If your group has ever wanted to play poker without the cash, the bluffing, or the actual competition, The Gang just landed on Board Game Arena. KOSMOS' cooperative card game launched on the free play-by-browser platform on 20 May 2026, which means you can teach it to your group across town, or your group across the country, without spending a penny.
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Find events near youThe Gang is a co-operative twist on Texas Hold'em for three to six players, designed by John Cooper and Kory Heath. You and your crew are professional thieves, and you crack each vault by playing poker without ever talking about your cards. Two pocket cards, then the Flop, Turn and River reveal in the usual order, but instead of betting you grab chips that signal how strong you think your hand is relative to everyone else's. After four rounds you flip your cards, and if the hands line up weakest to strongest in chip order, the vault opens. Mess up the ordering and you trip an alarm. Win three heists before three alarms and the loot is yours.
It's fast, around 20 minutes a game, age 10+, and currently sits at a respectable 7.55 on BoardGameGeek. Reviews have been mixed but generally warm; what nobody disagrees on is that the silent-coordination puzzle hits a different nerve than any other cooperative game out there.
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Set up your group for freeThe Board Game Arena port credits KOSMOS, the original designers, and BGA contributors darhf and BoucleMed for the build. It's the kind of game that benefits from a no-pressure first session before you spring £20 on a copy, ideal for a Tuesday evening when half your group has bailed.
If you fancy gathering a regular online crew for nights like this, find a community on Backseat Gamer and book yourselves in.
Sources: Board Game Arena | Meeple Mountain
