Dune: War for Arrakis

I had it sitting on the shelf for ages, mostly because we are rarely just two people and because this is not the kind of game you crack open in a hurry for a short session. But when mighty Shai-Hulud finally saw fit for the shrink wrap to be torn, Dune: War for Arrakis immediately made its presence felt on the table. The production is fantastic: one of those big, satisfying boxes that puts you in the mood before you even start playing. It may even feel like one of CMON’s last such pieces before its financial collapse.

At its core, it is a somewhat streamlined War of the Ring, but adapted in a way that suits Dune’s theme and approach. The game is built around an asymmetric confrontation, where the two sides do not approach the conflict in the same way and need to make different strategic decisions.

What I liked is that the asymmetry does not remain merely thematic decoration. It gives depth to the gameplay and to each player’s strategies, while their conflict keeps the game lively without making it tiring or excessively heavy. There is plenty of room for thought, but it did not crush me under the weight of its systems.

We played the base game and it was already perfectly good. For the second game, we added Spacing Guild, which significantly improves the player experience. Friends tell me that Desert War takes it even further, but I have not managed to find it at a sensible price. As it stands, though, this is a very strong game.