R&R Games Dragon Island Fantasy Exploration Game, Strategic Wizard Exploration Board Games for Adults and Teens

Took a chance because game was inexpensive. Sat down to play game with daughter. Open box, lots of beautiful, large tiles, many smaller cardboard tokens and chits, multicolored cubes, many wizard and dragon meeples, gold coins, even a Dragon Island felt bag. Oodles and oodles of stuff in the Box whose purpose I don’t understand. Read rules, read rules again, not really getting it. Start to play. Lay down a tile. Earn some multicolored cubes. Maybe some gold coins. Still not getting it. Lay down another tile. Draw a treasure card, don’t know how to use it. Place a dragon. Oh wait...I can tame this dragon for three gold, and it gives me a special ability. Hmm, kinda cool. Oh, and if I lay these color tiles together, I can combo them with the right treasure card and get Fame (victory points). Aha! With enough of the right color cubes, I can capture a dragon (or two!) for even more Fame! I can build buildings (still more Fame!), cause a tornado to blown away my opponents’ resources, use telekinesis, and more! Within 20 minutes, I’ve gone from being confused to being completely absorbed by how many different strategies to win this game offers. Before the first game is over, I realize what I’ve been doing wrong. Unfortunately for me, my daughter realized it before I did...AND SHE DEFEATS ME, 11-8! Noooooo! I must have my revenge! This game is flat-out amazing. Rarely have I been more entertained in my first play of a game. This is a hidden gem, for sure, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes their games a wealth of interlocking strategies and multiple paths to victory.