Dominion

DOMINION is the GENRE-DEFINING DECKBUILDING CARD GAME designed by DONALD X. VACCARINO + published by RIO GRANDE GAMES (2008). WON THE SPIEL DES JAHRES 2009 (Game of the Year) — Germany's most prestigious board game award — and INVENTED THE DECKBUILDER GENRE (previously deckbuilding was TCG-only via card purchases; Dominion made it a MECHANIC within a single game session). Vaccarino's design INSPIRED COUNTLESS FOLLOWERS: Ascension (2010), Star Realms (2014), Thunderstone (2009), Legendary Encounters (2013), Nightfall (2011), Trains, and hundreds of others across board games + digital games (Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Roguebook, Griftlands are digital deckbuilders in Dominion's lineage). GAMEPLAY: 2-4 PLAYERS start each game with IDENTICAL 10-CARD DECKS: 7 COPPERS (basic +1 gold cards) + 3 ESTATES (basic 1 VP cards). Each turn: DRAW 5 cards, take up to 1 ACTION + 1 BUY + play TREASURES for gold; use gold to BUY new cards from the CENTRAL SUPPLY (10 kingdom card piles). Discard hand at turn end; draws from own deck; SHUFFLE discard back into deck when deck runs out. WIN = MOST VICTORY POINTS in your deck (Estates = 1, Duchies = 3, Provinces = 6, Colonies = 10 with expansion) when game ends. GAME ENDS when Province supply empties OR 3 supply piles empty. THE GENIUS: each game uses only 10 KINGDOM CARDS from the deck of 500+ cards — so every game has a different meta-strategy. Kingdom cards include: Village (+1 card, +2 actions), Smithy (+3 cards), Market (+1 card, +1 action, +1 buy, +$1), Witch (all opponents gain Curse -1 VP), Chapel (trash up to 4 cards for slim deck), Militia (opponents discard down to 3), Moat (+2 cards + defense vs attacks), Festival (+2 actions, +1 buy, +$2), Laboratory (+2 cards, +1 action), Bureaucrat (silver + attack), Mine (upgrade treasure), Remodel (trash + gain +2 cost), Adventurer (draw treasures), Chancellor (deck shuffle now). 500+ cards across 15+ EXPANSIONS (chronological): Intrigue 2009, Seaside 2009, Alchemy 2010, Prosperity 2010, Cornucopia 2011, Hinterlands 2011, Dark Ages 2012, Guilds 2013, Adventures 2015, Empires 2016, Nocturne 2017, Renaissance 2018, Menagerie 2020, Allies 2022, Plunder 2023, Rising Sun 2024 most recent). SECOND EDITION UPDATES (2016, 2019) refreshed base + Intrigue cards. Online play at DOMINION.GAMES (official). 60-min games. Considered ONE OF THE GREATEST CARD GAMES EVER + THE FOUNDATIONAL DECKBUILDER + most influential card game since Magic: The Gathering (1993).

VP in your deck at game end. Highest VP wins.

Win condition · Most VP in deck when Provinces empty or 3 supply piles empty.

Home tabletop or online. Cards + shared supply on center table.

• Dominion 2nd Edition base game ($45 USD)

  Retail; refreshed cards + rules

• Dominion: Intrigue 2nd Edition ($40)

  Standalone expansion; 2-player independent

• Individual expansions ($30-50 each)

  Seaside, Prosperity, Alchemy, Dark Ages, Adventures, Empires, Nocturne, Renaissance, Menagerie, Allies, Plunder, Rising Sun

• Online: dominion.games ($5/year subscription)

  Official online client

• Trash weak starting cards early (Chapel is best)

  Slim deck = more efficient.

• Build engine (Village + drawer combo) before Provinces

  Draw more = buy Provinces faster.

• Alt-VP strategies: Gardens (1 VP per 10 cards)

  Some kingdoms favor big-deck alt-VP.

• Attacks: Witch curses opponents; Militia forces discards

  Interactive attacks.

• Count Provinces remaining for pile-race timing

  Endgame timing critical.

Kingdom card

10 special cards selected per game from expansions.

Supply

Central pool of cards to buy.

Action

Card played from hand triggering effect.

Treasure

Copper (+1), Silver (+2), Gold (+3), Platinum (+5).

Trash

Remove card from game (via Chapel, Remodel, Salvager).

Engine

Deck built to draw + play many cards per turn.

Big Money

Buy only Silvers + Golds + Provinces (no engine).

Attack

Card that harms opponents (Witch, Militia, Bureaucrat).

Reaction

Card played in response (Moat blocks attacks).

Cellar/Chapel/Village

Fundamental support cards in many kingdoms.

• Dominion World Championship (annual)

  annual · worldwide + online · since 2010

• Dominion.games online tournaments + ladder

  ongoing · worldwide online · since 2017

• Essen Spiel Dominion demos + tournaments

  annual · Germany · since 2009

• 🇺🇸United States
• 🇩🇪Germany
• 🇬🇧United Kingdom
• 🇫🇷France
• 🇮🇹Italy
• 🇪🇸Spain
• 🇸🇪Sweden
• 🇳🇱Netherlands
• 🇵🇱Poland
• 🇦🇺Australia
• 🇨🇦Canada
• 🇧🇷Brazil
• 🇯🇵Japan
• 🇰🇷South Korea

• Rio Grande Games (publisher)

  Founded 1998 · Rio Grande, New Mexico, USA

• Donald X. Vaccarino (designer)

  Founded 2008 · USA

• Dominion.games (official online client, Shuffle iT)

  Founded 2017 · USA

• BoardGameGeek (community tracking)

  Founded 2000 · USA

• Rio Grande Games — Dominion— Rio Grande Games
• Wikipedia — Dominion— Wikipedia