When you host a weekly in-person board game night time, otherwise you run a digital board game server, selecting the game of the night (or which to begin) can typically be a dizzying endeavor. Deck-building video games might be a stable alternative for the evening–especially ones with a number of variations and expansions to vary up the game for seasoned and unseasoned gamers. It’s what made Dominion and its tapestry of totally different expansions one of my absolute favorites for game night time… and just about any night time, as you by no means get the identical game twice.
Dominion was launched in 2008 by Rio Grande Games. It’s an award-winning deck-building game that many have come to assume of as a mannequin for the style. Since its initial release, it has added a whopping 15 expansions. Each growth provides depth with totally different playing cards and featured components to the game primarily based on themes. The final expansions, Allies and Plunder, have been launched in 2022. Games typically final between 20-Half-hour however can go longer relying on the quantity of gamers, their expertise enjoying, and their play fashion. Games vary from 2-6 gamers however are sometimes finest performed with 3.
The Base Game
- MSRP: $44.95 USD
- 2-4 Players (finest with 3)
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
The base game of Dominion introduces gamers to the core components of deck building as a course of. It consists of Kingdom playing cards that permit gamers to train totally different collection of actions and Action Cards that the participant can use to buy Treasure Cards and ultimately Victory playing cards. You need this base set to play additional expansions and get a deal with on how gameplay goes. Once you’ve got the core game and are conversant in how it plays, you can begin mixing it up with expansions.
Dominion Expansions
Dominion's many expansions add totally different components to the game on high of the unique base. It’s the place the enjoyable actually begins to emerge as every growth provides playing cards and new mechanics that vastly change participant methods.
With so many opinions on favourite expansions, it took a lot of work to find out which mine was. However, after mass deliberation, the next expansions are my high picks for ones that it is best to take into account including to your purchase checklist.
Dominion: Seaside Expansion
Contents: 300 playing cards, together with 26 new kingdom playing cards that includes new components
- MSRP: $44.95 USD
- 2-6 Players
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
Seaside is a complete boatload of journey for these trying to leap into the murky and harmful waters of battles along with their base game. It is persistently the best choice in all my board game hangs in particular person and online. It provides nautical-themed playing cards reminiscent of pirates and sea witches and the idea of period playing cards.
Dominion: Plunder Expansion
Contents: 500 playing cards, together with 40 new kingdom playing cards that includes new components
- MSRP: $44.95 USD
- 2-6 Players
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
Plunder is one of the latest expansions, and I’ve discovered it gratifying all through my gameplay. It can be the best choice of Theresa Duringer, the CEO of Temple Gates Games, who labored on creating the digital model of the game. Plunder provides even more pirates, together with loot, occasions, and traits. Gaining loot (additionally used as treasures) might be enjoyable and thrilling as there are a number of totally different loot playing cards with totally different talents that one can randomly finish up with. These treasures can do issues like add further shopping for energy, assault different gamers, gain even more loot, and plenty of different actions.
Dominion: Nocturne Expansion
Contents: 500 playing cards, together with 33 new kingdom playing cards that includes new components
- MSRP: $44.95 USD
- 2-6 Players
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
Fans of tales of vampires, fairies, and witches may even totally benefit from the Nocturne growth. The game provides the ideas of Night playing cards, Boons, Hexes, and Heirlooms. It’s a whimsical set of playing cards that goes from the lighter to darker sides of the game, shocking gamers in delight and horror.
Dominion: Intrique Expansion
Contents: 300 playing cards, together with 26 new kingdom playing cards that includes new components
- MSRP: $39.95 USD
- 2-4 Players
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
Like the primary growth, Intrigue is beloved by many. The spy-themed growth provides more Victory playing cards to the game. It provides playing cards that permit for a number of actions, spying, and gossiping, which does certainly get you locations on this growth. There’s even a card that helps prop up for the poor participant who attracts a few treasure playing cards of their hand. My private favourite playing cards on this growth embrace the Minion, the Shanty Town, and the Courtier. Feel free to inform us which of them yours are within the feedback under.
