Dragons: Rise of Berk icon
Dragons: Rise of Berk: Comprehensive Review of DreamWorks Dragon Strategy Game

by Jeux Ludia Inc.

4.8
IOSFamily Games
Dragons: Rise of Berk offers a detailed dragon management simulation set in the How to Train Your Dragon universe. Players build Viking settlements, breed dragons, and defend Berk through strategic resource management and dragon training mechanics.

Detailed Review

Dragons: Rise of Berk represents a comprehensive mobile strategy game set within the DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon universe. Developed by Jeux Ludia Inc., the app has achieved notable commercial success, reaching the number one position in over 85 countries' app stores. The game combines city-building mechanics with dragon collection and training systems, creating an experience that extends the franchise's narrative while introducing original gameplay elements. The core gameplay revolves around three primary systems: village construction, dragon collection, and strategic defense. Players must construct and upgrade various Viking structures including the Mead Hall, Dragon Academy, and Hatchery, each serving distinct functional purposes. Dragon management involves rescuing eggs from exploration missions, hatching them through timed processes, and training creatures to unlock combat abilities and special traits. The combat system requires strategic dragon selection and upgrade prioritization, particularly noting the Mead Hall level four requirement for battle access that several users have highlighted. User interface design employs intuitive drag-and-drop mechanics for construction and dragon management, with clear visual indicators for resource status and mission progress. The game implements energy and timer systems typical of freemium models, requiring players to either wait for natural resource regeneration or make in-app purchases to accelerate progress. Real-world usage patterns show players engaging in short sessions multiple times daily to collect resources, dispatch dragons on missions, and manage breeding cycles, with longer play sessions during special events and narrative updates. User feedback analysis reveals consistent praise for dragon variety and franchise authenticity alongside recurring requests for expanded gameplay features. Reviewer 'Reviewmaniac45' (2025-07-02) specifically requested dragon flight mechanics, stating 'I wish you could fly a dragon like stormfly, hookfang, meatlug.' Meanwhile, 'Coconutfun' (2025-07-04) questioned narrative consistency regarding character inclusion, noting Trader Johan's appearance despite canonical events. The 4.76/5 rating reflects generally positive reception, though examination shows most critiques focus on desired feature expansions rather than core functionality issues. The application demonstrates strengths in franchise integration and complex dragon management systems, providing depth through breeding combinations and upgrade trees. Limitations include freemium progression pacing and some narrative discontinuities noted by franchise enthusiasts. Ideal use cases involve players seeking long-term collection projects and franchise fans interested in extended universe content, though those preferring immediate action or open-world exploration may find the progression systems restrictive compared to alternatives like School of Dragons.

Key Features

  • Dragon Collection System: Allows players to rescue, hatch and train over 100 dragons from the franchise with unique abilities and evolution paths
  • Village Building Mechanics: Features construction and upgrade systems for Viking structures that provide resources and unlock game progression
  • Strategic Combat: Requires careful dragon selection and ability management for defending Berk against various threats and invaders
  • Exploration Missions: Sends dragons on timed journeys to uncharted lands to collect resources, eggs, and special items
  • Narrative Campaign: Follows original storylines with franchise characters while introducing new threats to the Berk universe
  • Multiplayer Elements: Includes tribal competitions and dragon trading systems that enable cooperative gameplay with other users

Why Users Love It

Extensive dragon collection
Strong franchise integration

Perfect for: How to Train Your Dragon fans and strategy management enthusiasts

Screenshots

Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 1Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 2Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 3Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 4Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 5Dragons: Rise of Berk screenshot 6

User Reviews

Dragon lover 1000
Jul 5, 2025

Best ever but you have to upgrade mead hall to level four to battle otherwise awesome game!!!! Best game ever Best ever but you have to upgrade mead hall to level four to battle otherwise awesome game!!!!

Grace anne caswell
Jul 5, 2025

I love the game so much I can’t wait for the next update and so I have been playing it for a while and I just can’t stop playing! I recommend this app for anyone who likes dragons 🐉! Great game. Grace🐋🐡🐠🐟🐬🐅🐊🦭🦈🐇🦩 I love the game so much I can’t wait for the next update and so I have been playing it for a while and I just can’t stop playing! I recommend this app for anyone who likes dragons 🐉!

