Should I Play Dominion (Second Edition)?
Players: 2 – 4 players | Game Duration 30 – 30 mins |
Min. Age 14+ | Game complexity: EASY Genre: Card Games, Historical
Solo game mode: No | Co-op: No |
Online Version: No
Hate Rulebooks? Check out our condensed How to Play Dominion (Second Edition) Rules Guide
What is Dominion (Second Edition) about?
An Overview of Dominion
Dominion, created by Donald X. Vaccarino, is a deck-building card game where players act as monarchs seeking to expand their kingdoms. With a unique combination of strategy, timing, and luck, Dominion offers a fresh experience every time you play. Each card purchased shapes your hand, your future purchases, and your end-game victory points. At its core, Dominion is a game of resource management and calculated risk.
Playing Dominion
players are dealt a set of treasure and victory point cards from which they draw their initial hand. The main goal is to buy new cards from a central market and add them to your deck. The better the cards you acquire, the stronger the hand you can build.
Key Mechanics in the Dominion Universe
- Deck-Building: Dominion entrusts players with the creative process of building a deck from a common set of cards available to everyone. Whether you focus on currency development, combat, or victory point accumulation, the path to victory is predicated on the cards you choose to include in your deck.
- Resource Management: The game’s economy revolves around managing two primary resources – actions and coins. The balance is crucial. With a variety of cards utilising these resources in different ways, players must be nimble and adaptive in their strategy.
- VPs and End Game Scoring: In Dominion, what you have at the end of the game counts more than anything else. While buying powerful kingdom cards can help you get ahead, always keep an eye on the long game and ensure that your deck is optimized for victory point acquisition.
- Action Cards: These allow you to perform a unique action when played, often providing a pivotal change in your strategy or offering an effective counter to your opponents’ plans.
- Deck Optimization: Throughout the game, players must focus not only on improving their deck but optimizing it by filtering out weaker cards through trashing and other means, ensuring they draw stronger hands as the game progresses.
What Makes Dominion Fun?
The charm of Dominion lies in its accessibility and depth. It’s easy for new players to jump in and understand the basics, but it takes skill and experience to master the more advanced strategies. Additionally, the game’s replayability is virtually endless. With its numerous expansions, Dominion is always evolving, offering fresh challenges that keep players coming back for more.
Who Will Like Dominion?
Board game enthusiasts seeking a challenge and a change from the mundanity of traditional roll-and-move games. Its appeal stretches to strategic gamers who relish complex decision trees and the thrill of building something from nothing. Furthermore, for those who enjoy regularly exploring new content, the game’s expansion packs guarantee that Dominion remains an adventure that never gets old.
Rules
Condensed How to Play Dominion (Second Edition) Rules Guide for rulebook haters
Dominion (Second Edition) Videos
Awards Won by Dominion (Second Edition)
2012 MinD-Spielepreis Nominee
2011 MinD-Spielepreis Nominee
2010 MinD-Spielepreis Nominee
2010 Ludoteca Ideale Official Selection Winner
2010 Juego del Año Tico Nominee
2010 Gra Roku Game of the Year Nominee
2010 Games Magazine Best New Family Strategy Game Winner
2010 Årets Spill Best Family Game Winner
2010 Årets Spill Best Family Game Nominee
2009 Vuoden Peli Adult Game of the Year Winner
2009 Vuoden Peli Adult Game of the Year Nominee
2009 Tric Trac Nominee
2009 Spiel des Jahres Winner
2009 Spiel des Jahres Nominee
2009 Spiel der Spiele Hit mit Freunden Recommended
2009 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Nominee
2009 Mensa Select Winner
2009 Ludoteca Ideale Official Selection Winner
2009 Lucca Games Best Card Game Winner
2009 JUG Game of the Year Winner
2009 Juego del Año Finalist
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Nominee
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Critic Award
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Audience Award
2009 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters’ Selection Winner
2009 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters’ Selection Nominee
2009 International Gamers Awards – General Strategy; Multi-player Nominee
2009 Hra roku Winner
2009 Hra roku Nominee
2009 Guldbrikken Special Jury Prize
2009 Gouden Ludo Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner
2009 Golden Geek Best Gamers’ Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Card Game Winner
2009 Golden Geek Best Card Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best 2-Player Board Game Nominee
2009 Fairplay À la carte Winner
2009 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Winner
2009 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Nominee
2009 Deutscher Spiele Preis Best Family/Adult Game Winner
2009 As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année Nominee
2008 Origins Awards Best Traditional Card Game Winner
2008 Meeples’ Choice Award