Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem Tabletop Review

Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem is a worker-placement and territory-management game set in the universe of the titular biker gang.


Published: July 21, 2015 11:00 AM /

Reviewed By:


Sons of Anarchy Men of Mayhem Cover Art with Grim Reaper in the centre, surrounded by the game's title

Get ready to pull a gun on your family.  Get ready to threaten, coerce, bribe, and pay off these same people, and be prepared to actually make those threats a reality when push comes to shove. Get ready to lead your gang of bad-ass bikers in a knockdown, drag-out war for dominance. In the world of Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem, each player is out for themselves, and there is no room for niceties when you have guns to run, Contraband to sell, and cash to stack.

What is Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem?

Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem, by Gale Force Nine, is based on the FX Sons of Anarchy show and pits 3-4 players against each other in a race to see who can gather the most cash before the game ends. Having seen the show is not mandatory to enjoy the game, as I haven't seen a single episode, yet the game, and its theme, drew me in immediately.

That theme, which pits each player in control of a motorcycle gang, or Club as the game calls them, is un-apologetically adult, from extreme violence and drug running to porn studios and brothels. Anyone who takes objection to the theme or is looking for a game to play with kids should give Men of Mayhem a pass, while everyone else should look forward to one of the best bang-for-your-buck games on the market today.

Each player takes control of one of the game's four Clubs, each with a unique ability and different starting assets. Players will be using their Club's Dudes to carry out actions, take control of locations and fight other players. Dudes can be either full-fledged Members or Recruits who are weaker than the Members and can be Patched Into the Club to become Members themselves. It is to each player's benefit to have as many Members as possible, as they are better in Throw Downs and also gives that player more Orders to issue each round. What starts as small groups of Dudes moving around the board can morph into large numbers of Dudes bumping heads and getting into bloody fights as the game progresses.

Worker Placement and Territory But In Disguise

Essentially a worker placement and area control game, Men of Mayhem's biker gang theme is what really makes the game shine. Every aspect of the game feels gritty, criminal, and rugged. Placing workers in a space in order to take that space's action is made far more interesting when the space is Irish Freddy's Tattoos, and you are Exploiting it to buy Contraband and get one of your Recruits a Tattoo in order to initiate them as a full Member of your Club. Competing for a location against another player's workers takes on a much darker tone when the workers are gangs of bikers going toe to toe, and someone decides to pull a gun, sending a Dude to the Emergency Room and drawing Heat from the cops.

The mechanics and the theme encourage players to interact off-board as well as on it. The number of locations available each round means that players will inevitably bump heads while trying to compete for those actions. This leaves a huge amount of room for players to bribe, threaten, coerce, and make deals with one another, which, in turn, leads to a huge amount of tension and fun as there is almost always at least one double-cross during a game. At any time, a spark can turn the smoldering tension in Men of Mayhem into an all-out bloody conflagration between players. The theme plays well to these interactions and encourages players to be devious, dishonest, and behave like criminals. It is incredibly fun to be able to step into the shoes of a criminal with a devil-may-care attitude and be as low down and dirty as you, please. Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem not only encourages players to do this but actively rewards them for it.

Further playing to the game's strengths is the fact that the game is played over only six rounds and that each player's Contraband, money, and guns are hidden behind their player screen. This means that players don't have time to sit back and avoid conflict if they want to win. It also means that players can bluff one another when making threats and deals, and players can never be quite sure if their opponent is going to pull guns in a Throw Down. Pulling off a successful bluff feels exquisite, while being called on a bluff when you can't back it up can be hilariously disastrous.

A Few Notes on Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem

A Note on Player Count

Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem can be played with fewer than four players, although the game gets better as more players are added. Currently, there are two Club expansions out that each adds an additional Club. Each Club expansion increases the total possible player count as well, and I highly recommend picking at least one of them up. Game length does increase directly with each additional player, but the amount of added tension and fun more than makes up for any downside that additional length might introduce.

A Note on “Chrome”

The components in Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem are great. Each Club has its own custom D6 in its color and with its club symbol etched on the '6' side of the die. The money, guns, and contraband pieces are really fun to play with, and the location boards are made of very thick cardboard. The price-to-component quality ratio of this game might be the best on the market.

Is Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem Worth Your Money?

Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem is amazingly fun. The theme and mechanics mesh flawlessly, and the game presents a tense inter-player struggle from the very first turn. The theme is intended for adults only, so kids and players that take issue with taking part in the game's criminal activities should stay away from it. Players who embrace the theme, especially players who enjoy games like Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery, will have a wonderful time with the game. Often going for less than $30, Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem is a steal for players who like competitive, thematic games.


The copy of Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem used in this review was provided by the publisher. This review was originally published on 07-21-2015. While care has been taken to update the piece to reflect our modern style guidelines, some of the information may be out of date. We've left pieces like this as they were to reflect the original authors' opinions and for historical context.

Review Summary

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twilliams
| Senior Writer

Maestro of cardboard and plastic, former Tabletop Editor. Now I mostly live in the walls and pop in unexpectedly from time to time. If you ever want to talk… More about Travis