Tammany Hall is a board game of backstabbing, corruption, temporary alliances and taking power at all costs. If you want to rule New York, you are going to need to play the cities growing immigrant populations against one another. Help the immigrant groups who owe you political favors, call in those favors to slander your rivals and win election.

In Tammany Hall, players help immigrants settle in New York, collect political favors from those immigrant groups, send ward bosses into Manhattan to secure votes and slander political opponents. An election is held at the end of every fourth year, and the player who uses his power base best will be elected mayor. The Mayors grip on the city is tenuous at best. After every election, the Mayor must pay off his political rivals by placing them in offices that they can wield to try and take control of the city. Every player is your friend, every player is your enemy.