Players are prospectors in the Klondike. The game is played on an expanding map of rhombuses and triangles. Players move along the edges of the tiles, trying to accumulate the most gold nuggets. The triangular tiles contain special locations such as trade posts, Indian villages and river sources.

Players start with limited equipment and must collect resources from the board and pay money to improve the equipment. Better equipment decreases risk but costs nuggets and never completely eliminates risk. Exploitation of local resources will cause players to move farther afield and require better types of transportation (horses, carts, canoes).