Gunslinger

About this board game

Gunslinger is a Western gunfight game for 2–7 players, with games lasting about 90 minutes. Each player takes the part of a Western character caught in a sudden showdown, making split-second decisions as bullets begin to fly.

During each turn, players secretly play cards that define what they will do during the next two seconds. Actions are then carried out on the playing map, with shots resolved at the precise split-second when they occur. This quick game system recreates the tense timing of gunplay while keeping combat fast and straightforward.

When a character fires, the attacker draws a result card showing where the shot hits. The hit location combines with the weapon to determine the damage, highlighting the differences between firearms such as Winchesters, shotguns, buffalo rifles, Colt “Peacemakers,” Smith & Wesson break-open guns, and Remington Derringers.

• Modular battlefields: Eight two-sided mapboards provide sixteen map faces that can be arranged in many ways.
• Detailed terrain: Maps include gullies, hills, trees, watering troughs, wells, hitching posts, and building interiors.
• Varied scenarios: Twenty-six gunfights offer several hundred variations, from historical encounters to fictional situations.

The maps use a scale of six feet per hex, supporting encounters across both town and countryside settings. Counters represent people, objects, tactical features, and horses, while second-floor player-aid cards support play in buildings.

Gunslinger includes famous historical figures such as Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, and John Wesley Hardin, alongside scenarios featuring Indian raids, barroom brawls, and poker games. Released in 1982, it combines secret planning, positional movement, and weapon-specific shooting in a focused game of Western showdowns.