Tiger & Dragon Game Review

Written by Chris Lowry

In recent years, many people from Hong Kong have joined my local church. They’ve added new culture, food, language and friendship to our community. An unexpected bonus is that they’ve also introduced me to one of the best games in the world—Go.

Unfortunately, my international pals have also exposed me to far too much Mahjong, a game I just can’t get on with. Like Uno, it seems to be almost entirely luck dependent, but there is one aspect I do appreciate: the deliciously click-clacky tiles. When I caught a glimpse of those same tiles repurposed for Oink Games’ Tiger & Dragon? I knew I had to play it.

What is Tiger & Dragon?

Loosely based on another traditional East Asian game, Goita, Tiger & Dragon gives each player a small pile of those delightfully tactile pieces. They are numbered from “1” to “8”, with a matching number of duplicates; ie. eight “8” tiles, seven “7” tiles, and so on.

The players take it in turn to attack, placing a tile down, with the next clockwise opponent attempting to defend with the same number. If no one can defend, you get to claim a bonus point, and attack again; otherwise, the defender attacks with a new tile themselves. The aim is to be the first to place all your tiles; you then score points based on the number written on your final tile.

Simple enough, right? There are four things that make this feisty little game so very tasty. Firstly, it’s as pretty as punch. Oink always have high production values, but this little box is drop dead gorgeous.

Next reason is that, in gameplay, the relative scarcity of tiles makes for constant interesting decisions. If I place a “1” now, I know there’s only one of them, so no one can defend against it—but if I place it, instead, as my final tile, it gets me maximum points! So do I use it now, hoping for future gains, or save it and risk never having an opportunity to utilise it at all?

Thirdly, there are two wildcard tiles, the blue tiger and the red dragon, which can defend against any even or odd tile, respectively. So that “1” that you’ve sent out there? Turns out it’s not going to get you a bonus point after all, because your opponent has the red dragon and they’ve ruined all your plans.

Finally, there are a number of alternative scorecards that you flip between rounds. One round might reward you for finishing on a high numbered tile, the next on a low; each approach requiring significantly different strategies. My favourite scorecard is “Clifftop Battle” where you choose one tile to display outwardly at the beginning of the round. Finishing with the public tile gets you the most points.

The satisfaction of placing down a tile and saying “See this one? I’m going to beat you with it”, only to plonk it down in victory a few minutes later? There is no greater rush in life.

Tiger & Dragon Game Verdict

Is it the best game you’ll ever play? No. In fact, the first time you might think, “Is that all?”. But then you’ll have a tiny urge to play again, and again; again. Quickly, a little like two-player Dominos, you’ll find tricks and techniques whispering to you, as your power over the random tiles in front of you rapidly grows. I’m not alone here; almost everyone I’ve taught it to has had the same experience.

The real proof is in the pudding. If you pop in to our weekly community cafe, you’ll still see a bunch of English and HKers slamming down tiles and shouting at each other in mock-rage. At first glance you might think they are playing Mahjong, but make no mistake: Tiger & Dragon has stolen the crown. 

This is a must-play game. 

A perfect gateway game, gentle on beginners, punishing on everyone and dangerously more-ish. If I lost my copy? I’d buy a new one the next day.

About Tiger & Dragon

Designer: Hashimoto Atsushi

Publisher: Oink Games

Time: 10-30 minutes

Players: 2-5

Ages: 8+

Price: £40