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Photo
Courtesy – Louis Oliveira
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We’ve watched the movies and played the RPGs and
we think dragons are the most adorable fantasy creatures ever! But if you think
your kids spend way too much time playing those admittedly awesome online dragon games, it’s
time to drag them away from the screen. Here are four board games that will
make your family game night a playful success. So hold on to your seats – dragon-themed
board game bonanza ahead!
Dungeons
and Dragons Wrath of Ashardalon
Publisher – Wizards of the Coast
No. of players – 1 – 5
Suitable for ages – 10 and above
The second in a series of 3 D&D games, Wrath of
Ashardalon invites players to become intrepid adventurers as they embark on
this cooperative dungeon crawling game. As you enter deep into a dungeon, you
must overcome a variety of premade or community-made quests, in the guise of a
thief, rogue, wizard, warrior or cleric. Each quest has a different scenario
and goal; and this keeps the players engaged until the end.
Players must fend off monsters that block their path as
they turn over new tiles to seek out new dungeons to explore or go further into
the already explored parts. New monsters are continually added to keep
complacent players on their toes. You earn treasure and experience points for
every monster you kill, besides moving up levels and increasing your skill-set.
Cooperative play is essential for staying alive, killing the monsters and
achieving goals.
If you’ve ever played D&D, you’ll feel right at home
with its board game version!
How
to Train your Dragon
Publisher – DreamWorks
No. of players – 2 - 4
Suitable for ages – 4 and above
The fantasy world of the ancient Vikings comes alive,
complete with feisty Vikings and fire-breathing dragons! In the harsh climes of
Berk, fighting and slaying dragons is a rite of passage for Viking teenagers
and the dragon training center is the high school from which they must graduate
with flying colors to earn the respect and admiration of their peers.
The game is in the form of a 6-piece puzzle, a race
against time in which each player is assigned a color. Players must roll the
die and follow the instructions given on the space in which they land. The goal
is to reach the center of the board and each move will take you closer or
farther away from your destination. The player who manages to “train his
dragon” first wins the game.
So if you were looking for a fun Christmas gift for your
child, you can’t go wrong with How to
Train your Dragon!
Iron
Dragon
Publisher – Mayfair Games
No. of players – 2 - 6
Suitable for ages – 12 and above
If you always wanted a dragon to drive you around, this
crayon rails board game brings your fantasy to life with dragon-driven
locomotives, elves, trolls and fairies. Players must connect at least seven
major cities and collect 250 pieces of gold and build a railroad empire in the
process. You can earn money by delivering fantasy goods such as gems, wands,
spells and wine. This money can be used to build a more extensive rail network,
upgrading your trains and hiring more employees. Players interact only to
compete for routes, as only one player can own one route. You can use crayons
to draw your rail lines on the beautifully illustrated board making this one of
the most elaborate crayon rail games published by Mayfair Games.
A wonderful blend of fantasy, reality and reality, this
fun dragon game is perfect to teach youngsters some basic money management
skills.
Dragon
Valley
Publisher – Diamond K Games
No. of players – 2 - 4
Suitable for ages – 12 and above
The Kingdom must be defended against marauding dragons,
orc armies and aggressive goblins and Barons are the last hope of the King! Are
you up to the challenge? Players become Barons and must organize the King’s Aid
into troop caravans, build impenetrable defensive towers and use their special
abilities in order to reduce their enemies to rubble. But waging war is a
delicate job where you must keep your various groups of Aids – archers,
blacksmiths and warriors - on an even
keel lest your feudal rivals become too powerful. A wise Baron must use his
allotted Aid wisely by upgrading his troops, buying siege equipment and
building strong defenses.
A word of warning – Dragon Valley is not for the faint of
heart!
