Dominion 2nd Ed

Players 2-4 (Best with 3)

Playing Time 30 Mins

Age 10+

Complexity 2.5/5

Type Deckbuilder

"You are a monarch, like your parents before you, a ruler of a small pleasant kingdom of rivers and evergreens. Unlike your parents, however, you have hopes and dreams! You want a bigger and more pleasant kingdom, with more rivers and a wider variety of trees. You want a Dominion! In all directions lie fiefs, freeholds, and feodums. All are small bits of land, controlled by petty lords and verging on anarchy. You will bring civilization to these people, uniting them under your banner.

But wait! It must be something in the air; several other monarchs have had the exact same idea. You must race to get as much of the unclaimed land as possible, fending them off along the way. To do this you will hire minions, construct buildings, spruce up your castle, and fill the coffers of your treasury. Your parents wouldn't be proud, but your grandparents, on your mother's side, would be delighted."

—description from the back of the box

In Dominion, each player starts with an identical, very small deck of cards. In the center of the table is a selection of other cards the players can "buy" as they can afford them. Through their selection of cards to buy, and how they play their hands as they draw them, the players construct their deck on the fly, striving for the most efficient path to the precious victory points by game end.

Dominion is not a CCG, but the play of the game is similar to the construction and play of a CCG deck. The game comes with 500 cards. You select 10 of the 25 Kingdom card types to include in any given play—leading to immense variety.

 

AWARDS & HONORS
2010 Ludoteca Ideale Official Selection
2010 Juego del Año Tico Nominee
2010 Games Magazine Best New Family Strategy Game Winner
2010 Årets Spill Best Family Game Winner
2010 Årets Spill Best Family Game Nominee
2009 Vuoden Peli Adult Game of the Year Winner
2009 Vuoden Peli Adult Game of the Year Nominee
2009 Tric Trac Nominee
2009 Spiel des Jahres Winner
2009 Spiel des Jahres Nominee
2009 Spiel der Spiele Hit mit Freunden Recommended
2009 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Nominee
2009 Mensa Select Winner
2009 Ludoteca Ideale Official Selection Winner
2009 Lucca Games Best Card Game Winner
2009 JUG Game of the Year Winner
2009 Juego del Año Finalist
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Nominee
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Critic Award
2009 JoTa Best Card Game Audience Award
2009 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Winner
2009 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
2009 International Gamers Awards - General Strategy; Multi-player Nominee
2009 Hra roku Winner
2009 Hra roku Nominee
2009 Guldbrikken Special Jury Prize
2009 Gouden Ludo Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner
2009 Golden Geek Best Gamers' Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Card Game Winner
2009 Golden Geek Best Card Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best 2-Player Board Game Nominee
2009 Fairplay À la carte Winner
2009 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Winner
2009 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Nominee
2009 Deutscher Spiele Preis Best Family/Adult Game Winner
2009 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Nominee
2008 Origins Awards Best Traditional Card Game Winner
2008 Meeples' Choice Award

- $49.55