
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,082
- BGG rating
- 4.7
Goldrush-City
- 3–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2001

2001
Rules assistance for Saloon
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.
Saloon is a board game released in 2001 for 3–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Mark Sienholz and Ralf Sandfuchs and its main mechanics are Take That.
Premiering at Essen 2001, a card game of brawling in a Saloon of the Old West. The attacker plays his cards and the defender responds. The first noninvolved player to get a card to the table can throw in a punch as well. If any of the attack gets through, the defender takes some knock out points. But if he's not yet in Dreamland, now he gets the turn to strike back, or does he find a new target? Plenty of warping effects on these easy-to-explain rules and interesting flavor are added by cards such as the roundhouse, whiskey bottle, flying through the window, beer barrel, piano player, Oopsadaisy and the dreaded bartender (he comes with a club). Players gradually get knocked out until there is only one brawler left standing, the winner. Components include 6 Schläger ["Brawler"] cards (one for each player), 54 Saloon cards (24 Attack cards, 8 Item cards, 6 Hit cards, 3 Help cards, 8 Defense cards, 5 Event cards).
Saloon supports 3–6 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 Saloon is 30 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 Saloon for ages 10 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.
Saloon has a complexity rating of 1.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light 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.
Saloon belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Take That. 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 Saloon are: Mark Sienholz and Ralf Sandfuchs. 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 Saloon as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.