Dune Imperium Game

This review is primarily a response to a 1-star review here on Target.com from "Mom of 2". I will quote her and then offer my response/rebuttal. Mom of 2: "This game has ZERO gameplay dynamic." I don't know for sure what game she played, but this one is rich, complex, satisfying, and dynamic. If she's only familiar with games like Monopoly or Risk, then it's possible that she might have had a great deal of difficulty understanding how actually to play Dune Imperium. It does have a pretty steep learning curve... unless you're already familiar with Eurogames and/or are into the modern "hobby game" scene in general. Mom of 2: "There is no sense to how the turns take place. There is no clear objective or a well-defined path to achieving it." Incorrect. The rules make both of these very clear. On your turn you use some of the five cards you draw from your personal deck to place your agents on specific spaces on the board. These spaces represent locations on the planet, actions you can take with various factions: the Fremen, the Bene Gesserit, the Emperor, the Spacing Guild, CHOAM, etc. You will gain rewards from these actions - money, spice, armies, reputation, etc. The remaining cards from your hand will then be used to draft new, more powerful cards into your personal deck. Your goal is to be the first player to arrive at 10 victory points (or beyond). This can be achieved through ongoing military victories, increasing your reputation with the four main factions, and through the use of intrigue cards. Mom of 2: "This game is simply a merchandising scheme by the publisher to maximize revenues from the movie. It has no bearing to the actual story of the book. It has no sense of dynamism of play. It has NO VALUE." I've played those games. This is not one of them. Dire Wolf has seamlessly blended the Dune I.P. into a genuinely great game that captures all the flavor, combat, and political machinations of the Dune universe. Mom of 2: "I found this game to (be) an insult to my intelligence and to anyone who is actually a fan. Stay away." This game requires intelligence to understand and play. Again, I wonder if she has written a review of a different game and mistaken it for this one. Dune Imperium is currently the 6th highest rated board game on BoardGameGeek out of a database of over 26,000 ranked games... and a total database list of over 125,000 games and game expansions. 43,102 unique BGG users voted/ranked Dune Imperium into its 6th place spot, giving it a ranking of 8.4 out of 10. (So, you don't just have to take my word for it.)

Great game! With worker placement and deck building elements. Also with the war aspect with the soldiers definitely feels thematic. The game is pretty complex though and long so make sure you learn the fame before game night ( or at least one person who can teach it) because of you try to learnt his during game night you are asking for a bad time.

This is an excellent board game for people who like deeper, strategic board games. The gameplay is well-balanced and very interesting, with lots of paths to victory and winning strategies. It is very highly rated on BoardGameGeek and with board game reviewers, and I've taught it to several groups who have had a lot of fun with it. It also has a very solid solo mode. Regarding the extremely negative review on here, all I can figure is that that person is not a board gamer at all. The gameplay is not difficult to figure out, turns play out very clearly, and the objectives are easily understood. It also integrates the Dune theme very nicely, combining combat, resource management, politics, and more. This isn't a game for young kids, or people who don't like moderately complex games that require planning ahead and developing a strategy, but if you like modern board games like Wingspan, Catan, etc, there's a very good chance you'll also enjoy this game.

This game is a lot of fun if you enjoy deck building and resource management style board games, especially if you get the expansion which buffs spices value which is lacking a bit in the base game. The key point of the game is to end the game with more success points than your opponents. There's multiple ways to achieve this and the RNG elements are controlled so you can feel in control to plan ahead. I will say this games elements can take a while to pick up on since they're so varied but the code gameplay is turn based, everyone starts with 2 actions per turn, you play cards that determine your actions, then the remaining cards in your hand have behaviors when unused and are laid down at the end of a round. This is not a simple family game and will be far too involved for children. I recommend 12+. I think this is the trap the other reviewer fell into. This is a game you buy for hanging out with buddies, not for a young family.

This game has ZERO gameplay dynamic. You will find many pieces and they are all beautifully designed. But that doesn’t help with the play value of the game. There is no sense to how the turns take place. There is no clear objective or a well-defined path to achieving it. You will spend all your time looking up references for non-sensical repositioning of pieces that will give you no insight into why you are doing anything. This game is simply a merchandising scheme by the publisher to maximize revenues from the movie. It has no bearing to the actual story of the book. It has no sense of dynamism of play. It has NO VALUE. Do not waste your money. I am a huge fan of the Dune universe. I have read all the books. Unfortunately, even with my deep love for the story, i found this game to an insult to my intelligence and to anyone who is actually a fan. Stay away.