25 Outlaws
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
If you've ever dreamed of donning a ten-gallon hat, holstering your trusty six-shooter, and embarking on a wild ride through the untamed terrain of the Wild West, then "25 Outlaws" might just be the card game you've been waiting for.
A card game created by Brian Calhoun and Dave Mathews. That is Dave Mathews, the frontman for the "Dave Mathews Band."
But enough about him, let's talk about Brian. Brian launched Rockbridge Guitar in his early twenties, a business crafting high-end acoustic guitars for musicians, including Dave Matthews. Damn, I wrote his name again... In 2013, after Brian had played a board game that he deemed boring, in retaliation, he created Chickapig.
Chickapig was a great success. Riding the momentum and creativity behind Chickapig, Brian developed a poker-based game, 25 Outlaws, released in 2019. He asked Dave to do the artwork for it.
Gameplay…
The premise is simple: you and your fellow players are aspiring outlaws, each with unique skills and ambitions, all vying for the title of the most notorious desperado in the land.
Here is the order of play:
Deal the cards.
Play the flop and verify if there is a match for the sheriff to show up for a show-down.
Bets are placed.
Cards are revealed, and the highest hand takes the pot.
You then are allowed to purchase rewards that give your gang members advantages.
The dealer then may choose to hold up and Outlaw.
The Outlaw chosen may act a coward and run, losing half his money, or stand and fight.
Dice are rolled and added to your Outlaw's quick draw number. The highest wins. The lowest is dead.
The victor takes the dead man or woman's money and becomes wanted by the Law.
This continues until only one player has at least one Outlaw and $100. That player is the top dog (winner).
So grab your hat, strap on your spurs, and get ready to ride off into the sunset with 25 Outlaws. Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly...
Our Experience…
Let's start with the good, shall we?
25 Outlaws nails the Wild West aesthetic with its charming artwork, thematic gameplay, and a cast of characters that could have stepped out of a Sergio Leone film. It's a bit abstract, but it fits the genre.
The game mechanics are as smooth as a whiskey shot, with a satisfying blend of dice rolling, card drafting, and resource management that strikes a delicate balance between strategy and luck. Whether you're holding up your opponent's gang, robbing the bank, or shooting the sheriff, each action is exciting. This is not a game for friendly people. The objective is to bluff, hold up, and shoot your competition till you are the last one standing.
There is a dandy website for 25 Outlaws, where you can buy the game or learn how to play. There is even merchandise—not that I would want a T-shirt of this game. Also, there is a page of interviews with the creators.
But for all its charms, 25 Outlaws isn't without its rough patches. Here is the bad:
My wife (Andrea) and I have played several 2-player games, which were a total bust. We found the game to play smoother with three or four players.
The game says that their version of Poker keeps it exciting and fast-paced. It is a 3-card Poker with standard rules. There are only 20 cards in the deck, including 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of the four suits. There is only one flop card, no draws, and one betting round. Strong hands should be abundant with all those high cards in the deck. Wrong. With only four cards to work with, the best three are more often a wet blanket. I mostly bluffed to make up for the terrible hands.
Here is the ugly:
If your luck is wrong and you're an early out, you could be waiting around while others finish the game. I am not a big fan of elimination or last-man-standing games, especially when Poker works best for group parties.
I will no longer play this game with two people. I prefer three or more and a bottle of whiskey. Thank you, Brian and Dave, for this slick spin on the game of Poker.
Would you like to add to the review? Leave your comments below.
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