Dragonarium Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Key Concepts
• How to Play
  • Player Turns
  • I. Draft and Place a Territory Tile
  • II. Hatch Dragons
  • III. Move the Assistant
• Replenishing the Planning Site
• Game End
• B-Sides
  • Church Ruins
  • Lostwing Cliffs
  • Marble Quarry
  • Eternal Shrines
• Quickplay Guide
• Solo Rules
• Credits

Components

• 50 Territory tiles
• 4 Starting tiles
• 4 Dragonarium player boards (two-sided, with asymmetrical B-sides)
• 4 Assistants
• 48 Dragons (12 of each color: red, blue, green, gold)
• 120 Element stones (40 of each color: red, blue, green)
• 50 Pillar tiles
• 1 set of Dragon Eggs / first player token
• 1 Scorepad

Element stones and Pillar tiles are not limited. In the rare case that you run out, use a substitute. Dragons, however, are limited (see Hatch Dragons, below).

Setup

1. Take the Territory tiles according to the number of players (indicated by the icons on the back). Mix and place the Territory tiles face down.
   • 2 players: 26 tiles.
   • 3 players: add tiles for a total of 38 tiles.
   • 4 players: add tiles for all 50 tiles.
2. In a 2-player or 4-player game, randomly place 6 Territory tiles face up in a line; in a 3-player game, place 5 tiles. This forms the "Planning Site."
3. Place the Dragons, Element stones, and Pillar tiles within reach to make their respective supplies.
4. Each player takes and sets up a Dragonarium player board.
   • It is suggested that all players play either the "Library" side (recommended for your first game) or the asymmetric B-sides.
   • a. Place 1 random starting tile where indicated.
   • b. Place 1 Assistant where indicated.
5. Each player takes 3 Pillar tiles.
6. The last player to crack an egg is the first player (or choose randomly) and takes the Dragon Eggs.

Key Concepts

During the game, players choose and place Territory tiles on your player boards to build out a "Dragonarium." As tiles are placed, you expand domains both outwards and upwards. Here, a "domain" is a continuous group of connected squares (edge adjacent) of the same Territory type.

The four Territory types are fire (red), water (blue), air (green), and royal (gold).

Components of a Territory Tile: Each tile is two "squares."

• The territory type of the egg/Dragon that will be hatched.
• Squares that instead grant Pillar token(s) do not have a Territory type.
• The Territory type of the square itself.
• Element stone spaces that need to be filled to ready the egg for hatching.

When moving the Assistant around the Dragonarium board and for final scoring (both detailed later), players only consider the largest domain of each Territory type, namely which has the largest number of connected squares. Tip: scoring is "number of connected squares" multiplied by "height." So don't forget to build up!

To better expand your domains by interweaving them, however, players should consider not just the Territory type of the squares, but also any Dragons! As the game progresses, players may provide the Dragon eggs found on the Territory tiles with the Elements they need to hatch (detailed later). Newly hatched Dragons "nest" (placed by the player) on a square. That square may now be counted as having two Territory types: one for the square itself and one for the Dragon on top.

Example of largest domains: Fire: 6, Water: 1, Air: 5, Royal: 2.

How to Play

Dragonarium consists of twelve rounds, each of which has two phases: "Player Turns" and "Replenishing the Planning Site."

Player Turns

Starting with the player who has the Dragon Eggs and playing in a clockwise direction, each player takes a turn which includes three steps:

I. Draft and Place a Territory Tile II. Hatch Dragons III. Move the Assistant

I. Draft and Place a Territory Tile

CHOOSE: On your turn, choose any 1 Territory tile from the Planning Site.

PLACE: You must place the chosen tile onto your Dragonarium board, either on the same level as the starting tile (level 1) or on a higher level, according to the following rules:

1. Tiles may be placed anywhere and do not need to be adjacent.
2. When placed on a higher level:
   • a. At least one square of the placed tile must be on top of (touching) another square.
   • b. The placed tile must lay flat. Any number of your Pillar tiles may be used to support one square of the placed tile.
   • c. The tile can only be placed on squares with an egg ready to hatch (all Element stone spaces have been filled) or on squares that do not have an egg (those that provide two Pillars). Similarly, pillars can only be placed on a square with an egg ready to hatch or on one without an egg.
   • d. Tiles cannot be placed on squares with a Dragon.

