Seek the help of powerful dragons to defeat an evil witch and save your kingdom in Dragon Keeper! Help dragons raise their young to gain their trust and obtain powerful magic items from them. Take care of the drakes, feed them and protect them from nasty adventurers. Efficiently manage dragon gems and create a well-defended money-generating lair in this fun time management game.

Dragon Keeper is a time management game in the style of farm / garden management games like The Fifth Gate. However, instead of managing a farm full of corn, ducks, and pigs, you can manage a dragon’s lair! And they’re not nasty looking evil-looking fire-breathing dragons, either. You will take care of the adorable baby dragons and watch them grow while protecting them from the nasty adventurers who come invading and searching for treasures.

You are a handsome prince and the game begins when you are about to marry your beloved princess. However, an evil witch breaks the wedding door and casts a curse. Your princess is turned to stone, partygoers are trapped in the castle, and you are banished from the kingdom. Desperate for help, you head to the mountains in search of the mighty dragons, hoping that they can provide you with magical weapons to fight the witch. They agree, but there is a problem: you have to take care of their children!

The way the game’s levels work is slightly different from other time management games. Rather than having missions for each day / level, Dragon Keeper has a full set of missions for each chapter, and it can take as many days as you like to achieve those goals. However, you must complete them in a specific time to reach Expert level. In this sense, the game is also more free-form, allowing you to choose how you want to play; If you spend the first few days building a strong economy before attempting to complete the missions.

You start with a baby red dragon (which you hatch by hitting the egg with a hammer) and you need to feed it when it is hungry. When happy and well fed, it produces gems (which is strange, but definitely better than other types of bodily waste!). These gems form the basis of the game’s economy, and when collected they will be used to generate cash that in turn. once used to buy more dragons, other creatures, and various other upgrades. Dragons are separated into different colors, and each color can produce 3 different quality gems as dragons age. Then a red dragon will be able to produce 3 different cuts of rubies.

At the end of each day, the gems you collect can be turned into jewels. The jewels screen will allow you to turn gems into various rings, necklaces, and crowns, each of which requires a different combination of gems. The jewels can be sold for more than what you would get if you had sold the gems individually. A fun addition is that each day can have a special “daily deal”, such as a cash bonus for every necklace you make or a cash bonus for every emerald you wear.

However, you can’t just collect gems expecting a well-paid jewel combination. There is the ongoing cost of replenishing your food supply. Your gem chest also has limited space and you won’t be able to collect more gems once it’s full. Fortunately, you can buy more chests with the money you earn. You can also buy more dragon eggs and more meat grids to feed your growing collection of animals. However, space is limited and you will also need to hire imp to clean up debris and make more space.

There is also the problem of intruders. Adventurers will appear at random to try to steal your gems or attack your baby dragons. You can simply attack them yourself or hire trolls to help you take down these pesky intruders. Defeating these adventurers will earn you loot that you can sell, as well as a special Essence. If used during the day, these essences can be used to attack other adventurers. If you collect them instead, they can be used to upgrade your lair, creating more efficient imps, more nutritious food, and other effects that increase its efficiency.

The game is refreshingly more open than usual, allowing you to choose how to play. If you’re good at clicking things quickly (i.e. collecting gems, feeding dragons, and fighting adventurers), you could fill your lair with lots of dragon and imp nests to create more space. However, if you prefer a slower and more strategic style, you can hire more trolls to fight for you and invest in better foods that require less feeding time. It all depends on you, as long as you finally complete the missions.

Dragon Keeper is a game that has a high cuteness factor and fun gameplay. You will spend many hours enjoying taking care of the dragonlings, collecting gems and making jewelry (especially if you are someone who likes sparkles!). Fifth Gate or medieval-themed games like the My Kingdom for the Princess series. Get the Mac version here.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0