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Games Featuring Dragons

Who doesn't love dragons, especially in a board game??

Dragons appear in the legends and folklore of cultures around the world, and the hero’s  journey to kill a dragon is widespread. In Western cultures, dragons are most often depicted as gigantic and monstrous creatures, having horns, four legs, wings, and the ability to breathe fire. 

Thanks to the many stories from modern literature from Tolkein’s The Hobbit, LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea, McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, and even Pratchett’s Discworld series, we have a shared and common vision of what makes up a dragon—and what makes up a dragon also makes up an interesting board game.

Here is a sampling of games that feature dragons as essential parts of the game.

Dungeons & Dragons

2004

The basic gaming system of the first game you likely think of when you hear “dragons”.

Dragonland

2020

Dragons have been storing their treasures in volcanoes—volcanoes that are about to erupt. Help them to rescue more loot than your opponents.

Dragons

2018

You and your fellow dragons will collect all sorts of goodies in this card-based, set collection game by Bruno Faidutti.

Defenders of the Realm

2010

A co-operative game where players take on the roles of heroes trying to defend the lands against Orcs, the Undead, Demons, and, of course, Dragons.

Wyvern

1994

One of the first collectable card games to follow Magic: The Gathering, Wyvern sees opponents trying to eliminate your opponent’s battlefield of all terrain and dragons.

Dragonwood

2015

Collect Adventurer cards to earn dice to roll against your foes throughout an ever-changing landscape.

The Hobbit

2010

Reiner Knizia’s take on the J.R.R. Tolkien classic novel, featuring Middle Earth’s own Smaug the Dragon.

Dragon's Gold

2001

Play as Dragon Hunters to gain the riches from dragons—then figure out how to divide the spoils.

Tatsu

2016

A two-player game where you’re trying to control three types of dragon pieces to eliminate your opponent from the board.

Dragon Racer

2015

A card drafting game where collecting the right sets of cards moves your dragons further down the track.

Aladdin’s Dragons

2000

Players perform blind bidding to cast spells, steal treasure from dragons, and purchase artifacts.

Seven Dragons

2011

Looney Lab’s game where you’ll play cards to create a connected territory of seven panels from your secret dragon color

Dragon Strike

2002

Escape from the dragon’s cave with loot, but watch out for the mechanical dragon’s swinging, segmented neck!

About the author

Tom Franklin

By day, I'm a mild-mannered IT Manager with a slight attitude. By night I play guitar & celtic bouzouki, board games, and watch British TV. I love abstracts, co-ops, worker placement and tile-laying games. Basically, any deep game with lots of interesting choices. 

You can find my middle grade book, The Pterrible Pteranodon, at your favorite online bookstore.

And despite being a DM, I have an inherent dislike of six-sided dice.

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