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Take part in one of the most famous science-fiction stories of all time. Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy builds on 40 years of development, refinement, and evolution from the original classic game. It has the same beloved DNA, flavor, tension, and themes, but with new game-board design, more spice, new streamlined rules, and a new market deck from which you can purchase game advantages. Also, the brand new two-player mode really opens up new gaming opportunities, all making the game more accessible for even the most casual gamer.
In Dune, you will take control of one of the four great factions—House Atreides, House Harkonnen, the Fremen, and the Imperium—all vying to control the most valuable resource in the universe: melange, the mysterious spice only found at great cost on the planet Dune. Ship your forces to Dune, harvest spice, seize control of strongholds, and destroy your enemies. Who will control Dune? You decide!
The game is played multiple phases, some of which don't have player specific actions, like in the Spice phase, a Spice Blow card is drawn and spice is added to the board in two territories, or else a Sandworm attacks that last two territories where spice was placed. But on the card phase, each player draws up to a hand of 4 Battle cards, and then may purchase Market cards up to a hand of 3 for 2 spice each. On the Shipping and Movement Phase, players take turns adding forces to the board and then moving forces on the board. Each player's faction has
The game plays 3 to 5 Rounds. Starting on Round 3, the game can end if a player occupies 3 strongholds at the end of the Round. If no one occupies 3 strongholds at the end of Round 5, then the player with the most spice wins (and each stronghold they occupy counts as 5 spice).
- Clever moving storm mechanism
- Smart battle wheel mechanism for resolving conflicts
- Quick war game experience
- Asymmetric player powers resembling movie characters
- Battles can be fluky and chaotic
- More tactical than strategic due to limited time
- May not appeal to fans of the classic, longer Dune game
- Movie was a bit slow and didn't excite them
- Dune
- Dune
- Scythe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Fundamentally the game is an area control game over five strongholds.
- bluffing — The battle wheel mechanism involves committing forces and playing cards, with elements of surprise and counterplay.
- Combat — Battles occur when two players are in the same region, using a battle wheel mechanism with force commitment, leaders, and battle cards.
- Deck building — Battle cards and market cards are drawn from decks, influencing tactics and effects.
- Event deck — A storm moves around the board each turn, destroying everything in its path.
- hand management — Players gain cards, including battle cards and market cards, to use in the game.
- Movement — Players can move any single group of forces up to three regions.
- Resource management — Spice is a currency that can be gained and spent to bring in more forces.
- set collection — Holding the majority of five strongholds at the end of rounds three, four, or five wins the game.
- Traitors — Players receive a traitor card at the start of the game, which can be one of their own leaders or another player's leader, allowing for instant wins in battles.
- Variable player powers — Player boards are asymmetric with unique powers and strengths.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- We are just hiding behind all the Dune boxes here.
- This one really you're just getting your tactics at random from a deck and so it's kind of yeah but the battles can be absolutely true.
- Really it's not our sort of game.
- It wasn't a story I could connect with and the game part of it didn't have that many thoughtful choices.
- I think it's a real on the fence one depending on whom you ask.
- Our favorite would be like we naturally more of a eurogamer, I'm more a merry um very trash gamer more than you.
- This is certainly my top of the three but yeah anyone who knows the sorts of games that are in my top five each year that's not a surprise to anyone that's spam.
References (from this video)
- Streamlined version of the classic Dune with solid pacing for 2–4 players
- Strong thematic integration and accessible diplomacy framework
- Clear, stepwise phases that are easy to teach
- Some players may prefer the depth and scale of the full version with more factions
- Can run longer if players overexploit market and alliances
- spice economy, diplomacy, and competitive conquest
- Dune universe with spice politics and planetary factions
- epic, diplomacy-driven strategic play
- Dune (classic)
- Dune (full edition)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- battle cards — Combat uses battle cards with various effects, including poison and protection
- marketplace / card drafting — Players draw and purchase battlefield and market cards with spice
- spice economy — Spice melange is collected and spent to influence actions and buys
- storm mechanic — The storm moves around the board, wiping out forces in its path
- Territory control — Control three strongholds to win; otherwise top spice holder wins
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the art and graphic design of the card are so good they're so playful
- it's all about the spice
- there can be only one
- this is a team based game that plays from four to eleven players
- after your turn all the monsters have to activate
- the ring master