If you cannot place the Territory tile, discard it and gain 1 Pillar tile and 1 Element stone of your choice. Immediately place the stone on any matching empty Element space of your earlier placed tiles regardless of row or column (for Element stones, see Hatch Dragons, below).

II. Hatch Dragons

If your placed Territory tile covered a square(s), gain the indicated benefit. Pillar tiles used to support the tile also count as covering the square underneath.

COVERING PILLARS: If the covered square provides Pillars, gain that number of Pillars from the supply. Pillars cannot be used in the same round they are gained.

COVERING READIED EGGS: If the covered square has its Element stone spaces filled, the egg hatches and a Dragon nests in your Dragonarium! Return the Element stones to the supply. Take a Dragon that matches the Territory type you covered from the supply, and you must then place it on a square.

• Dragons may be placed on squares of the tile just placed, squares with Element stones, or the Dragonarium board (level 0).
• Each square can only hold 1 Dragon. The square with a Dragon now counts as also having the Territory type of the placed Dragon.
• Dragons are limited. If the supply is empty, you cannot place one.

III. Move the Assistant

MOVE: Choose one of the three Element types: fire, water, or air (royal cannot be chosen). Count the number of connected squares in your largest domain of the chosen Element. You must then move your Assistant in a clockwise direction exactly that number of steps.

PLACE STONES: At each step, place one stone of the chosen Element from the supply onto a matching empty Element space on a square in that row or column. To ready a royal Dragon egg, both Element stones must match. After placing the first stone, you can later only place a second of the same Element.

If you can place a stone, you must. For any stones that cannot be immediately placed, they may not be stored for later use.

Example: Largest domains are Fire: 4, Water: 5, Air: 3. Milo chooses fire and places one red stone at each step. He is unable to place a stone at step 3 because there are no empty fire Element spaces. Coco chooses air and places one green stone at each step. She is unable to place a stone on the royal Dragon at step 1 because it already has a blue stone; also, she must place one on the royal Dragon at step 2 because there are no other empty air Element spaces in both the row and column. "If you can place a stone, you must."

Replenishing the Planning Site

After the last player finishes their turn, the round ends:

DRAW TILES: In a 3-player or 4-player game, the remaining two Territory tiles are not discarded and remain. Randomly draw and place 3 tiles (3-player game) or 4 tiles (4-player game) in the line to replenish the Planning Site.

In a 2-player game, if there are four tiles remaining, do not replenish; if there are two remaining, randomly draw and place 4 tiles in the line to replenish the Planning Site.

CHANGE FIRST PLAYER: The Dragon Eggs moves to the player to the left, and play continues.

Once there are no more Territory tiles left in the supply, proceed to "Game End." The last two tiles are not placed.

Game End

Each player scores their Dragonarium board:

1. The largest domain of each of the four Territory types, fire, water, air, and royal, awards victory points equal to: Number of Connected Squares × Height (highest number of levels). If there is more than one domain of an element tied for largest, score the one that awards the most points.
2. Each royal Dragon awards 3 victory points.

Any unused Pillar tokens or any Element stones on Territory tiles do not award any points.

Example: Largest domains are Fire: 4 × 3 (height) = 12 pts; Water: 6 × 3 = 18 pts; Air: 2 × 3 = 6 pts; Royal: 9 × 3 = 27 pts; Royal Dragons: 4 = 12 pts. Total: 75 pts. If your largest domain of a Territory type consists of only Dragons on the Dragonarium board (level 0), the height is 0 and thus does not reward any points (Royal: 3 × 0 = 0 pts) — the royal Dragons themselves still score as normal.

The player with the most victory points wins!

In the case of a tie, the player with the most Dragons wins. Still tied? The victory is shared.

B-Sides

Church Ruins

Element stones placed normally during "Move the Assistant" must follow the direction of the arrow. All squares in line with the arrow, including those across "gaps," are considered in that row or column. When your Assistant reaches an arrow step, gain the reward—an Element stone or a Pillar tile. For an Element stone, immediately place it on any matching empty Element space regardless of row or column.

Example: Howard chooses fire and places one red stone at each step as normal. At step 4, she gains one green stone and places it on any empty air Element space.

