If your game night leans towards gentle, treasure-grabbing strategy rather than table-flipping conflict, Wonderbow Games' 8 Dragons deserves a look. It is a cosy competitive strategy game about leading a swarm of young dragons across the kingdoms, and it is funded and live on Kickstarter right now.
Stop juggling Meetup, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets. One platform for your gaming group's events, RSVPs, and member management.
See how it worksThe clever bit is the swarm itself. Your dragons flow around the board's two looping flight paths, and as Wargamer explains, a single swarm can scoop up dragons belonging to other players. That creates a "curious friction", in the designer's words, where you weigh which benefits you are happy to hand a rival against keeping your own plans on track. You spend your turns choosing actions for yourself and others, collecting gold, and expanding your lair with help from the local villagers. The aim is simply to build the most impressive horde by the end, completing missions along the way.
The look matches the mood. 8 Dragons swaps grimdark menace for what Wargamer calls a "bold yet gentle art style" that leans into the lighter side of fantasy, the sort of thing that lands well with a mixed group where not everyone fancies a three-hour war game.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeThe standard edition is £43 (around $58), with a £65 ($87) deluxe bundle that adds the Wondrous Places expansion, bringing scheming Kobolds and mysterious orbs into the mix. The Kickstarter campaign has already funded and closes on 6 July, so there is still a window to back it. If a friendly evening of dragon-hoarding sounds like your group's speed, round up your players on Backseat Gamer.
Sources: Wonderbow Games | Wargamer | Board Game Quest
