It’s Time to Revisit Dune!

Dune is a masterpiece of a game. There I said it. In my time I have come across a range of board games based off films and novels, but the Dune board game really throws you into the universe Frank Herbert created all those years ago. This version of Dune is a reprint of the 1979 classic board game, which itself was based on what was arguable the best-selling science fiction novel in history. If you were a lover of the original game, or the Dune novels/film then you will undoubtable love this game, however you don’t have to have experienced Dune before to delve in and enjoy this edition!

If you’re looking for a board game out-of-this-world (literally!), then you need look no further! On planet Dune, you and your fellow players become the leaders of one of six great factions (aka group) in the race to be the first to occupy the required number of strongholds, whether you plan on doing that solely by yourself, or decide to create an alliance with another faction to increase your chances of winning.

This board game is deeply strategic and asymmetrical, making it so important to take your time choosing which faction you want to become the leader of, as it could make or break the game for you! The faction you choose to play and the factions that your friends choose to play will all come with their own different advantages and disadvantages, meaning you truly don’t know what each player is capable of. For example, the Spacing Guild can pay half the normal fee when shipping their forces, whereas Atreides have limited knowledge of knowing something in advance. I love an asymmetrical gameplay, as the game has you doubting yourself and your fellow players, but when your advantages come into play you can really feel confident and BAM! show the other players what you’ve got!

There are ten rounds to the game, each round consisting of nine phases, so you can see why they have suggested 120 minutes for an average gameplay. But even with that in mind, don’t let it put you off! The game does not feel heavy to play or like it is dragging along, it also depends on the factions you play and the alliances/battles that commence, which could have the game finishing sooner than expected if one player finds themselves in victory.

Every phase is the same in each round, starting out with a storm that ripples round the planet in phase one. After the storm (and the inevitable slaughter), the following phases include new reserves of spice being deposited on the map, revival of the injured and defeated forces, shipment of forces onto Dune, battles and then harvesting the spice. So, there is a long process, cut into phases, of gameplay. The key component to this game is spice (also known as Melange). It is essentially the currency within the game and without it, or with small funds, you are limited to the actions you can do.

During play, you may feel that you can’t lead your team to victory alone and may consider or even join an alliance with another faction; you can only form an alliance with one other faction so you must choose carefully. When forming an alliance, you need to seek out the faction whose traits compliments yours the best, as this will help lead to the best victory (however you might have to accept a joint victory, as hard as that may seem). But as easily as an alliance can be formed, they can be broken, so you always need to be kept on your toes as anything is possible.

I believe that it is no wonder that the game age is set at 14+ as it is a complex game, and with the asymmetrical gameplay involved, it does require some level of skill and strategic thinking to be able to play the game in order to win. I do however love the exclusive models that come with the Special Edition which gives you that additional resource to engross yourself into the game.

I have also found that this game shines the most when it is played as a six player game. When playing with four or less players you can still have a great game and form the alliances and have strategy to win, but when you are playing with six there really is a lot of elements involved and chances for alliances, and I believe a more interesting gameplay.

Asymmetrical board games may be something that you have never tried before or are sceptical to try, which I myself was too, however after playing I will never turn an asymmetrical game down again! Having each player with their own characteristics and unique benefits really makes it so each time you play this game it is always different and you can mix up which faction you want to play as. There are other similar games in this style, such as Scythe and Root, but Dune knocks them all out of the park in terms of the strategy and complexity to this style of board game.

The creators of board games like this know how complex and sometimes difficult they can be to follow, especially when it is your first time playing. But with a very clear rulebook and several videos online of breakdowns of gameplay, there is help if you do get stuck, however like all games, once you’ve played it a few times you know the rules off by heart. Also, a handy addition, is that each player has a small card with a summary of turn order on, so you don’t have to keep flicking through the rule book to check what the next phase is!