Lostwing Cliffs

You cannot place Territory tiles, Pillar tiles, or Element stones on the Lostwing Cliffs squares, only Dragons. Each Cliff square with a Dragon(s) counts as having the respective Territory type(s).

Each Cliff square can hold 2 Dragons. If a second is placed, you must immediately place an additional Dragon, which is the same Territory type of 1 of the 2 Dragons, on any square that is not a Cliff.

During "Move the Assistant," all squares in line with an arrow, including those across the Cliffs, are considered in that row or column.

Example: After placing a water Dragon on the Cliff square, there are now two. Howard chooses to place a fire Dragon for her additional one.

Marble Quarry

During "Setup," take 3 Pillar tiles; and when covering a square that provides Pillars, gain the Pillars, both as normal. However, when using any number of Pillars to support a placed Territory tile, take them directly from the supply.

You may return 2 of your Pillar tiles for 1 red stone as many times as you want on your turn. Place the red stones on any empty fire Element spaces regardless of row or column.

Eternal Shrines

The three Shrine squares (fire, water, air) have the Territory type of their respective Element. During "Move the Assistant," the Assistant moves onto the Shrine squares, and you place Element stones as normal.

Territory tiles may be placed on the Shrine squares. When moved, the Assistant skips (not counted as one "step") any previously covered Shrine squares.

Tiles may not be placed on a Shrine square if the Assistant is present.

Example: Milo chooses water and places one blue stone at each step. The Assistant skips as it is covered.

Quickplay Guide

SETUP:

• Shuffle Territory tiles: 2-player 26 tiles; 3-player add to 38 tiles; 4-player add to all 50 tiles.
• Form Planning Site: 2-player 6 tiles face up; 3-player 5 tiles face up; 4-player 6 tiles face up.
• Each player: (1) Sets up a Dragonarium board with 1 random starting tile and 1 Assistant; (2) Takes 3 Pillar tiles.

HOW TO PLAY (12 rounds):

• Draft and place tile — Choose and place 1 tile. At least one square must be on another square. Any number of Pillars may support one square. Cannot be placed on Dragons or eggs not ready to hatch.
• Hatch Dragons — Gain Pillars from covered squares. Place Dragons from covered eggs onto any square. Each square can hold 1 Dragon. Squares with a Dragon also have its Territory type.
• Move the Assistant — Choose fire, water, or air. Move the Assistant the same number of steps as squares in the largest domain. Place 1 stone on a space in the row or column at each step.
• Replenish the Site — Draw 3 or 4 tiles (2-player: draw when 2 tiles remain). First player moves to the left.

GAME END: When no Territory tiles are in the supply (last two tiles are not placed), proceed to "Scoring."

SCORING: Largest domain (connected squares) of fire, water, air, and royal scores number of squares × height. Each royal Dragon scores 3 pts.

Solo Rules

Set up the game as if playing 2-player, namely placing 6 Territory tiles face up to form the Planning Site.

The solo ruleset plays very much the same, with the only differences being:

1. After the "Move the Assistant" step, discard 1 Territory tile from the Planning Site that has a square with the same Territory type of the Element you chose to move your Assistant. If there are multiple such tiles, discard the right-most in line; if there are none, discard the topmost (or random) tile from the supply.
2. Similar to 2-player, only replenish the Planning Site when 1 or 2 Territory tiles remain.

Compare your score to the table. If playing a B-side, add an additional 20 pts. to the values.

• 100+: Your imperial throne awaits!
• 90–100: The Ministry is yours
• 80–90: Suited to be an Assistant
• 70–80: An apprenticeship will do
• 60–70: Like getting shells in your yolk
• <60: Back to the Library…

Credits

• Game Design: Wei Chang, Kuan Chen
• Illustration: Zingco Kang, Yuan Momoco
• Art Direction: Yuan Momoco
• Production: Lenny Liu
• Game Development: Wei Chang, Lenny Liu
• Writing and Language: Phillip Dieringer

Special thanks to all playtesters.

©2025 Wonderful World Movie & Media Limited Company. All rights reserved. Reprinting and publishing of game rules, game components or illustrations without permission of Wonderful World Movie & Media Limited Company is prohibited.