Boomtown

About this board game

Boomtown is a 30-minute board game for 3–5 players about auctions, dice, and ruthless action cards in a gold-rush town. You begin as a gold digger and strive to finish as a wealthy tycoon.

Your first priority is to buy the best mining concessions. Each concession offers the hope of discovering valuable gold veins, but building a fortune takes more than simply claiming land. Auctions determine who gets the chance to prospect, while dice help decide what the concessions reveal.

There are several ways to expand your income and influence. You can seek the position of Mayor of Whiskey River or San Narciso, earning a small cut from concession sales. Alternatively, build a saloon where lucky prospectors can spend their nuggets on moonshine whiskey.

• Bid for mining concessions in competitive auctions.
• Use dice to search for gold veins.
• Play fun or nasty action cards against your opponents.
• Become a mayor or build a saloon to create additional income.

If legitimate business is going badly, Boomtown offers more desperate alternatives. Bank and stagecoach hold-ups can help restore your fortunes, while a well-placed stick of dynamite may solve a smaller problem. These options give the game a lively mix of opportunity, risk, and direct player interaction.

Released in 2004, Boomtown combines gold prospecting with auctions and take-that action cards in a compact experience. The related game Piraci uses the same gameplay, replacing the gold fields with sailing on the water.