Dune: Imperium

If you like catan/ clank/ dominion/ scythe, this might be the game for you. It borrows worker placement, deck building and player conflicts and mixes it really well. My favorite game of 2020

Watch the “watch it played” YouTube video and then you’ll still be confused until you take the first turn. Then it’s easy and fun but also very strategic.

Excellent game play. Nice quality. Very pleased.

As a Dune fan, I really enjoy this game. As a frequent board-game player, I really enjoy this game. Its interesting, complex, and loaded with flavor. Cant recommend enough, especially for hardcore Dune fans.

This review is for game contents only (not for the gameplay). The quality of game components is great. Wooden pieces, high quality cards. High quality board. All packed very neatly. Game comes with a few zip lock baggies for the small pieces. Also aincludes a link for video tutorial on how to play game (via YouTube). Game manual is high quality as well. Game instructions are easy to understand and well thought out.

Still enjoy the game after playing for more than 20 times.

This is a worker placement/engine building/deck building game that incorporates the story and themes from Frank Herberts Dune novel. It plays well, has a lot of variety of play, and is pretty captivating. We played once through to learn the rules. Then played through 2 more times after looking up some questions we had that werent quite clear in the rule book. It is a 3-4 player game with rules for solo and 2 player that include card generated rivals to bring to 3 player. We are 2 players and found that the 3rd card generated rival added the right amount of tension and strategic resistance to make the game very interesting. As with most games, the rule book could use an index and a bit better organization, but it is reasonably complete with only a one page errata available online. If I was rating this game on boardgamegeek.com, I would give it an 8. There is plenty of room for expansions and I hope the expansions include more deck cards, combat cards, and leader cards.

Dune Yes!!!! Deck building Yes! Worker Placement Yes! Fun Yes!!!!!!!!

Let me just start off with my negative is the sheer mehness of several of the faction leaders. Ones like Paul, very useful but a couple of others are their big bonus is a one time thing that just is flat overall and generally unimpressive and feels awfully weak. Beyond that, you are what you buy concept is fantastic. Water is important but not the end all be all. Many ways to Victory, combat surprisingly is a very secondary way of winning. The group consensus was that the combat wasnt important at all (except i will argue for 3 missions in the second round and our games have never lasted until the 3rd combat tier, anyways) and just something to do to get some stuff. What is important was the Faction side of it for the easy 4 VP then getting your 1-3 alliances you can do for more victory points. With the Drawing power of several locations being the best way to win when combo with the right card from the Market. So yes typical flaws of the deck building, but a very well done game overall that makes worker placement games actually enjoyable in this version.

The fun and complication of play, along with the detail and thought that went into the different actions that certain cards allow to happen as realted to their Dune Lore (specific to each character or item) more than makes up for THE HORRENDOUS ATROCITY that is the rulebook. Whoever wrote that price of **** needs to be fired. Do yourself and the game a favor and just watch the Watch It Played video to learn how to setup and play the game. Sure the rulebook comes in handy for a reference for further questions once you get deep into a round, but even some eventualities have to be intuited and agreed upon by the players. This is especially true when playing with two players (the House Hagal rules for the fake player 3 doesnt cover everything). Still, one of the best worker games Ive played!!!