Dune: Imperium

The first evening ended exactly as it should: with a game of Dune: Imperium to unwind. And yes, I’ll say it plainly: this is one of those games that fully earns its place on the table again and again. It is a timeless, dependable value, with every game reminding me why I consider it such a strong candidate for game of the year.

Now that we all know it well, the game’s flow feels much more natural. The decisions do not disappear behind familiarity; on the contrary, they become more meaningful, because we understand better what we are pursuing and what everyone else may be setting up.

And of course, there are the nasty intrigue plays. By now we can anticipate them—or at least know we should fear them—which makes the interaction even tastier. The race remains fierce until the end, and nobody can truly feel safe before it is time to crown the winner.

The result was a thoroughly good time, a properly crowned winner, and then retreating to sleep. There was no traditional political discussion lasting until dawn this time, because the group had a different makeup—but Dune: Imperium had, once again, done exactly what it needed to do.