- BGG rank
- BGG #17,054
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Cat Ladies of Maple St.
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2022
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- BGG #17,553
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Magic Dragons
2022
Rules assistance for Magic Dragons
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20–50 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Magic Dragons
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Magic Dragons is a board game released in 2022 for 2–5 players, 20–50 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Brian Sweet and Rob Sweet and its main mechanics are Ladder Climbing and Predictive Bid.
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About the game
Make bids to capture the correct amount of dragon clans and outwit your opponents in Magic Dragons. In this trick-taking adjacent game, you will be working on as many as 5 or more “tricks” at a time, using your hand of 7 cards with the goal of winning 0 to 4 tricks each round. Each trick consists of a stack containing one clan (color) of dragon. Control of each clan stack (trick) is determined by who played the highest dragon card on that clan stack. But your opponents may have spell cards in their hand that they can use to freeze, destroy, or suddenly change the color of any dragon clan stack. Play continues in multiple rounds until at least one player attains a cumulative total of at least 40. Points are gained for controlled clan stack cards and matching your bid prediction for the number of controlled stacks. Points are lost for cards remaining in hand at the end of the round. Each round is a full refresh: the whole deck is reshuffled, hands dealt, and new bids made. In each round, players place cards one at a time, in turn order. Unlike traditional trick-taking card games where all players play for one trick at the same time, in Magic Dragons each player in turn may play on any active stack (trick) or may be able to create a new stack. Control of all stacks is determined at the end of the round when all players have placed all the cards that they can from their hand for this round. Points are then scored at the end of the round.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Sweet Bros Games
Questions and answers
Magic Dragons supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Magic Dragons is 20–50 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Magic Dragons for ages 9 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Magic Dragons has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Magic Dragons belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Ladder Climbing and Predictive Bid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Magic Dragons are: Brian Sweet and Rob Sweet. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Magic Dragons as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.