Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Commit bands of hirelings to island locations, rescue dragons, recruit heroes, train a companion, and outbid rival champions for glory.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Worker Placement
Commit limited workers to action spaces before opponents occupy them.
Auction / Bidding
Bid against other players to determine who receives an item, action, or priority.
Turn Order: Claim Action
Determine or change the order in which players take their turns.
Read the full game description
Emberheart is a medium-weight worker-placement game about protecting an island’s last dragons. Across five rounds, players either claim an Aide bonus or commit a party of hirelings to one of several island locations. Larger parties choose scarce rewards earlier, creating an auction-like contest layered over placement. Grunts are flexible but disposable, while Scouts, Rangers, and Wardens stay in play but work only at particular locations. Rewards recruit heroes, rescue dragons into matching preserves, train a personal Dragon Companion, and push back the poachers. Burning actions and end-of-round raids advance the Flame track, so unchecked ambition can cost valuable glory. The design’s appeal lies in balancing efficient specialization with tactical bids: every rival party changes how many workers a location may demand. Glory from dragons, heroes, companion training, and flame control determines the new Dragon Ambassador.
