Introduction
I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Dragonlings! This is a beautiful card driven game for 1-6 players that takes about fifteen minutes per player. The game is beautifully illustrated by Chris Andrea Nash who is also one of the designers. The game is designed by Chris and Erinn Webb, and it is published by B+Up Games. The game is coming to Kickstarter, and it's one that I don't want to miss!
In Dragonlings, you are a dragon trainer. You will be guiding adorable hatchlings to majestic adults while hoarding treasure to gain the most victory points at the end of the game. The game scales and plays well at every count. The box is compact, which makes it easy to sneak anywhere! Bar game? Impromptu family night? I got you covered 🫣
Components 🐉
Please note that this review is based on a prototype, so components and rules may change. With that said, I was impressed at the quality of the components. The cards are gorgeous!
Compact Box 📦: A conveniently sized square box that’s easy to store and transport,
with an efficient insert to keep everything secure
7 Dragon Egg Tokens and Egg Counter Cards 🥚: Bright and colorful. These tokens go over the egg counter card. You'll use the eggs to hatch dragons and for victory points at the end of the game. Everyone gets one dragon egg token
Hatchling Cards: The beautiful dragons you'll need to hatch to create your towers. They come in three colors (green, blue, and red)
Dragon Cards 🐲: Each dragon card is beautifully illustrated. Cards range from level 2-5 and some naughty cards have a level 0
Treasure Cards: Treasure hoards will give you victory points anywhere from 0-3 per card
Trainer Cards: individual, assymetric, and unique goals that score you points at the end of the game
Set Up
Give each player:
7 dragon cards
Egg counter cards with a matching egg token
At random, a Trainer Card
Rules card
Place the egg on number 2 at the egg counter
Depending on how many players, you'll be growing 2-5 dragons
Choose who'll go first, and start the game
Gameplay 🎲
In Dragonlings, you’re managing a growing group of dragons while balancing eggs and treasure resources. On your turn:
Draw: start your turn by drawing a card from your hand
Wake: up all your dragons and cure all the growing pains
Play in any order:
Hatch: use your eggs to bring as many new dragons into the world as you can afford (each hatchling costs one egg)
Grow: level up a dragon and put it sideways to symbolize that it is now growing, or
Use: one ability per dragon called tower per turn. Once used, turn the card to symbolize that this dragon is napping
Lastly, you may play a dragon card from your hand and discard it to use its ability
Exchange: any four number of dragons, eggs, and treasures for one other resource. There are some cards that make the change go down to 2:1, so I'd be on the lookout for those cards
Discard down to 7 dragon cards. Hatchlings count as dragons in your hand
During the game, you'll keep in mind your Trainer card, and will be exchanging tokens and treasure as you go. This will help you expand and grow your dragon family. You'll be balancing between collecting treasure and leveling up your dragons. There’s something magical in balancing your Dragons’ growth while managing their growing pains.
Dragon Abilities and Growing Pains
Each Dragon gains special abilities as it grows, bringing variety and strategic decisions. But, be prepared: when Dragons level up, they experience growing pains and can’t use their new powers until they’ve rested. This mechanic makes you think ahead—when do I evolve a dragon without risking my game plan?
Treasure and Token Strategy 💰
The game’s economy revolves around eggs and treasures. You'll need to balance these carefully. If you overspend or focus too much on one resource, your Dragon Towers might suffer. Swapping tokens adds a nice strategic layer that keeps the game exciting.
Modes of Play 🧩
Dragonlings comes with several game modes that expand its replayability:
Free for All: Compete individually to have the most Victory Points. These was my favorite way of playing the game
Teams: Work together in pairs, combining treasure hoards and coordinating dragon powers
Solitaire: I do not play solo, but the idea of playing against yourself sounds intriguing
Key Features
The mix of strategy and resource management makes every turn meaningful
Each Dragon’s unique abilities provide fun decision making moments. Cards are unique and dynamic. You'll be able to get discounts for getting terasures, peek at cards, steal eggs, etc
The growing pain mechanic is both challenging and rewarding
Managing the color matching rules for building Dragon Towers can be tricky—each dragon has to match the original hatchling’s color, but as the levels go up, there are multi-colored and rainbow dragons
The Egg and Treasure system is a delicate balance; it’s easy to overspend, so be cautious!
Final Thoughts 🏆
Dragonlings strikes a perfect balance between strategy and lighthearted fun. It’s accessible for young and new players. The game is beautiful and engaging for seasoned gamers. The game is easy to learn, and has enough paths to victory to make it addictive. Whether you're training dragons solo or gathering friends and family for a game night, this one is a treasure worth exploring!
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