Have You Played… King of Dragon Pass?

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.

King of Dragon Pass looks like it has been drawn by the illustrator of 1970s books for pre-teens. That is wonderful in its own way, but much of the joy comes not from the wispy beards of your clansfolk but from the insightful stocking of wheat, from the easy diplomatic tone of your emissary, from consistently robbing a group of helpless duckmen.

This is a management game, yes, but at its heart is an ongoing RPG chronicle. You make decisions for your clan not only about resources, diplomacy or war but also about moral things or sudden disasters. A giant monster is attacking your farmland. Do you fight the beast or just let it tire itself out? A horny poet has come between a betrothed couple – now what? Your councillors will like some decisions and dislike others, and often its wise to stay out of personal affairs. But maybe not. You're the boss, you’re the King. Time to pay those ducks a visit.