Welcome to Doomtown, where you try to gain control of a western town set in the Weird West of Deadlands. In this world, cowpokes good and bad wield guns, steampunk gadgets, and spells of all sorts, and death is sometimes just a minor inconvenience.
In Deadwood, South Dakota, Eagle woman That All Look At tries to enforce a fragile treaty. Hao-Te Zui's Anarchists fight for the townsfolk that E.B Farnum's consortium of Entrepreneurs are trying to drive out of business. Bass Reeves, the West's most persistent Marshal, arrives in pursuit of the notorious outlaw, Jessica Patchett, who's trying to escape her bloody past. And out in the Badlands, Ursula's cult prepares to summon the power of the great Worm.
Doomtown: Weird West Edition is a poker-driven, territory control card game, updated from (and fully compatible with) the 2014 release of Doomtown: Reloaded, which was based on the 1998 Origins Awards Best Trading Card Game, Deadlands: Doomtown by Alderac Entertainment Group!
All aspects of the game that require randomization are controlled via a poker mechanism as every card has a suit and value. Preparing for the hands you want to draw is as much a part of deck building as choosing the actions and dudes you'll want to play. Your deck is built around an Outfit, one of the six main groups attempting to control Deadwood.
Combat is resolved via poker hands. Deciding who goes first is decided by drawing the top five cards from your deck and the lowest poker hands go first.
Players take one action each, in turn which can include:
Hiring a new dude (getting you influence in town)
Purchasing a new deed (getting you control in town)
Shopping for gear for your dudes
Start a shootout with your opponents to try to remove their influence.
When each player passes, you reach "Sundown" for the day. If any player has more control in town than anyone else has influence, you win.
-description from publisher
- Includes 38 brand new cards, 66 updated ones, and an updated rule book.
- Enough cards to build at least six playable decks.
- Taking control of a town with steampunk gadgets and dark magic.
- Weird West town
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Includes new and updated cards.
- Deck Building — The second printing includes enough cards to build at least six playable decks.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Who would have thought that building computers could be such a cutthroat endeavor
- success at this thing requires a fine balance between time, money, and energy.
- It's a frenzy to weave the most inspiring tale, recounting your hero's journey as tall tales told to tourists tally up totals.
- Emerland, a vibrant land known not only for its artistic and musical culture, but also for its abundance of natural resources, valuable gems, and a host of animal artisans.
References (from this video)
- cinematic world with deeply fleshed-out characters
- poker-hand resolution with cheating mechanics
- strong setting
- gunfights, factions, and conspiracies
- weird West with magic and advanced technology
- episode-like with characters and dramatic showdowns
- Snowpiercer
- Silo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — items, horses, weapons and gadgets influence play
- deck-building / poker-based shootouts — poker hands shaped by action cards and cheating mechanics
- Faction-based play — different groups with unique abilities and locations
- location control and items — items, horses, weapons and gadgets influence play
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Doomtown has my favorite setting of all time, the weird West.
- the single greatest game mechanism ever designed, and it's easily the most cinematic.
- It's the mythical Wild West, but also with magic and advanced technology.
- These factions are complete with unique characters that are so full of personality.
- A cinematic adventure game should create memorable moments.
- I could absolutely see this being a fantastic movie or TV series along the lines of Snowpiercer or Silo.