Dominion: Menagerie Expansion
Contents: 400 playing cards, together with 30 new kingdom playing cards that includes new components
- MSRP: $44.95 USD
- 2-4 Players
- 20-Half-hour
- Ages 13+
Animals are our pals on this growth. A menagerie of totally different animals, from falcons, sheepdogs, camels, black cats and horses, will help you in your quest for victory right here. They deliver within the components of horses, methods, and exile playing cards. While this growth doesn’t add any legendary medieval animals, it permits the participant to work together with their action playing cards in a mechanic known as Ways. Through Ways, you’ll be capable of faucet into the power of an assortment of animals, from seals, ox, chameleons, moles, butterflies, and even… a worm? Yes, even a worm.
Other Dominion Expansions
If you loved the above expansions and need to study others, you're not going to run out of expansions anytime quickly. Buddy, there are a lot. The others are listed under (be aware that some are troublesome to seek out in print). Several of these video games are additionally superb as they add their own layers to the game, which might create enjoyable methods to play it.
A be aware of warning, nevertheless, for people taking a look at Dark Ages: that specific growth dips into the ideas of poverty and may embrace language within the playing cards that some could discover much less gratifying to expertise within the game due to the names of the playing cards.
More Ways to Play
Like many board and card video games, you’ll be able to play Dominion in a number of alternative ways, bodily and digitally. The game is extremely accessible.
A digital model of the game developed by Temple Gates Games got here out on Steam in February 2024. The base game is free to play on Steam. Expansions price totally different quantities, starting from $4.99 for Intrique to $5.99 for Alchemy, Cornucopia, and Guilds to $10.99 for all different expansions. You may purchase all of the expansions in a launch bundle for a reduced price on Steam. You can play the game, with or with out expansions, online on Steam in opposition to the pc on totally different ranges of AI: very straightforward, straightforward, medium, and exhausting. They even have a every day game the place you’ll be able to play the AI, giving all customers a solution to play the game and see a number of totally different playing cards in expansions without spending a dime.
For people who need to play in opposition to different people on Steam, there are a number of methods to try this. For teams of up to 6 who’re already pals on Steam and have exchanged pal codes for Dominion, as soon as one participant in a group has entry to an growth, everybody that the participant plays with may even be capable of play the participant with these playing cards. Online play additionally permits people to play random gamers who could or could not have entry to different expansions.
Dominion.games is one other solution to play the game in your browser with pals. This game was achieved by a totally different staff and is operated on the Shuffle iT platform. Like the Steam version, the bottom game for the browser version is free. However, in case you’d wish to play expansions, there may be a month-to-month price. The Core Subscription, for what these builders really feel are “the simpler half of the cards”, prices €2.15 per 30 days. With all card expansions, the Complete Subscription prices €4.30 per 30 days. All of these purchases are priced in Euros. Only one participant per game wants to purchase a subscription to have entry to playing cards so that everybody in a game staff can play alongside the participant with the playing cards.
Bottom Line
With a 7.6 score on Board Game Geek, a number of board game fans like me will swear their like to Dominion, however even a few of my pals in my devoted board game group haven’t discovered themselves followers of the game. While the game might be beginner-friendly, it could actually additionally really feel extremely advanced to people not skilled with deck-builder video games, even with out a number of expansions. It can take a few video games to study the game's groove. (In my expertise, that is typically when making an attempt to show the game to a participant online vs in particular person, as deck-building is an simpler understood course of when one can see it visually and tactically.) However… when you do, in case you do, it may be a liked game that may all the time be totally different each time you play it.
For more, be sure to take a look at our picks for the best board games to play proper now, in addition to the best solo board games. And in case you're searching for different deep dives into expansions, take a peek at our Betrayal at House on the Hill Buyer's Guide.