Feared throughout the Brazilian northeast, they fight for honor and freedom: the "cangaceiros" were bandits who stand against the abuses of large landowners called Coronéis and the government, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Now, they come to the tabletop in a strategic competitive game. Designed by Roberto Pestrin and created by Ergo Ludo Editions, Cangaceiros has its English edition published and distributed by Ares Games, and is expected to release in April 2023.

Cangaceiros: run a band of Cangaceiros,
legendary bandits in Brazilian northeast.

The desert region of Sertão, in the Northeast Region of Brazil, was the background for the deeds of the cangaceiros, men who embraced the way of the cangaço – from canga, which means yoke. As the bull carries the yoke, so the cangaceiro carried weapons and the deadly burden of that choice, leaving behind their loved ones and living in a hostile territory, o "Sertão", the scorching hinterland.

In Cangaceiros, players represent the chief cangaceiros and their gangs, surviving in the Caatinga arid brambles, pushing back the volantes (the state police trained to kill them), attacking the corrupted cities, and dueling with the machetes (facão).

The game is suited for 2 to 5 players who use a 7 cards deck to collect resources, place bandits to guard a region, attack the Volantes, assault the prison of the city of Recife, but also for training their leader and recruiting new members for the gang, to accumulate fame points. At the end of each game, the player with the most fame points wins.

For more information and images, visit the game's page.

Tags: , ,