Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Cactus Town is an asymmetric action programming game for 2 to 4 players (1-5 with the Lone Ranger Expansion). A highly interactive game of fast paced chase & escape.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Action Queue
Place actions into an ordered queue that resolves now or on later turns.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Programmed Movement
Plan movement commands in advance before revealing and resolving them.
Simultaneous Action Selection
Choose actions secretly or concurrently before revealing them together.
Modular Board
Build the play area from interchangeable sections that vary between games.
Read the full game description
Cactus Town is an asymmetric action programming game for 2 to 4 players (1-5 with the Lone Ranger Expansion). A highly interactive game of fast paced chase & escape. Sleepy little Cactus Town is going to see some action: you can put yourself the Sheriff’s badge, join a group of dangerous bandits, seek ransom as a bounty hunter or even use the power of seduction being an avenging Can Can dancer. Each party has its own objectives and its own special actions, making this a perfect gateway game for asymmetric gameplay. With playing time of 10-15 minutes per player, you can swap and play various parties each session. Players program their actions with 3 out of 4 action cards each turn. Sounds easy enough, right? But careful, actions alternate between players and action cards are programmed in reverse order, meaning the last card programmed comes up first. Mastering this is a real challenge. Can you out-think your opponents, guess their moves and get in your own. Or will you out-think yourself and create some hilarious chaos? Each player's characters move through a 5x5 building-card grid, which is set up randomly face down each game. The game includes an advanced version with building effects and several variants, giving you even more replay value. Are you ready for a duel? Will you plunder for gold? Are you in the mood to dance a Can Can? Going to steal a horse, are you? A lot of things are going to happen in Cactus Town, create your own cinematic Western story! —description from the publisher