- BGG rank
- BGG #380
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire
- 1–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #701
- BGG rating
- 7.6
River of Gold
2024
Rules assistance for River of Gold
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for River of Gold
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
River of Gold is a board game released in 2024 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Keith Piggott and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Ownership.
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About the game
From the Spine of the World Mountains to the bustling fishing villages of Earthquake Fish Bay flows a river where fortunes can be made and lowly traders can brush shoulders with Rokugan's elite. Will your clan become the dominant force along this River of Gold? In River of Gold, players take on the role of river merchants allied with legendary samurai clans, each vying to exploit the river to earn wealth, glory, and wisdom. Will you invest in developing ports, markets, shrines, and more along the banks of the busy river? Or will you rely upon sailing the river of gold, growing your wealth and influence through delivery contracts, visiting the nobility, and garnering a bit of divine favor during tough times? River of Gold features a stunning embossed metallic gold game board illustrated by master fantasy cartographer Francesca Baerald. In addition to looking beautiful, the gameplay is fast and clever, with minimal downtime and a playtime of just one hour. Fans of Eurogames will enjoy this mid-weight game, and with easy-to-learn, intuitive rules, you’ll be able to get River of Gold to your table quickly. —description from the designer
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- Gémklub
- KOSMOS
- White Goblin Games
- Emperor Penguin Games
- Office Dog
Questions and answers
River of Gold supports 2–4 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 River of Gold is 60–90 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 River of Gold for ages 14 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.
River of Gold has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
River of Gold belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Economic, and Travel. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Roll / Spin and Move, and Ownership. 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 River of Gold are: Keith Piggott. 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 River of Gold 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.