Family Business
Company: Mayfair
Games
Theme: Chicago
gang leaders duke it out big time!
Type: Card
# of Players: 2
- 6
Rating: 
Ken says: Who can resist being part
of the mob? Well, if you're one of the many who can't, then this game is
for you.
Family Business is a card
game that pits two to six "gangs" against each other. The objective is
simple, be the last gang around. There are two sets of cards, Mobsters
and Action cards. Each mob has it's own unique name, such as Murder, Inc.,
The New York Gang, or The Bank Robbers. The "Action" cards are divided
into three catagories.
- Contracts: Play these cards to put mobsters
on the hit list. When (not if) a "Mob War" breaks out, those on the list
are the first to go.
- Rescue: These are red cards that can
save your mobsters from the hit list. Also, when you play a red card, it
becomes your turn. This is very important as players can be skipped repeatedly
throughout the game.
- Specialty: These are non-contract blue
cards that can only be played during your turn. Some can pull your gang
members off the hit list. Others can accelerate the mob war, eliminating
two mobsters instead of one each turn. And a few can really change the
dynamics of the game, such as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre which can
eliminate all the mobsters on the hit list at once. Or a Truce, which ends
the Mob War.
Oh yeah, a Mob War begins when there are six or more gangsters on the hit list. Or there are six or fewer mobsters in the game. At the beginning of each player's turn, a mobster is eliminated. When the hit list is empty (or when a Truce card is played) the Mob War ends.
Pros: This game is a lot of fun. There are plenty of decisions for each player to make.
Cons: Luck can play a role. Still, this game is ment as light entertainment, so there's no "beef" here.
Addendum: We have since dumped
the "if there are six or less mobsters, a mob war begins" rule. While
our games are now a bit longer, we felt that the rule was a bit arbitrary
and somewhat confusing. Oh well, so what else is new?
