Council of Dragons 2025

In Council of Dragons, players step into the scales of an Ancient Dragon Lord convening with three rival lords to determine who will rule dragonkind. Played using a standard 52-card deck, this 15-minute solo experience blends traditional trick-taking with hand management, deduction, and tactical bluffing across three days of intense political debates. Each day consists of three debates (tricks). Rival lords commit face-down speakers from their personal entourages, while influential Emissaries (Jacks and Queens) oversee the council floor. During the Emissary phase, players leverage visiting envoys to scout hidden rival cards, parlay with councilors, or recycle their hand. Player speakers are then committed strategically to each debate, where suit affinities and card synergies—such as low Aces turning into devastating strength 11 arguments when Elites (9s and 10s) are present—can swing the momentum of the council. To secure supremacy, you must claim the single highest card to win debates, capitalize on suit bonuses, and aim for clean daily sweeps to earn bonus council influence. Winning more debates than each rival individually grants a hard-fought minor victory, while beating all three opponents combined cements your absolute rule for aeons to come. For seasoned councilors, modular asymmetric powers introduce distinct abilities for each dragon lord, adding deeper tactical variety to every session.

—description from the designer