Dr. Drago’s Madcap Chase Overview
Dr. Drago's Madcap Chase is a strategic multiplayer game for up to eight participants, structured around a rally across Europe and North Africa. The competition is divided into stages, with a television moderator announcing a target capital city at the start of each. Players aim to reach these destinations first to earn substantial monetary rewards.
Movement occurs on a map where players roll dice to advance their pieces across interconnected fields. The route to a target is freely chosen, but the type of field where a turn ends triggers various effects. Financial penalties or bonuses are applied on red and blue fields, respectively. Yellow fields grant special cards that can aid the player or hinder opponents, while purple fields allow for card trading. Property acquisition is central to gray fields, which represent cities; owning all buildings in a city creates a monopoly for increased rental income. Notably, visiting another player's city does not incur a fee. Capital cities, marked by black and white fields, offer higher rents at a greater purchase cost.
A persistent challenge is introduced by the computer-controlled Dr. Drago, who pursues the player farthest from the previous stage's target. Drago disrupts gameplay by confiscating money, making unfavorable property transactions, or destroying cards. Escaping his attention requires using a specific counter card or overtaking another player, which transfers Drago's pursuit. The game's historical setting evolves, beginning with Western Europe before expanding eastward after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Victory is determined by the highest total wealth after all stages, not necessarily by winning individual legs. A strategy focused solely on safe bonuses is challenging, as it yields lower profits and leaves a player vulnerable to Drago's persistent interference, especially if they are far from the active stage's goal.
