Fagin’s Gang (2007) Board Game

Fagin’s Gang is a board game released in 2007 by Ludorum Games. It is based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, where players take on the roles of members of Fagin’s gang in Victorian London. The game combines elements of strategy, negotiation, and resource management.

Game Components of Fagin’s Gang

Board: Depicts London Town in 1838 with six streets, each a different color representing various goods (blue = books, purple = jewelry, green = fruit, yellow = pocket watches, black = silverware, and red = handkerchiefs).

Player Pawns: Wooden pawns for each player to navigate the streets.

Goods Cubes: Wooden cubes matching the color of each street, used as resources.

Constable Token: Randomly placed on the board to enforce movement rules.

Price Wheel: A circular wheel that rotates to change the prices of goods in the market.

Shilling Track: Players place discs on this track to manage their money.

Warehouse and Market: Areas to store and trade goods cubes.

How To Setup Fagin’s Gang

To set up the game, each player chooses a set of pawns and discs of their color and places one disc on the 20 space of the shilling track. Each player receives one of each goods cube and five pawns. The board is set up with the constable token randomly placed on one space of each street, and the market is filled with goods cubes. The price wheel is placed in the market area, and the turn marker is set to indicate the starting player.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Player Actions: Players can bring an urchin into a street, move an urchin up or down a street, or move an urchin off the street to Fagin’s location.

Resource Management: Players must pay the required goods cubes to move their pawns on the streets.

Constable Movement: Constables move based on dice rolls, potentially displacing player pawns.

Balancing Books: Players must discard down to 15 cubes, refill the market if empty, and rotate the price wheel.

Game Objective: The game ends when one player gets three of their urchins to Fagin, winning immediately.

Player Experience

Playing Fagin’s Gang involves strategic resource management and careful navigation of the London streets to evade constables. The game has a Eurogame feel with its wooden components and map of London, but the theme can feel somewhat disjointed. Players need to balance the quality and quantity of goods they steal while managing their financial resources.

Pros

Engaging Resource System: The cube resource system is fascinating, with different streets offering varying resources and challenges.

Dynamic Gameplay: The constable movement and price wheel rotation add unpredictability to the game.

Thematic Board: The board depicts an older map of London, adding a historical touch.

Cons

Theme Disconnection: The game’s theme can feel thematically jarring, particularly with the resource system.

Easy Resource Accumulation: Players can accumulate resources quickly, making the game less challenging later on.

Personal Thoughts on Fagin’s Gang

Fagin’s Gang is for players who enjoy strategic resource management and thematic games set in historical contexts. It is particularly suited for those who like commodity speculation mechanics and are looking for a game with a unique blend of strategy and luck. However, it may not be the best fit for players seeking a highly thematic experience, as the resource system can feel somewhat detached from the game’s narrative.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.