The game is played by four to seven players (three to eight players with variants and expansions). Each player takes one of the following roles:
Sheriff (x1)
Deputy Sheriff (x0, x1 or x2)
Outlaw (x2 or x3)
Renegade (x1, x2 with expansions)
Each player also receives a unique character card with special abilities and a certain amount of 'bullets' (i.e. life-points).
The objective of the game is different for every role:
the Outlaws must kill the Sheriff;
the Sheriff and his Deputies must kill the Outlaws and the Renegade(s);
each Renegade's objective is to be the last character in play. The Renegade(s) must kill all the characters with the sheriff being the last one dead.