Gold River

About this board game

Gold River is an auction game for 2–5 players that plays in around 35 minutes. As prospectors surrounded by gold mines, players compete to take home as much money as possible.

Each turn, a selection of items is offered for auction, including mines, dynamite, town characters, and more. Players continue bidding until everyone but one player has passed. The winning bidder pays the bid to the player on their right, who keeps half the money, rounded up, and passes the remainder to the next player. The process continues around the table.

After winning the auction, the highest bidder chooses one item from the lot. The player to their left then chooses, followed by the next player, until everyone has acquired something new. This makes every auction a contest not only for the winning bid, but also for the best available selection.

• Bid for valuable items and decide how much money to risk.
• Roll two dice to determine which gold mines pay out.
• Become a Mayor by acquiring the first two mines in a location.
• Earn a commission whenever another player acquires a card from a town where you are Mayor.

Gold River is an updated version of Boomtown and La Fièvre de l’Or, with a dedicated two-player mode that Boomtown does not include. An advanced “poker” game mode adds another way to experience its auction and mining system.