In Dragon's Gold, each player controls a team of dragon hunters (two knights, a thief, and a wizard). Like all dragon hunters, they have only one goal: gold, silver, jewels and magic objects. As for actually killing a dragon? It's a piece of cake. But the most difficult part comes after the dragon is dead: the adventuring party has to figure out how to share the spoils.
As soon as a dragon is overpowered, then some additional gems are revealed, and the players who had participated in that hunting party start a negotiation over how to divvy up the gems. If the sixty-second sand timer runs out, then no one gets treasure. When all of the dragons have been slain and the treasure claimed or discarded, the game ends and players score for their holdings, with silver and magic objects worth 1 point each, gold worth 3, the Black Diamond worth 7, and the colored gems scoring 10-15 points for those players who hold more than everyone else. (In the Advanced game, the colored gems score 8-12 points in addition to a variety bonus of 5 points for each set of different colored gems a player holds. The Black Diamond is worth 19 points [in the 2011 edition], but negates a player's score for all colored gems.)
- mean but engaging negotiation
- strong social friction for bigger groups
- treasure distribution and bargaining
- dragon-guarded treasure and negotiation
- negotiation-heavy with a timer
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- negotiation — players negotiate how to split treasure before time runs out
- Simultaneous resolution — timed phase determines who gets what
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- cartographers that's got a solo mode doesn't it
- I'd like to play the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shadows of the Past I've got that game it works brilliantly for five players
- Twilight Struggle there we go
- Fantasy Realms nice little portable card game simple to teach lots of nice strategy
- this dragon's gold now
- that game is the meanest game I think I've got
- Power Grid plays with six and it's quite good with bigger numbers but I'm rubbish at it
- Pitch Out flicking game really good totally overlooked
- self-serving because it is my own design but would play a nice three-player game of Doodle Rush
- rock paper wizard that's what I'd go for
- I've changed a lot over the years didn't enjoy killer bunnies
- Ticket to Ride is very predictable isn't it
- Identic that's what I'd go for duplic or identic it's the same game
- the most complex games that I have are Dominant Species and Poseidon
- Poseidon that's a heavy economic game an introductory 18xx game
- I could easily imagine a bunch of six to eight year olds asking to play Monopoly that would ruin my day
References (from this video)
- engaging negotiation with real stakes
- social dynamic can be highly entertaining
- negotiation can become harsh or feel bullying
- requires trust among players
- negotiation and treasure distribution
- dragon-guarded treasure
- dramatic negotiation with tactical voting
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- lock-in of distribution — If agreement cannot be reached, no one gets anything.
- negotiation — Players bargain to divide treasure after dragon defeat.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the interaction essentially comes from sitting around a table and working on this puzzle together and then comparing your relative skill
- it's interesting to see where Cooperative games are going now
- these are the true solo games you could play by yourself with no problems at all
References (from this video)
- Memorable negotiation dynamics
- Early bully tactics can be funny or sour depending on players
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- negotiation / resource division — dragons with treasure; players play treasure-tacking cards; time-limited negotiation to divide treasure
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- i absolutely love cockroach poker
- the big moments and the big swings are quite satisfying
- i find these games hilarious
- i really like the game huh or hein
- watching the value of things change
- the moment when that tower collapses it's exciting
References (from this video)
- High player interaction during negotiation
- Fast-paced and chaotic, easy to teach
- Memorability via gem tracking and end scoring
- Quirky artwork and theme add charm
- Swingy power gaps between cards
- Luck and uncertainty in loot placement
- Gem color distinctions can be hard to judge
- Some production quality concerns (paint on gems)
- Triumph through teamwork, negotiation, and resource management
- Fantasy realm where dragon slayers collect treasure from defeated dragons
- Humorous, chaotic, social interaction driven
- Once Upon a Time
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Character abilities (wizard and thief) — Wizard grants extra items on negotiation; Thief can steal a treasure; combined use allows strategic choice
- Dragon combat with power vs defense — Assign hero characters to dragons; sum of character powers must meet or exceed dragon defense to slay
- Fast play and modular luck — Short rounds with variable luck in loot and placement adds chaos and excitement
- Market card and 60-second trading timer — A trading phase where players have 60 seconds to swap loot
- Memory element in end scoring — Remember which players hold most of each gem type to maximize end scoring
- Negotiation and loot division — If multiple teams participate in a dragon's death, loot is negotiated or the timer runs out and spoils may be lost
- Treasure generation and scoring — Treasure drawn from bag and placed on the dragon's card when slain; end scoring by gem types and sets
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Dragon's Gold is a riot.
- All in all, I think it's a solid filler between games and it gets 7.5 gems out of 10.
- Don't agree. It's a bad deal. He's scamming you.