Bang! (drama game)

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This article is about the Bang! drama game. For more uses of the word Bang, please see Bang (disambiguation).

Bang! (also known as Splat! amongst other variants) is a drama game, in which players stand in a circle and shoot each other with imaginary guns.

The objects of the game include enhancing concentration skills and reaction time as well as helping groups of people remember each other's names.

[edit] Rules

The workshop leader/director or other nominated person does not join the circle. Each remaining player holds an imaginary gun in each hand, pointed at the adjacent player.

The leader will call out a player's name. If he/she calls "John" then John must duck to avoid being shot. The players either side of John must shout "Bang!" One of the following then occurs:

John fails to duck in time so has been shot and is out;
One or other of the players said "bang" after the other and has therefore been shot and is out;
John ducked in time and both shooters said "bang" simultaneously. No-one is out and play continues.

If someone accidentally ducks or shoots when they were not supposed to be doing so then they are also out.

Once a player is out they should sit in the circle where they were standing. The players next to them now have a different player adjacent to them and must react to their name instead of the shot player's name.

When only two players remain, they must stand back-to-back in the centre of the circle as in an old-fashioned duel of honour. If the leader shouts either of their names, both players must turn and shoot, the quickest on the draw winning the game. If the leader shouts any other names, both players must take a step forwards.

[edit] Variants

Many people play this game as Splat! In this version, the imaginary guns are replaced by imaginary custard pies. This is a good idea when playing with younger children or in an area with a high level of or sensitivity to gun crime. Players must yell "Splat!" instead of "Bang!" - otherwise the rules are identical.

One possible addition to "Bang!" is that when a player is shot they act out an elaborate death, as in some versions of Wink Murder. This includes an element of acting and imagination to the game.