Shootout at High Noon July 22, 2016 17:59 19 Comments

When I attended Chupacabracon in May I expected the usual con weekend: the Cracked Crew running Tephra games and generally enjoying ourselves. What I did not expect was to discover a fun new card game called Shootout. The first among us to try it out was our Fearless Leader Daniel, who promptly secured a copy himself. After a demonstration between Tephra adventures, I found myself also buying a copy.

Shootout is a simple and fun game to pick up and play, it can entertain groups of two to six people, and each game lasts about five minutes. The object of the game is to have an ideal hand of cards before a High Noon, Sun Up, or Sun Down card is revealed.

Starting with five cards, each player takes a turn flipping the top card from the draw deck and either adding it to their own hand or drawing from the top of the deck. After taking in a card, that player will then discard a card to end his or her turn. If a High Noon, Sun Up, or Sun Down card are flipped or discarded, then a standoff begins between whomever revealed the card and their chosen opponent. Victory in a standoff is determined by three types of cards: Weapons, Titles, and Familiarities. Whoever has the higher total score from one of each type of card wins the standoff. If more than two people are playing, the winner discards his or her remaining hand and draws seven cards, then discarding two. The game continues until only one remains.

In addition to the three types of cards needed to win, there are two types of special cards. The first kind of special card is used in a standoff to remove your opponent’s bonuses from one of their three cards. For example: I have a total score of 10 and my opponent has a total of 12. I notice his gun is offering a +3 bonus, so I play a Misfire card to remove that bonus from his score. I now win with my 10 against his 9.

The other type of special card has a red border and only takes effect when it is discarded outside of a standoff. These can cause you to trade cards with another player, skip your turn, or even change the result after a standoff. If the red special card is flipped over at the beginning of a turn, that player is affected by it. If these are discarded from a player’s hand, they affect the next player or a targeted player depending on the card.

This is a fun, fast-paced game that everyone can enjoy. It’s easy to pick up, set up, and play as often as you like. You can order a copy here on our website. Thank you for reading and until next time, Cheers and Gears!