Dominion

Do you have royal blood in your veins? Dominion is the popular card game where you, as a visionary monarch, must expand and develop your dominion. Buildings must be erected, the treasury must be filled, and the people must be civilized. But beware of the other monarchs: none of them will mourn your downfall. Claim the unclaimed lands before your opponents and use your resources and gold wisely. It should be your banner that flutters in the wind in Dominion!

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In this video, you can learn more about how to play Dominion.

Dominion was created by game designer Donald X. Vaccarino and was released in 2008 by Rio Grande Games. The game has won several awards and has achieved classic status today. Indeed, Dominion is the first game in its genre, namely deckbuilding.

A Pioneer

Dominion is a game consisting solely of cards. More specifically, it is of the type called a "deckbuilder", and Dominion is indeed a pioneer within this genre. Since then, deckbuilders have grown in popularity, and many other games have taken clear inspiration from Dominion.

Deckbuilding generally works in such a way that all players have or acquire an individual set of cards – a deck – where they then continuously try to acquire new, better cards and possibly get rid of some of the less good cards. The goal is therefore to assemble a deck that is stronger than the opponent's. The strategic element thus consists in the selection of new cards, which one optimizes one's deck with.

In Dominion specifically, all players start with a small set of 10 identical cards. These are selected among the base game's total of 25 different types of Kingdom cards. In the middle of the table, there is a selection of new cards that players can buy with the gold they have available. The players – or should we call them the monarchs – must strive to get cards that in one way or another optimize their deck by, for example, resulting in more gold, a special bonus, or victory points, which are essential to be able to win Dominion. There is an incredible amount of strategy in gold management and card selection, and with the many different ways to start the game, there are almost no limits to the varying games you can experience by playing Dominion. Think creatively and always come up with new strategies to secure your victory!

Want to know more about how to play Dominion? Click here.

Many Expansions

Dominion won the prestigious game award Spiel des Jahres in 2008, and since that successful beginning, many exciting expansions have been released for the acclaimed base game – about 15 different ones. More than 2.5 million copies of Dominion and its various expansions have been sold worldwide, which is quite impressive. Try Dominion and experience a medieval society from the monarch's perspective!

Here is a list of some of the most popular expansion packs for Dominion:

• Intrigue:
  The councilman looks at you knowingly with a twinkle in his eye. What secret will he share with you? In this expansion, there are new cards with multiple actions to choose from when the card is played. Additionally, the new Victory cards have bonuses that are useful before the game ends. Two new mechanics that will definitely create intrigue in your Dominion game!
  
  
• Seaside:
  Steer your ship through pirate-infested waters. Here, cards are introduced whose effect lasts more than one round. This creates a whole new dynamic and requires extra vigilance. Now the waterways are part of your dominion!
  
  
• Prosperity:
  Klir-klir-klir! What is this delightful sound? It is the sound of clinking gold coins filling your pockets. Wealth is the theme in this Dominion expansion, which introduces the Victory card Colony and the Treasure card Platinum. Can you make your treasury overflow?
  
  
• Hinterlands:
  Expand your borders to exotic lands far away! Here, several of the cards have special effects when the player acquires or buys the card. Some of the cards also give other players advantages – so think carefully before you use a card.
  
  
• Dark Ages:
  These are hard times, and the barbarians are ravaging your dominion. In this Dominion expansion, two game mechanics are in focus. One is to "trash" your cards, and the other is upgrading cards.
  
  
• Adventures:
  Like another fortune hunter, you venture out into the world. Here, several ways to acquire, among other things, Reserve cards are introduced. The smart thing about these cards is that they remain on the table when the card is played. Here they stay until the player chooses to activate the card's effect.
  
  
• Empires:
  Your dominion has grown gigantic and lavish: Now it is an entire empire, and you have become emperor! This Dominion expansion contains cards with debt costs. Instead of paying for the card, the player receives a debt token. When the debt is paid off, the token can be removed – and before that, no other purchases can be made. Make sure not to get too indebted.
  
  
• Nocturne:
  You have always been somewhat of a night owl, haven't you? Hide in the shadows and achieve your goals in this Dominion expansion. A new phase after the Buy phase is inserted, namely the night phase. Immediately after this phase, the so-called Night cards are played, which give random bonuses or penalties. Tread carefully. Anything can happen when darkness falls.
  
  
• Renaissance:
  Here, tokens are used to mark Projects, Artifacts, and villagers. Additionally, "trashing" is a major theme. Revolutionize your dominion and focus on art and culture with this expansion!
  
  
• Menagerie:
  The wildlife is lush in your dominion. Go hunting and utilize this natural resource. In this Dominion expansion, one gets, among other things, an exile mat for cards that are temporarily ousted from the player's hand. Additionally, one gets the special card Horse.
  
  
• Allies:
  You are hailed by your people, for you have finally managed to get the barbarians on your side thanks to your eminent persuasion skills. Utilize your new allies to gain more advantages.