Launching on Kickstarter January 7th, 2025, Golem Run is a betting, trick-taking, and racing manipulation game from Dragon Dawn Productions. Set in the same universe as previously published games Justice and Factory 42, the dwarves of Odrixia are out to see the Golem races where betting on the contestants and the other players is running rampant!

Each game can facilitate 3-5 players and takes place over six rounds. At the beginning of the game, players will create a racetrack using 4 double-sided boards featuring obstacles and setbacks. One board features a starting place for the three colored golems and another features a finish line they will be heading for. Players are then dealt cards with values 2-9 featuring one of four colors. Three of the colors (white/orange/blue) coordinate with the three golems on the board and black represents a wild card. Some cards also feature a “+1” and are used as boosters. Players can keep their cards or introduce a drafting module after learning the game.

The game really features three major elements that take place over the course of the six rounds of play:

Betting

Players will place one card down in front of them as their central bet. The suit on the card indicates which Golem they think will win the race in the current round. The speed dots indicate how many spaces back the 2nd place Golem will be. After the center card, the players will place face down cards to the right and left with predictions on what the players to either side will bet with their center cards.

Trick-Taking

Players may lead with one card, or two cards if they are the same value or using a booster. The color will set the suit with other players following if they have cards of the same color in their hand. Players can also play black wild cards which turn into the lead suit. The player with the highest total will win the hand. If a player chooses not to participate in the current trick, they can use the turn to change their face down wager cards.

Influence the Race

The player who wins the trick will move the Golem associated with the leading suit. Movement is determined by the speed pips on the card or cards played to win the hand. The moved Golem must end up closer to the finish line and can’t retrace any path used during their movement.

Players continue the round until a Golem passes the finish line or a player runs out of cards. Players will receive points based upon the wagers on their cards and will lose points based on the speed pips of their highest leftover cards. Final totals will be tallied at the end of the sixth round.

Golem Run is an entertaining spin on the trick-taking revolution that has been sweeping the tabletop space in recent years. As games progress, players start amending their wagers based on the behavior of the other players. Bluffing also comes into play by trying to misdirect a player away from the color you may have bet on. This adds a fun element to how players play the cards to various tricks. Manipulating the way the Golems on the board move is also fun. You can keep one from moving very far, while throwing another one down the paths with the most obstacles. The game also changes with player count with a few chaotic plays when playing at five.

The prototype artwork and design of the game gave off steampunk/post apocalyptic desert vibes. The colors are a little muted, but easy to distinguish between the different suit/golem colors and the speed pips were bright. The pips are featured in three different places on the cards, which could confuse players, but it is called out in the rulebook. The racing boards were small, but allowed for a tighter gameplay experience. I think there could be some room for making them a bit bigger without affecting table space. The kickstart campaign does have some goals for upgraded components, but the included components worked great.

Overall, Golem Run was an easy to learn and fun experience at the table.

Check out the kickstarter for Golem Run and other products from DDP by visiting their landing page here. The Golem Run kickstarter runs through January 26th, 2025.

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