Whacktown
Build your own criminal empire!
Recruit a gang, blockade strategically valuable locations, and give your opponents a good thrashing before they do. Whacktown is fast-paced, tactical, and full of wacky stories.
Whacktown is an accessible, yet skill-based game for experienced players, brimming with gangster humor.
Daniel Piechnick
Maikel Cheney, Henrik Sörgel, Dr. Hans Joachim Höh
Game mechanics
In Whacktown, it’s everybody against everbody!
In Whacktown, violence is always an option, because life as a gangster is risky and cutthroat. You move yourself and your gang through a randomly generated city grid. The base game includes 76 different locations, 20 of which form the current 4×5 city grid for your game. Whacktown is different every day—that’s guaranteed! You know your neighborhood and the exact locations you need to occupy to sabotage the other players. You also have to think carefully about how you play your hustle cards – because powerful actions require you to pay with other cards. During your game of Whacktown, you try to either eliminate everyone else or be the first to reach 10 reputation.
In Whacktown, you don’t need time to get your bearings; you can jump right in. Because on the streets of Whacktown, those who are uninhibited and ruthless are the ones who thrive. For experienced players, Whacktown is the perfect way to wind down, offering tactical depth and high entertainment value. Whacktown provides enough material to improve your skills and discover the game’s intricacies, but it’s also great fun if you just want to beat up a few people.
Tactics meets chaos
Whacktown is a fast-paced, tactical game with access control for 2-4 players aged 14 and up. A round lasts about 30 minutes, making it quick to play. Whacktown could be over before you can even say “drive-by shooting.” So be careful that no one at the table gains the upper hand before you do. In Whacktown, there’s no warm-up; you dive headfirst into the fray.
Whacktown thrives on its dynamic nature and sudden twists: If you’re not paying attention, someone will suddenly drop a bomb at your feet. And that can happen faster than you think, because it’s all or nothing, and everyone is playing against everyone else: All effects hit all opponents – this leads to confrontations and explosive moments in the game. A moment’s inattention will cost you dearly!
Keep a cool head and consider which tactical approach could make you the most influential gangster boss in Whacktown:
- Access Control: Locations are selectively accessible; you plan how you reach them and try to prevent your rivals from getting where they want to be. For the really important locations, you have to do the groundwork! You can only get to Uncle Bob with the right contacts and information.
- Card Management: Hustle cards have a cost; to play them, you have to discard other cards from your hand. This is a constant balancing act between short-term advantage and long-term hand management.
Gameplay
How does one become a gangster boss?
Whacktown is quirky, confrontational, and fast-paced. It’s a turn-based game where you play as many rounds as you need until one player meets the victory conditions. Each round consists of three steps:
- Move – Move your gang and trigger the effects of the target location.
- Hustle – Play any number of hustle cards; to play a hustle, you must discard other cards as a cost.
- Chill – Draw cards and pass to the next player.
The rule is: in Whacktown, it’s every player against every player! Therefore, every damage effect always affects all other players. Good armor can protect you from attacks just as well as additional health points. Damaged armor can even be repaired! The only question is whether it’s worth it…
You have to think carefully about where you want to invest, because survival in Whacktown is expensive – extremely expensive! You need not only enough money, but also sufficient information, and health.
Some locations in Whacktown can only be accessed if you meet certain requirements or pay a fee. Others require less, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll actually benefit you or your strategy.
In Whacktown, a good overview and timing are everything. Gather information that will help you progress and build a reputation that will make the other criminal vermin tremble before you! And while you’re at it, try not to lose all your health and money, but rather multiply them.
Being feared is useful. Too much attention, however, is not. In Whacktown, too much success can be dangerous. Gang life is tough.
You win Whacktown when you’ve eliminated everyone else or become the most respected gangster boss in the city with 10 reputation.
But beware! If your health drops to 0 during another player’s turn, you’ll be eliminated from the game immediately. So use your resources wisely. Only the best gangster can ultimately turn Whacktown into his criminal empire! And don’t worry: because damage effects affect all other players, they usually all blow up at roughly the same time.
Who is Whacktown suitable for?
Whacktown is for players looking for a quick, confrontational game with witty storylines. Whacktown is for you if you enjoy tactical decisions without having to agonize over them for hours. Fast-paced, confrontational, and perfect as a tactical party game or a wind-down during a board game night.
Are you a seasoned gamer looking for an accessible yet skill-based game? Do you enjoy gangster humor and nostalgic GTA vibes? Then you’ll have a blast in Whacktown!
Whacktown in a nutshell
- Entertaining and humorous – each game tells a quirky gangster story.
- Easy to learn, tactical depth – rules are simple, decisions are profound.
- Dynamic and varied – random locations, profiles and perk cards ensure variety.
- Gangster theme – suspense and action with nostalgic GTA vibes.
Build your gangster empire — but beware: too much success makes you a target. Whacktown is a fast-paced, fun battle for power, reputation, and who has the last laugh.
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