Fagin's Gang

FAGIN'S GANG is a 'euro-style' strategic trading and commodity-collecting game for 2-6 players, aged 10+. Play takes 20-30 minutes per player, so a 3 player game will last from 60-90 minutes - depending on how much chatting goes on in your group! There is very little down-time and much to consider, so all players are engaged for most of the time.

Introduction
You are a member of Fagin's infamous gang of pilfering street urchins from Oliver Twist. Fagin is ill and needs a fence - someone to turn stolen goods into shillings. He trusts you and so has given you charge of a small band of 5 urchins to scour London for easy pickings. Each of your urchins takes one of 6 locations from Charles Dickens' London (Bow Street, River Thames, St Paul's Cathedral, The Strand, Chertsey and Holborn Hill). Your urchins try to avoid the police constables and steal goods (fruit, books, jewellery, silverware, pocket watches and silk handkerchiefs) to help the other members of the gang. Everyone meets at Smithfield Market to trade, to swap booty and experiences - and to make more shillings. Stealing goods is essential, but ultimately these have to be converted into shillings to win the game.

Object
The aim of FAGIN'S GANG is to gather enough commodities to gain enough money to return safely to Fagin. The first player to do this is the winner!

What other games is it like?
This is a difficult one. We like to think that FAGIN'S GANG is original - and in many ways it is. However, no game stands alone; we are all inspired by the best of the rest. Therefore, we offer below a few games of similar type/weight/complexity that we have enjoyed and admired over the years. It would be fair to say that if you enjoy these games you should enjoy FAGIN'S GANG...

Power Grid [Funkenschlag], by Friedemann Friese (Rio Grande Games, 2F-Speiele)
Tigris and Euphrates, by Reiner Knizia (Mayfair Games, Hans im Glück, 999 Games, Top Licence Games)
Ticket to Ride, by Alan R. Moon (Days of Wonder, Edge Entertainment, Lautepelit,fi)
Maharaja, by Wolfgang Kramer & Michael Kiesling (Phalanx Games)
Crude [McMulti], by James J, St. Laurent (Hexagames, S.S.Innovations Inc.)
Acquire, by Sid Sackson (Avalon Hill, Schmidt Spiele, 3M)
Primordial Soup [Ursuppe], by Doris Matthäus & Frank Nestel (Doris & Frank, Z-Man Games)
Elfenland, by Alan R. Moon (Rio Grande Games, Amigo Spiele, 999 Games, Midgaard Games)
Settlers of Catan, by Klaus Teuber (Mayfair Games, Piatnik, Kosmos, et al.)
Starfarers of Catan, by Klaus Teuber (Mayfair Games, Kosmos)
El Grande, by Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich (Rio Grande Games, Descartes Editeur, Hans im Glück, 999 Games)
Puerto Rico, by Andreas Seyfarth (Rio Grande Games, Alea, Ravensburger, Tilsit, Lautapelit.fi)

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