 3 Outlaws and 1 Deputy.Put the other Role cards back in the box.
- With 7 players, take 1 Sheriff, 1 Renegade, 3 Outlaws and 2 Deputies.Put the other Role cards back in the box.
- Shuffle the Role cards and deal one, face down, to each player.There are always as many Role cards as players.
- The player who has the Sheriff flips their card face up.Everyone else keeps their role secret.
The characters
- Shuffle the Character cards and deal one, face up, to each player.Everyone announces their character’s name and ability.
- Each player takes as many bullets as shown on their Character card.The bullets are life points.
- The Sheriff takes one more bullet than the number shown on their card.Three bullets on the card: they get four. Four bullets: they get five.
The playing cards
- Shuffle the 80 playing cards and deal each player as many cards, face down, as they have bullets.So the Sheriff has one more card than the others.
- Put the remaining cards face down in the middle: that’s the draw pile. Leave room for the discard pile.For a first game, you can remove the cards marked with a book symbol: that’s the simplified version.
Each player
- Each player puts a player board in front of them to hold their role, character, weapon and bullets.Everyone starts with a Colt .45, which has no card: it’s printed on the player board.
Let’s go
- The Sheriff starts, then play goes clockwise.Each turn has three phases: draw 2 cards, play cards, discard any extras.
Frequently asked questions
Who goes first in BANG!?
The Sheriff, with no random draw. Play then goes clockwise.
How many cards do you start with in BANG!?
As many cards as bullets: each player gets the number printed on their Character card, and the Sheriff one more.
Who wins if the Sheriff dies in BANG!?
The Renegade if they’re the only player still alive; otherwise, the Outlaws, even if they’re all dead.
Ludingo’s BANG! sheet was last reviewed on 10 October 2026, based on: rulebook (PDF), BoardGameGeek.