Seven Dragons

 If "Dominoes" and "Fluxx" had a baby, it would play a lot like Seven Dragons, a refreshed version of Andy Looney's 1998 game Aquarius. Seven Dragons features beautiful fantasy artwork by Larry Elmore and is extremely simple to learn and play - you can have fun with players as young as three, by starting with the basic color matching concept and adding in new rules one at a time. The idea is simply to get seven adjacent dragons of your color (your color is a secret at first, but it's not hard to figure out who's going for what). There are cards to switch hands or switch goals or to move or "zap" a card (return it to your hand), which will inject a nice dose of chaos and keeps the game from becoming simply dominoes with cards. But the proceedings are not as wacky as with Fluxx, and there's a lot less reading needed. Many players, especially the younger set, will prefer the straightforward play of Seven Dragons to the mania of Fluxx. And did I mention the artwork? I love it - it adds a touch of fantasy elegance to what is in essence a purely abstract game.

Every game collection needs games that are quick and easy to teach and play, and Seven Dragons has these attributes. It's easy enough for families with young children, but holds some interest for gamers too. This is a solid casual game for families and friends alike. I hope you'll give it a spin and see what you think! You can purchase the game or find out more at the Looney Labs website. (Note, there is also a FAQ you can refer to if you have questions when you play).





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