Dragonwood
We Play 2 Learn
Game Ratings
Overall
6
Young Kids
4
Older Kids
6
Adults
4
Overview
| Players | Playing Time | Best Age | Educational |
| 2 - 4 | 20 - 30 minutes | 8 - 14 | Addition Basic Probability |
| Skill | Luck | Strategy | Social | Game Type | Play Style |
| 40 | 60% | 70% | 30% | Cards/Dice | Competitive |
Dragonwood is a good game for a very specific age range. Kids between 8 and 14 will really enjoy the game, while older and younger can become frustrated with it. The artwork
is very well done and the game materials are high quality. It also has a fun fantasy theme (dragons, magic, etc) and has some basic role playing aspects to it. This is a game that feels
like is should be a lot of fun, but it hasn't quite lived up to that for our family. However, many other families have enjoyed this game.
While Dragonwood may not be quite as much fun as we'd like, it does have strong educational value. Basic addition is used constantly in this game, though be aware the addition may be too
simple for most kids that can fully play the game on their own. But we do have a suggestion for involving younger players in our Custom Rules section.
It also provides a good introduction to basic probability and is a crucial part of gameplay.
How to Play
Official Rules
The official rules are available from the manufacturer here. They are well explained including helpful illustrations.
Enhanced Rules
See our Custom Rules section for ideas on how to improve gameplay.
Fast Facts
How many players?
- Playable with 2-4
- Best with 2-4
What ages can play?
- Playable for ages 6 to Adult
- Best for ages 8 to 14
No single aspect of this game is overly complicated, but there are so many things to manage that it ends up being a little too much for younger kids. This is unfortunate because that is the age where the addition practice this provides would be most useful. On the upper end of the age range, older kids this will likely find this too simple and slow compared with other games available. However, for kids of the right level, this game does provide a nice mix of strategy and luck.
Can different skill levels or ages play together?
Yes, luck is a key part of this game. As long as all players understand the gameplay, no one will be at a large disadvantage.
How long does it take to play?
20 - 30 minutes
Will we get bored after a few games or does it have good replayability?
There are enough random elements (order of landscape cards, dice rolls, etc) that no two games will be exactly the same. So the target age range will find find it quite replayable.
Setup/Cleanup
How much work is it?
Setting up the Landscape deck will take a few minutes, but the rest of the game setup is quick. The whole cleanup process is quick and easy.
Would kids be able to do it on their own?
Kids old enough to play the game on their own can manage setup with no additional help.
Will parents have fun too...
...when playing with the kids?
Parents will not find this as fun as some other games we suggest, but there is enough going on to keep the game interesting.
...without the kids?
No, there are better options for adults with a similar play style.
Educational Value
What skills will this game help develop?
Addition
Basic addition is used all the time in this game. Most of the addition will use numbers between 1 and 4 (the numbers on the dice),
but players will need to do this a number of times on a turn. They will need to add multiple dice and any enhancements they have, typically totalling 15 or less.
And even before rolling any dice, players will need to decide which landscape card to go after by adding possible outcomes.
Basic Probability
When deciding which landscape card to attempt to capture, players will need to estimate the likely outcome from rolling multiple dice.
This is a great introduction to probably as it is so crucial to this game.
But will my kids actually have fun playing it?
Yes, if they're of the right age range.
Custom Rules
Shorten playing time
Use less landscape cards
This game can run a little long, especially if players have bad luck. However, it's very simple to shorten the game by using less landscape cards during setup.
To play with younger players
Play with adventurer cards faceup
One of the main problems for younger players is deciding which adventurer cards to use and with which attack. This decision
is what really makes the game interesting, but can be a bit much even for younger kids that are quite advanced. Playing with adventurer cards faceup allows a parent or older sibling to
provide advice and is probably required if kids less than 8 will be playing. This does not affect the overall gameplay too much either, as players do not use their adventurer cards against
one another.
Increase overall fun of the game
Remove single use enhancement cards from landscape deck
Enhancement cards are a great addition to the game, but some can be used the whole game and others only one time.
The single use cards just don't seem worth the difficulty and cost of acquiring them so we simply remove them as part of the game setup.
Do you use custom rules we haven't thought of? If you have found some other ways to customize the rules, please share them with us through our Contact page. We're always interested in new ways to improve gameplay.
Where to Buy
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