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?
Cangaço was a form of social banditry localized historically in the northeast of Brazil between 1870 and 1940, characterized by the activities of independent armed groups commanded by charismatic leaders.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
Cangaço was a form of social banditry localized historically in the northeast of Brazil between 1870 and 1940, characterized by the activities of independent armed groups commanded by charismatic leaders. The Cangaceiros were ambiguous historic figures: they participated in cruel and criminal activities such as looting, theft and murder, but at the same time they were not considered criminals by the majority of the community during their time. The most renown of them was Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, known as Lampião, the King of Cangaço. His exploits became legend after his death and fueled the fantasy built around his image as a protector of the poor. Cangaço is a draft and set collection game in which the players compete for form the most feared band of northeast Brazil. You are gonna have to recruit outlaws and construct diverse buildings to increase the influence of your band, whiled at the same time stockpiling on resources such as cachasa, flour and munitions. The game ends after three seasons: at that moment, the player with the most points is declared the king of Cangaço.