Way Out West

About this board game

Way Out West is a western-themed board game for 3–5 players, with games lasting about 120 minutes. Players drive cattle across the map, establish towns, build businesses, and compete for control while cowboys settle disputes with guns.

Each round begins with a bid for turn order. Money is placed under turn-order tokens, and players may raise or drop out, making timing and spending important from the start. During the action phase, players act in order, repeating turns as the turn marker advances.

Available actions include buying cattle, purchasing additional cowboys, moving cowboys or cattle between towns, and acquiring buildings or transport counters. Players can also take Farmers, which reduce the income and victory value of cattle, or start a Gunfight against a rival.

• Buildings and transport: Stagecoaches, Trains, Banks, Stores, Hotels, and Jails provide different economic or military advantages.
• Gunfights: Attackers can target buildings, transport counters, cattle, Banks, Farmers, or Jails. Dice rolls determine casualties, while retreat is also possible.
• Income: Cattle, Farmers, and several town features generate money during income rounds.

Gunfights can change control of valuable counters, while every victory adds a Wanted counter. Trains can double cattle income and end-game cattle points, but Farmers make cattle less profitable unless a Train is present.

After round 12, players score buildings and transport counters, cattle, town-control bonuses, money, and Wanted counters. In Way Out West, careful bidding, expansion, economic planning, and well-timed attacks all contribute to victory.