Dragons: Rise of Berk represents Ludia Inc.'s successful entry into the fantasy city-building genre, leveraging DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon IP to create an engaging mobile experience. The game has achieved notable market success, reaching the number one app position in over 85 countries, indicating strong global appeal among fantasy and strategy game enthusiasts. The core gameplay revolves around three interconnected systems: village construction and management, dragon collection and training, and narrative-driven exploration. Players begin with basic structures and gradually expand their version of Berk while managing resources like wood, fish, and iron. The dragon collection system features over 100 species from the franchise's films and television series, each with unique abilities and evolution paths. Exploration mechanics unlock new territories through dragon flights and special missions that advance the game's original storyline involving mysterious threats to Berk. User experience varies significantly across device capabilities, with performance issues noted particularly on older hardware. The interface employs intuitive drag-and-drop mechanics for construction and dragon management, though menu navigation can become complex as the village expands. Real-world usage patterns show players typically engage in short sessions multiple times daily to collect resources and complete timed missions, with longer play sessions reserved for story progression and special events. User feedback analysis reveals consistent praise for dragon variety and franchise authenticity alongside criticism of technical performance and monetization. Luther Kozhevnikov's July 2025 review notes comprehensive dragon representation from all HTTYD media while highlighting animation issues. Multiple July 2025 reviews from Book Worm and Riccardo De Angiolini criticize aggressive monetization where premium items cost up to $100, alongside reports of ad-related crashes. Robert Smith's July 2025 review documents game-breaking glitches during dragon calming sequences, while SpiderMan's July 2025 review praises addictiveness despite severe optimization problems causing lag. The game excels at franchise integration and long-term engagement through regular content updates but suffers from technical instability and aggressive monetization that may frustrate free-to-play users. Ideal for HTTYD franchise fans seeking deep collection mechanics and players who enjoy gradual progression systems, though those sensitive to performance issues or premium pricing may find the experience diminished. The balance between authentic franchise representation and technical execution remains the primary consideration for potential users.