In 2026 we will all be playing gangsters as publisher Funtails has announced Whacktown, a new strategy game in which you will be building your very own criminal empire.
Set in a neon soaked city with scheming gangs and fast moving gameplay, Whacktown has all the hallmarks of being one of the bigger new board games of 2026, as you look to eliminate your fellow gangsters and become the most feared boss in all of Whacktown.
While there has been no confirmed release date, make sure you’ve got your baseball bat primed, your Hawaiian shirt ironed and your best Godfather impression ready, before journeying into Whacktown.
Don’t Get Whacked
In Whacktown, you will be building up your criminal empire by seizing control of randomly generated locations, all while settling scores with your trusty baseball bat and a hand full of hustle cards.
Leaning heavily into dark humour and over the top gangster vibes, play promises to move fast with an easy to pick up ruleset.
You will be able to Move, Hustle and Chill, while strategically positioning yourself to take locations and hopefully take out your rivals. Combining access control mechanics with card management and a beautifully vibrant art style, Whacktown looks like its offering something you can’t refuse.
It all sounds like over the top silliness, something I can really lean heavily into. It comes from publisher Funtails who gave us the wonderfully fun social deduction game Feed the Kraken, and most excitingly for me Whacktown will be designed by Daniel Piechnick, whose only other designing credit is the incredible art for one of my favourite games Radlands.
Looking at the cover art of Whacktown I can immediately see that neon style vibe from Radlands, so when I saw that Piechnick was involved in this game, I knew immediately it was one I had to keep an eye on.
Coming to a Whacktown near you
I can’t currently see a definitive release date yet, but so far all signs point to Whacktown coming in 2026, and I really can’t wait.
The rather ridiculous title aside, (one which I think might need a little rethink), it looks like a really fun game that I can see me and my friends loving as we soak in the sights of Whacktown.
I hope for some more information in the coming months, but if its anything like Daniel Piechnicks other work, I think its one which will immediately need to be added to my creaking board game shelf.
