Bandida is Bandido’s big sister. With more gameplay in the box and even more fun to have with combining Bandido if you have it for a bigger game. All of which we will go over here. There are 3 modes of play to the game that we will go over, the first mode is the same as playing Bandido. This means that you can skip setup, tile placement and Mode 1 sections if you are already familiar with playing Bandido.
Just like Bandido, Bandida is a cooperative game that can be played between 1 and 4 players. The game works exactly the same no matter the player count. This is because the game ends when the deck runs out or you win. The player count doesn’t change the proceedings. The winning conditions slightly change depending on the mode you are playing but the way in which you play the game turn by turn remains the same.
Set Up
Set up for Bandida is super easy. Just place the ‘super’ card on the table in either side. It is the thicker one with the locked up Bandida on it. One side has 5 exits and one side has 6 exits. It doesn’t make a lot of difference in terms of gameplay, one is slightly more difficult to win with, but with good communication, both can be accomplished.
If you are playing game mode 1 then remove the card with the ladder on it from the deck. You won’t be needing that. If you are playing game mode 2 then keep it in as it is part of your win condition. Shuffle all the cards together and form a deck. Deal 3 cards to each player. If there is an alarm on the back of one of the cards then shuffle it back into the deck and draw a new card.
That is it!
Game Mode 1
Game mode 1 is the base version of the game. The same game as Bandido. Each player takes turns placing tiles onto the board. The idea in this game mode is to try and close each of the tunnels to try and stop the bandida from escaping prison. Placing tiles will open up new paths and close others, so working together to try and construct the best system will be necessary.
You can place a tile in any position that is legal. Tile placement will be discussed further on. And after you play a tile, you draw a new one and end your turn.
If at any point you have successfully closed all tunnels, then you win!
If you run out of cards then you lose. If you still have even a single open tunnel at the end, then you lose.
Game Mode 2
In this game mode, the idea is that you are trying to help the bandida escape. In order to achieve this, you will need the card with the ladder on the board. So, make sure you remember to shuffle it in the deck. In this game mode, you will need to close all exits the same as in game mode 1, but you also need to have the tile down with the ladder. You need to achieve both of these conditions in order to win. It is a slightly harder game to achieve a victory in but offers up a change of pace if you are a champion of game mode 1. They really should have came up with actual names for these modes.
You play out each turn in the exactly the same way.
Losing conditions are the same as game mode 1.
Game Mode 3
Game mode 3 is where the chaos starts. It is only playable if you have the ‘super card’ from the Bandido game. You also need the ladder tile. Shuffle both of these into the deck. The idea behind this game mode is that you need to help both the bandida and the bandido escape. The super card is used as a normal card, you need to place it down, and then subsequently proceed to close off the tunnels it opens up. You need to make sure you connect both the bandido and the bandida together and connect them both to the ladder tile. Do this and close off all other tunnels and you win!
Just to clarify, you only shuffle the starting tile from Bandido into the deck. You do not shuffle the rest of the cards from Bandido into the deck.
Losing conditions remain the same.
Communication
With this being a cooperative game, communication is key. But it is also limited. You are allowed to talk to each other but you aren’t allowed to show your cards or tell other players about the cards that you have.
Cards
If you have played Bandido then the new cards and symbols on them will be new to you. So, I think it is important to showcase them in their own section and explain them and the effects they have on the game. They are all used and played in every game mode.
There are 2 new types of cards. There are object cards and alarm cards. The alarm cards have the backs of them marked, so you can see them coming on the top of the deck. When you draw an alarm card you have to play it immediately. Even if you draw it from other card effects. After you play an alarm card, do its action and then redraw another card so you are not ever down on cards. Alarm cards effect all players. Object cards are also mandatory, but you get to choose when to play them.
There are two different alarm cards. The one with the -1 card has every player discarding a card and NOT redrawing. Everyone now has one less card in hand to work with. The one with the -5 on it has you discard the top 5 cards from the deck. If the ladder card or the
bandido card can not be discarded, take cards until there are 5 that are not either of them instead and then shuffle them back into the deck.
There are five different object cards. The backpack card lets you draw an extra card at the end of your turn, you then have one extra card in your hand for the rest of the game. The dynamite card lets you play another card immediately after placing that one and redraw 2 at the end of your turn. The shovel card makes you play all of your cards, then drawing 3 cards at the end of your turn. The map card lets you remove 3 cards already in play. They can not be cards that would separate the tunnels into different sections however. The water bottle stops all communication until it is the turn of the player who played the water bottle again.
Tile Placement
Tile Placement is incredibly simple. So long as you place a tunnel that connects to another tunnel then it is legal. The only time that it is not legal is if a tunnel is blocked. It is also worth noting that you can soft lock yourself if you place a tile down with a tunnel leading into a small space. It is a legal placement, technically, but it will mean you wont be able to win the game.
That is it!
That is all you need to know to play Bandida. It is a simple game that can offer a lot of fun with the right crowd. Happy gaming!
