American Outlaws: The Dillinger Gang

An edutainment storygame by Will11

Commended by BerkaZerka on 3/3/2017 8:51:24 AM

Player Rating6.55/8

"#60 overall, #3 for 2017"

Based on 189 ratings since 02/28/2017
Played 3,022 times (finished 234)

Story Difficulty4/8

"March in the swamp"

Play Length5/8

"Not going to lose any sleep"

Maturity Level3/8

"Must be at least this tall to play"

Contains content that may not be suitable for persons under age 10. If this were a movie, it would probably be between G and PG.

Tags

Based Off A True Story

Part of Series

Western

It is 1933 and America is in its fourth year of Depression. There is widespread anger at the banks and at the forces of justice. Against this backdrop the charismatic and carefree John Dillinger has emerged to lead a gang of hardened bank robbers and killers in challenging the American Government and the newly-formed FBI. You are one of his gang who rob the wealthiest banks in the country to buy the best life has to offer. The forces of justice will relentlessly pursue you and it is only by surviving deadly gunfights and high-speed chases that you will be able to stay ahead of them... Author's Note: Though the next story in this series should be Butch Cassidy's Hole in the Wall Gang I decided to skip forward a bit and write about a smaller group operating in a different time than my previous two stories which were set in the Old West. Dillinger was one of the closest examples of a Robin Hood type criminal that America has yet produced and I hope the reader enjoys reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Player Comments

GUNFIGHTS is 13.
INJURED is 3.
KILLED is 6.
ROBBERIES is 12.
SCORE is 164200.

Turns out im a great outlaw, didn't die once. Plus I like how at the end of the story John wants me to surrender with him in California, like bro iv killed six people XD. Feels weird being the last outlaw in the Dillinger gang. Great story truly enjoyed it

— Sam on 1/13/2025 9:08:37 AM with a score of 164200

So while this game was very well written and deserves a respectable rating, it just didn't really captivate me the same way the first two did.

There were some differences between this game and the previous ones, namely less opportunities to kill. Although considering that was a complaint in previous games, I don't blame you for cutting it out.

I did have sympathy for the protagonist, after all, there were very few ways to make money during the Great Depression outside of committing crimes.

Ultimately, it does well as a standalone, but tends to fall flat when compared to its' predecessors.

— benholman44 on 7/18/2024 10:52:33 PM with a score of 132400

i love it more please like this outlaw are my favourite book

— NeonCatYT on 4/3/2024 12:26:44 PM with a score of 157800

GUNFIGHTS is 15.
INJURED is 6.
KILLED is 9.
ROBBERIES is 12.
SCORE is 156700.

— ham119910cys on 6/13/2023 9:16:15 AM with a score of 156700

Hell yeah

— tjp623 on 2/10/2022 6:08:19 PM with a score of 132400

So anyway, I started blasting.

— verne50 on 8/28/2021 7:46:54 AM with a score of 152300

The story was great rather enjoyable it had some very interesting aspects it was a wonderful read I love the details and the actual true choice, some of these games I've played are broken and the whole story is a railroad for one purpose like the one I was playing earlier but this author has a truly interesting style to the way they make their stories and the choices you make actually mean something. Find it so annoying when you play a game of choice and if you don't choose the exact choice the author wanted you to you're instantly dead, this game does not do that this game lets you make choices and discover paths and it's a very interesting game I definitely recommend it.

— The_Crypt_Keeper on 8/22/2021 3:41:44 PM with a score of 164200

Public enemy number one

— Boris Saxewtha on 3/3/2021 10:57:05 AM with a score of 156700

This was certainly an enjoyable game.

The great depression was a fascinating moment in American history and the gangsters that emerged from that time period have always fascinated me. Being part of one of those notorious gangs is a fantastic concept and I feel like Will11 pulled it off nicely.

The robberies are intense and exciting, the choices are unpredictable but fair and the endings are well thought out and satisfying. The dialogue and atmosphere reflects the time period well, and the action scenes pack enough weight to be entertaining.

While this was indeed an interesting read, the fascinating real life characters are never fleshed out as well as they could be and end up seeming like little more than famous names that will inevitably die throughout the story. John Dillinger was an extremely interesting figure and it is a shame the gamebook only gleams the surface of his personality. This was well written, only let down by a few stilted sentences and awkward grammar.

American Outlaws: The Dillinger Gang was a worthwhile read and an enjoyable experience. 6/8