Dragon Face

About this board game

Dragon Face is a two-player board game with an average play time of 20 minutes, played on a 9×7-space board. Each player seeks to capture the opponent’s Emperor, making every movement and capture part of a direct race to victory.

Both sides begin with one Emperor, six Ambassadors, and seven Governors arranged across their respective back two rows. The Emperor moves like a King in Chess, while an Ambassador moves like a Queen. Governors move straight or diagonally forward one square at a time.

Players alternate turns. When you jump an opponent’s piece, you capture it and flip it to show your color. The captured piece then belongs to you and can be moved on your later turns, turning successful captures into potential new resources. The first player to capture the opposing Emperor wins.

The board’s surrounding Sacrifice Zone adds another layer to the capture system. This exterior ring around the playing area can be entered to make a capture, but pieces that use it do not all return in the same way.

• Emperor: Moves like a King in Chess.
• Ambassador: Moves like a Queen and can be brought back into play by moving a Governor to the opponent’s back line.
• Governor: Moves straight or diagonally forward one space at a time; one entering the Sacrifice Zone remains out of play for the rest of the game.

With its flipping pieces and changing ownership, Dragon Face combines straightforward movement rules with a distinctive capture mechanism. Deciding when to risk the Sacrifice Zone and how to use captured pieces is central to each short, focused contest.