The Boss

Send your gang to American cities, bluff about who is where and fight for loot while Capone takes his cut.

Designer: Alain Ollier
Published by: Blackrock Games
Editions by: Blue Orange Games, Heidelberger Spieleverlag, Raven Distribution, Magellan, Mancalamaro, Jolly Thinkers, Playhouse Ltd, ABBA Games

Chicago, the Twenties, and a deck of cards full of loot and trouble. Each round, cards reveal which American city offers a payout and which one hands out a penalty. You then send gang members out to those cities, some seasoned pros and some wannabes, and whoever has the most men in a city pockets its prize or takes its punishment. Chicago comes with a catch: the boss, Al Capone, takes a share of everything. The more rounds pass, the more you know about what is coming, and the more you can bluff about what you send. A small card game with a score track, built around reading faces and backstabbing.

Pros and wannabes in your gangMost men in a city takes the prizeChicago always pays the boss

Who it's for

Four people who like bluffing, reading each other and a bit of backstabbing, in a short card game with a gangster flavor.

Not for you if…

You dislike hidden information and mind games, or you want something peaceful and cooperative.

Vibe's take

Sneaky and tense. You collect clues about what each city offers, then commit and hope that your reading of the table beats theirs, with plenty of room for a well-timed betrayal.