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About The Quest for El Dorado
The Quest for El Dorado is Reiner Knizia's deck-building race. Each hex on the modular board demands a card type: machetes for jungle, paddles for water, coins for villages. You play cards to move, buy better cards from a small market, and thin out weak starting cards along the way. It was nominated for the 2017 Spiel des Jahres and is one of the easiest ways to teach deck building.
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Is The Quest for El Dorado Right for You?
Best for
The Quest for El Dorado is for families and newer players ready for their first deck-builder, and for experienced players who want one that plays in under an hour. The race gives the deck-building a clear purpose, and the modular board keeps it fresh. We think three and four players is the sweet spot, when the paths get crowded.
Maybe skip it if…
Players who want deep card combinations will find the market small and the cards simple. It is a race first, and there is limited interaction beyond blocking and competing for market cards.
How to Play The Quest for El Dorado
Setup
Assemble the board from tiles in a suggested layout. Each player takes an expedition piece and an identical starting deck, then draws four cards.
On Your Turn
- Play cards to move your piece; each space needs cards of the matching symbol and strength.
- Spend coins to buy one card from the market; any card not used for movement counts as half a coin.
- Discard what you played and draw back up to four cards.
How to Win
The first explorer to reach El Dorado triggers the end; the round finishes so everyone has equal turns, and if several explorers arrive, the most blockade tiles breaks the tie.
💡 Strategy Tips
Buy one strong card rather than two weak ones. A lean deck reaches the good hands more often.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Keeping every starting card. Weak cards dilute your hand, and removing them at basecamps or with certain cards is part of the plan.
- Buying cards that do not match your route. A strong paddle card is useless if your chosen path runs through jungle.
- Ignoring the market's reserve. Only six card types are on offer at a time, and a type appears only when an empty slot opens up.
- Treating blockades as nuisances. Breaking one first earns the tile, and those tiles decide ties.
Advanced Strategy
- Plan the route before the deck. Decide early which terrain dominates your path and buy for it.
- The single-use cards are strongest in the endgame. Save one for the final stretch when a single big move wins the race.
- Other expeditions block spaces, so the shortest route is not always the fastest. Watch where the leader is heading.
- A thinner deck lets you draw your best cards every other turn. Removing two weak cards can matter more than one purchase.
Variants & House Rules
Heroes & Hexes
The first expansion, adding caves with tokens, curses and hero cards. A good second step once the base game feels familiar.
The Golden Temples
A standalone follow-up about exploring temples and collecting gems. It can be combined with the original and its expansions.
Your own layouts
Once the suggested courses are familiar, build your own from the tiles. Narrower paths make blocking matter more.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
The Quest for El Dorado is a clean, quick deck-builder that anyone can learn in ten minutes. The race structure makes every purchase feel purposeful, and the board changes each game. It is one of the best gateway games of its type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it good with two players?
Yes. With two, each player controls two expedition pieces and both must reach El Dorado, which keeps the board busy.
Do we need the expansions?
No. The base game has plenty of layouts. Heroes & Hexes is the natural next step if you want more variety.
Does it work for children?
From about ten, yes. Reading is minimal and the symbols on the board and cards match.