Coconutfun
Jul 4, 2025

The game is great and fun to play, but there’s a few things that I don’t like. So, *ahem ahem* WHY IN THE WORLD IS TRADER JOHAN THERE?! During the HTTYD series, Race to the Edge (haven’t watched it in ages, so I could be wrong) Trader Johan betrays Hiccup and I think dies in one of the last episodes (again, could be confusing characters). But, in the game, Trader Johan acts normally and players can trade with him, and most riders interact with him normally (and want him to stop telling his looooong stories, which I like). So yeah, maybe give me some clarity whether he eventually gets kicked from the game later on, or he just stays there as a traitor for the rest of eternity (which, is not factual within the HTTYD plot and stuff). Also, another thing I despise (imagine italics on the despise) is that a lot of things cost real money, and a lot of it, more than normal games charge (BASICALLY 100 DOLLARS FOR SOME RUNES ON A DEVICE THAT COULD BREAK AND LOSE EVERYTHING) which is sort of a rip-off. And, why do Dragon Riders get everything? Kinda unfair to us humble players. Other than that, this game is great and rather enjoyable, always something to play when you need to have fun (and build a Viking city with dragons!) Love it (but needs a few fixes) The game is great and fun to play, but there’s a few things that I don’t like. So, *ahem ahem* WHY IN THE WORLD IS TRADER JOHAN THERE?! During the HTTYD series, Race to the Edge (haven’t watched it in ages, so I could be wrong) Trader Johan betrays Hiccup and I think dies in one of the last episodes (again, could be confusing characters). But, in the game, Trader Johan acts normally and players can trade with him, and most riders interact with him normally (and want him to stop telling his looooong stories, which I like). So yeah, maybe give me some clarity whether he eventually gets kicked from the game later on, or he just stays there as a traitor for the rest of eternity (which, is not factual within the HTTYD plot and stuff). Also, another thing I despise (imagine italics on the despise) is that a lot of things cost real money, and a lot of it, more than normal games charge (BASICALLY 100 DOLLARS FOR SOME RUNES ON A DEVICE THAT COULD BREAK AND LOSE EVERYTHING) which is sort of a rip-off. And, why do Dragon Riders get everything? Kinda unfair to us humble players. Other than that, this game is great and rather enjoyable, always something to play when you need to have fun (and build a Viking city with dragons!)

max4551555637
Jul 4, 2025

A amazing game but can we get a game like that except it’s an open world game with the HTTYD Dragons like how SoD was? My review A amazing game but can we get a game like that except it’s an open world game with the HTTYD Dragons like how SoD was?

Magan world
Jun 25, 2025

I absolutely love the game and I had on my old iPad, but then it broke. but anyway, here are some suggestions.1 add breathing between the same species or two species that there’s already a hybrid for that way if you have enough dragons, you could not have to get more dragons and you could create a dragon army and that means that there are male and female variants.2 make the dragons look different from each other like let’s say a storm cutter. They all look similar but if you like, introduced AI or something like that to create like scale, color variance like oh this one was rare. It has red scales instead of purple blue also another thing with that is dragons have different stats because like you could just get a whole lot of big buffs for like every single fish, one and wood spot and a lot of furnaces and then, then you’ll know exactly what to put all of them so my suggestion for that is to make them have stats for fish and also for combat and defend Berk but also keep it in a frame like let’s say for a storm cutter. What’s my favorite dragon by the way it has a frame of at max level 10 mil to 100 mil or something like that that way it would promote people to actually get more dragons to get better fish or wood, collectors or iron collectors or not even a roof ceiling for the frame just a bottom so that people will constantly explore to get better ones like with the best fish and the best amount of resources and eventually it would become if you get really lucky in one minute, you could get100,000 fish or iron another suggestion which is my last one is more customization for normal dragons not just the unique ones that are all of my suggestions and I hope you read my comment. Thank you. Suggestions I absolutely love the game and I had on my old iPad, but then it broke. but anyway, here are some suggestions.1 add breathing between the same species or two species that there’s already a hybrid for that way if you have enough dragons, you could not have to get more dragons and you could create a dragon army and that means that there are male and female variants.2 make the dragons look different from each other like let’s say a storm cutter. They all look similar but if you like, introduced AI or something like that to create like scale, color variance like oh this one was rare. It has red scales instead of purple blue also another thing with that is dragons have different stats because like you could just get a whole lot of big buffs for like every single fish, one and wood spot and a lot of furnaces and then, then you’ll know exactly what to put all of them so my suggestion for that is to make them have stats for fish and also for combat and defend Berk but also keep it in a frame like let’s say for a storm cutter. What’s my favorite dragon by the way it has a frame of at max level 10 mil to 100 mil or something like that that way it would promote people to actually get more dragons to get better fish or wood, collectors or iron collectors or not even a roof ceiling for the frame just a bottom so that people will constantly explore to get better ones like with the best fish and the best amount of resources and eventually it would become if you get really lucky in one minute, you could get100,000 fish or iron another suggestion which is my last one is more customization for normal dragons not just the unique ones that are all of my suggestions and I hope you read my comment. Thank you.

App Details

Developer

Jeux Ludia Inc.

Platform

ios

Rating

4.8

Last Updated

9/6/2025