ɪnðɪ ˈeɪpɹəl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn ᵻdˈɪʃən ʌv dɹˈæɡən ˈɪʃuː wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt, kˈɛn ɹˈɑːlstən lˈaɪkt ðə hˈaɪ pɹədˈʌkʃən stˈændɚd ʌvðə kəmpˈoʊnənts ænd ðə sˈɪmpəl ɹˈuːlz, bˌʌt kˈɑːmɛntᵻd ɔnðə ɹˈɛlətˌɪv lɛθˈælᵻɾi ʌvðə ɡˈeɪm: "ɪɾ ɪz tˈʌf ɪnˈʌf tə ɡɛt ˈaʊt ɐlˈaɪv wɪð ˌɛni tɹˈɛʒɚɹ æɾ ˈɔːl, mˈʌtʃ lˈɛs təbi səksˈɛsfəl ɪn snˈætʃɪŋ ɡˈoʊld fɹʌmðə dɹˈæɡənz tɹˈɛʒɚ tʃˈeɪmbɚ bᵻfˌoːɹ hiː ɐwˈeɪks ænd bˈeɪks juː.
In the April 1991 edition of Dragon (Issue 168), Ken Rolston liked the high production standard of the components and the simple rules, but commented on the relative lethality of the game: "It is tough enough to get out alive with any treasure at all, much less to be successful in snatching gold from the dragon’s treasure chamber before he awakes and bakes you.