Wyatt Earp

I recently asked a buddy of mine , What is your favorite game out of all the games of mine you have played. This guy is by no means a "gamer" as defined by this website. He is a friend of mine that I introduced many games to, including Settlers and a lot of "german" games as well.

He answered, "Wyatt Earp"

Now this guy has played A LOT of games from my collection and for him to say Wyatt Earp, well it must be a a great game. In fact, I am now on my second copy of Wyatt Earp, it has seen Lot of play!

Wyatt Earp is a rummy variant where you try to collect different outlaw cards, meld the cards for capture points, and share in the reward money. I have read where some feel that the rules are a little difficult, especially in terms of how the reward money is shared.

The rules are not difficult! I used to play Avalon Hill games in my youth and I didn't find those rules that difficult. You see this is the problem with the "German" games, we are really "dumbing down" everything! You see it in schools, the workplace, and gaming too!

Actually, the rules flow rather nicely and they really do become second nature after a game or two. There is a nice western feel to the whole game. The bullet hole feature on the cards is great! So, is the Wyatt Earp cards which are powerful as they should be!

The game, despite the Western theme goes over great with females as well, as does most rummy type games.

I love the "Hideout" cards where you can shut down a high scoring meld on another player. The bank robbery and stage coach robbery cards are great as well!

I have played many, many games of Wyatt Earp and have seen it all. Some games ended in a shootout where two players were tied. Some have been very close and despite what some say about luck in the game, I find that the most skillful player usually does win most of the time. The game is very satisfying and nothing compares to collecting a huge reward that has been piled up on an outlaw over several turns.

I find the game plays just as well with two players as it does with 4 players. I have read that Gin Rummy used to be (and may still be) the most popular two player card game in the USA. After reading that, I see no reason why "Wyatt Earp" couldn't break that record. To me, it is much more interesting than Gin Rummy and yet it shares some of the same mechanisms. Wyatt Earp certainly could be played for money and you can imagine the excitement as the cash piled up on a wanted poster!!! To me, this would be much more exciting than merely playing for $1.00 per point in Gin Rummy.

There are a couple of minor things I don't like about the game. It seems the game sort of caved in a tad to the "non confrontational" attitude of the wimpy German games. There is some confrontation with the Hideout cards, but for a Wild West card game I would have like to have seen a tad more violence! Yes, there is robberies and shooting but I get the feel when playing that I want to be just a little more aggressive toward my opponents but my hands are tied. Also, the cards are those small cards. If Wyatt Earp were alive today he would laugh at the size of those cards, you could almost hear him saying,

"Those cards look more fitting for a young girl, cowboy!"

I say the bigger the cards the better! At least Days of Wonder learned their lesson with the most recent 1910 Ticket to Ride. This game is better than "Ticket to Ride" and it certainly deserves the bigger cards.

One final complaint, where is Doc Holiday?

I actually enjoy all of the "Mystery Rummy" series and this one is by far the best!


Final Verdict: Recommended