Red Dragon Inn is one of the most popular types of card game where players use decks that depict a particular character.
The game involves drinking, fighting, gambling and cheating but only in the game. The player who still stands at the end in consciousness and with cash, wins the game.
The basic game involves 4 characters – Fiona, Gerki, Zot, and Deirdre. So a minimum of 2 players and a maximum of 4 players can play the game. Keep reading further to know more about how to play red dragon inn and red dragon inn rules.
- Red Dragon Inn aim – The goal of Red Dragon Inn is to outlast your friends in a rambunctious night of drinking (No actual drinking needed). The winner has to be the player who is conscious and has cash with them.
- Total number of players – The game can be played with as many decks as you own. At least two players are needed and the base game comes with four decks for four players.
- Game Materials – 4 decks corresponding to individual characters (Fiona, Gerki, Zot, Deirdre), 4 mats for players, A Drink Deck of cards, 4 red markers for fortitude, 4 clear markers for alcohol content, Gold pieces
- Game Type – Deck based Strategy game
- Game Audience – Teens and adults
How to Setup Board Game?
- In order to setup red dragon Inn board game, you rill have to first shuffle the deck and keep it at a position where all players can have access to it.
- The players are then to take a character deck, a red marker, a clear marker and a mat.
- All players will shuffle their character decks. Then place the clear marker on the Zero on the play mat and the red marker on 20.
- Now collect 10 gold from the supply.
- All players get their mat to put their character deck, discard pile as well as a place for the drink pile.
- Now each player takes a card from the drink deck without taking a look at it and then put it down in their own drink me pile.
- All the players have to draw a 7 card hand and choose somebody to go first. Here the game starts.
How to Play?
The game of Red dragon inn is played in 5 phases. All of these are mentioned below in the required sequence –
1. Discard and Draw Cards
Every player begins their turn by choosing if they want to discard a card. After the player discards or doesn’t, he is required to draw 7 cards.
In case the player has 7 or more than7 cards in hand, then no cards are needed to be drawn.
No cards are played in this phase. If a player draws the last card of their deck, they can reshuffle the discard pile and put back the draw deck section of their mat.
2. Action Phase
In this phase, a player can play an action card. Such cards that have the word action printed on them are known as Action Cards.
In order to play action cards, the players have to read the title on the card, take time to respond and then complete the action the card allows to do and lastly discard the card.
For instance, if you get a ‘Gambling? I am in’ card, you will have to start a gambling round. You can always skip action card phase.
3. Buy Drinks
The next phase is the Buying Drinks phase where the player has to draw a card from the Drink Deck without looking at it and then put it on somebody else’s drink me pile. This does not require you to pay gold.
4. Drinking Phase
In this phase, the player has to draw and drink the top card from their drink me pile. Depending on the symbol given on the card you will mark.
If you get a heart, you will move your life, that is the red marker, that many spaces backward or forward depending on if you get a plus or a minus.
The same applies for tankard symbol. Only here, you will move the clear marker in the same way. Once you have completed the action given on the card, you can then discard it in the drink deck discard pile.
5. End of Turn
Once you are done with the drinking phase, your turn ends and the player to your left begins with their turn.
Who wins Red Dragon Inn?
The player who stays conscious and with money till the end, wins Red dragon inn card game.
Other Cards – Sometimes, Anytime cards
Apart from the Action cards, the game also has Sometimes and Anytime card.
1. Sometimes Card
For this one, you have to read what the card says. These cards are named so for a reason being that they are played only under specific conditions which are needed to be met so as to make the card useful.
If you fulfill the conditions, you can then read what’s written on the sometimes card, give the players some time to respond and then follow the instructions given on the card and discard the card into your discard pile.
2. Anytime Card
Anytime card, as the name says itself, can be played any time at any players turn, even if it means interrupting other players.
All you have to do is read the title of the card, give other players the time to respond and then follow the instructions given on the card. Once you are done, you have to discard it in the discard pile.
Gambling
Gambling is one of the special events in the game where players get the chance to play cards outside of their turn.
When a player plays a card which commands to start gambling, all the players are required to put an ante of one gold in the pot.
Next, the player to the left of the one who started the gambling in the first place, starts the gambling. Note that, if somebody does not want to, they can pass their turn. This would not imply that they are out of the gambling round.
Some cards allow the players to perform special things in gambling. For example, the “raise” card, that allows every player who is still in the gambling round, passed or not, will pay another gold into the pot.
Another one such card is the Winning hand card, through which, having a cheat card is the only way another player can take control of the round from you.
The cheat cards allow players to take the control of a gambling round irrespective of whether a winning hand was played or not.
Lastly, if a player wants to leave the gambling round, there are only 2 ways they can do so –
- Cards that will allow players to leave a round of gambling.
- Force other player out of the gambling round.
When a player takes control of the gambling round, and the round gets back to them, which means all players either passed or could not play, then that player wins.
This won player then collects the gold and the player who played the gambling card in the first place then continues with their turn.
Rules
The rules booklet you get with the Red dragon inn game comprises of additional rules at the last two pages. These rules are mainly for some particular situations and cards.
They also cover some advanced rules and extra drinking rules which are not used in the basic game. So if you wish to add a modification or play red dragon inn variant, you can check these rules.
That was all about Red Dragon Inn. I hope you have all found the article of use. In case of any doubts or questions about the game, feel free to let us know in the comment section below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Playing!
