River of Gold is a new medium-weight board game for 2-4 players. Set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings, players embark on a journey with their ships, gathering resources, constructing buildings, and fulfilling customer orders to score the most victory points and win the game.

Gameplay

This game is straightforward! Each player rolls a six-sided die every round, which affects their options when taking actions. Players have three main actions to choose from:

• Constructing buildings in one of the six regions by spending coins
• Sailing with their ships to earn coins, resources, influence, and victory points
• Delivering to customers

The die roll dictates the number of ship movements, the region players can build, and the type of customer order that can be fulfilled.

Building

Buildings are constructed along the river, providing benefits to both visiting ships and their owners. Although building is usually expensive, it’s a crucial way to gain resources and influence. The game encourages building in different regions through two key design choices: construction costs generally rise with more buildings in a region, and each region features an influence track where building is a primary way to advance.

Sailing

Each river location connects to four building sites. Players move according to the number shown on their die and collect rewards from all four locations connected to their landing spot. This action becomes more rewarding as the game progresses and more buildings are added to the board. With a strategic combination of building and sailing actions, players can gather the necessary resources for future actions, earn victory points, and increase their influence.

A clever design choice is the double ship setup. Each player controls two ships on the river and can choose either one to sail which provides more flexibility in reaching various locations.

Fulfilling Orders

This action focuses on trading resources to fulfill customer orders. Players hold two cards at a time and can play them by paying the listed resources. These cards provide immediate and ongoing benefits, while also scoring victory points in different ways.

Influence Tracks

Each region features an influence track with scoring tiles that are randomized during setup to add variety. In addition to victory points, these tracks also provide resources and coins. This element adds depth to planning, as the rewards from these tracks can help fund future actions.

Die Result and Manipulation

While the die roll influences available actions, players can manipulate the result using “divine favor.” This favor is earned through various effects and is initially capped at two, though this cap can be increased during the game. Players can also exchange 5 coins for one divine favor—although costly, it can be crucial in certain situations. Each divine favor can adjust the die value by one, and players can use as many as they have. This simple mechanic mitigates bad luck and allows for more flexibility when taking actions.

Artwork and Components

This is one of the areas where River of Gold excels. The game board is gorgeous, with the golden river in the center actually shimmering in the light. The illustrations on the board are also stunning, adding to the game’s visual appeal. Although the player boards are thin, most of the gameplay happens on the main board, with the player boards mainly serving for organization and rule reminders.

The iconography and graphic design are clean and clear. However, we encountered an issue with the influence tracks: player disks cover the bonuses on these tracks. This can lead to players missing out on these bonuses or having to lift other disks to see what they gain when advancing on a track.

The game’s insert is also not ideal. It lacks dedicated spaces for different components and tokens, making it challenging to fit everything in the insert. We had to use baggies for some of the components, and still, the remaining pieces did not look well-organized in the insert.

Theme

Set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings, the game incorporates thematic elements and references to the clans, but no prior knowledge of the story is necessary to enjoy the game. For those interested in the IP, this YouTube playlist is a great resource.

Final Thoughts

The best feature of River of Gold is its quick turns. The die mechanism effectively limits options, preventing downtime or analysis paralysis, and ensuring a smooth and engaging gameplay experience.

While the game mechanics may not be groundbreaking, they are implemented well. The balance between resource management, planning, and simple yet satisfying actions makes River of Gold a fun medium-weight game.

One drawback is the limited variability. Despite some variable elements in the setup, the gameplay is mostly the same from one session to the next. This isn’t a game you’ll play multiple times in quick succession, but it’s great for a light gaming session or family game nights.

Fortunately, the game is available on BGA and you can try it before purchasing.

Disclosure: We received a review copy of this game. Also, there may be an affiliate link in the links included at the end of this article.