
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,586
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Coloma
- 1–6 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019

Rules assistance for Hangtown: The Tailings Pile
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hangtown: The Tailings Pile is an expansion for Hangtown released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Jonny Pac and Timothy S Wright and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Auction / Bidding, and Worker Placement.
The Tailings Pile expansions pack adds new character roles into Hangtown, such as the the Rustler, Town Drunk, Madame, Foreman, and Desperado. It also includes The South Fork, which is an additional worker placement board. The back side of it has a final scoring aid. You must have a copy of Hangtown in order to use this expansion. It is not a stand-alone game.
Hangtown: The Tailings Pile supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Hangtown: The Tailings Pile is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Hangtown: The Tailings Pile for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Hangtown: The Tailings Pile has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Hangtown: The Tailings Pile belongs to these categories: American West and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Auction / Bidding, and Worker Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Hangtown: The Tailings Pile are: Jonny Pac and Timothy S Wright. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Hangtown: The Tailings Pile as an expansion for Hangtown. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Hangtown to use it. Check that your edition of Hangtown is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.