Dorada

About this board game

Dorada is a fast board game for 2–4 players that takes about 20 minutes to play, combining dice-driven movement with careful timing on a short track.

Each player begins with four tokens and tries to advance them to the finish. On every turn, a die is rolled and one token is moved, creating a straightforward flow that is easy to follow. However, Dorada adds two unusual decisions to this simple foundation.

• Holes: The first piece to land on a hole is lost from play, but it also fills that hole. The piece is flipped to its other side, which is colored as a regular safe space.
• Timing: A piece scores more points the later it arrives at the finish, rewarding players who can delay their arrival.
• Risk: Pieces that fail to finish score nothing, so waiting too long can be just as costly as moving too quickly.

The central challenge is deciding when to advance each token and when to hold back. Players must weigh the potential value of a later finish against the danger of leaving a piece incomplete, while also considering the holes that can remove tokens from play.

With very quick turns and a compact track, the game moves briskly from start to finish. Its unusual scoring system gives an otherwise simple dice game added depth, making each decision about speed and delay meaningful.

Released in 1988, Dorada offers a quick-playing experience with enough depth to provide good replay value. It is suited to players looking for a short game where luck, risk management, and finish timing all matter.