Tiger And Dragon

Categories: N/A

Mechanics: Hand Management, Team-Based Game

Players: 2–5

Ages: 8+

Playtime: 20 Min

In Tiger & Dragon, players use tiles from their hand to engage in waves of attack and defense. The objective is to be the first to empty your hand and score points based on one of ten scoring cards used in that round.

The game features 38 tiles: 36 numbered tiles (one 1, two 2s, etc., up to eight 8s) and two special tiles—Tiger and Dragon. Shuffle these tiles face down, then distribute them based on the number of players. For instance, with four players, the starting player draws ten tiles, while the other players draw nine each. One tile will remain unused.

Gameplay begins with the starting player attacking by playing a tile from their hand. The next player can either pass or defend the attack by playing the same tile. The Dragon can defend against any odd-numbered tile, while the Tiger defends against even-numbered tiles. After defending, players place their own tile to launch a new attack. If a player passes, the next player must decide to pass or defend. If all other players pass on your attack, place a tile from your hand face down and select a new tile to attack with. If you attack with the Dragon or Tiger, opponents can defend with any odd- or even-numbered tile, respectively.

The round ends when a player empties their hand, scoring points based on the last tile played and the round's specific scoring card. They also earn 1 bonus point for each attack of theirs that went undefended. The round winner is the player who scores 10 or more points.

Tiger & Dragon, inspired by the traditional Japanese game GOITA, can also be played with team rules where teammates sit across from each other, and the first team to collectively score the required points wins.