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Science fiction · 2021

Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy

Four factions, five turns and a storm that sweeps the spice: hold three strongholds or end up richest.

  • 2–4 players
  • 30–60 min
  • 2.2 / 5 · Light

Set up the game

0 of 6 steps

Tick each step as you complete it.

  1. Circular Arrakis board showing the territory map, turn track, phase track, spice bank and Tleilaxu tanks areas.
    The Arrakis board
    Game cards face up in a fan, none covering another.
    Cards
    Marker on its track, position pointed out.
    Marker
  2. Game components: spice tokens worth 1, 2, 5 and 10, turn, phase, storm and first player markers, and the two assembled battle wheels.
    Tokens and battle wheels
  3. Game cards face up in a fan, none covering another.
    Cards
  4. Top-down view of the table at the setup point the step describes.
    Table from above
  5. Rulebook example: Atreides ships four forces into Broken Land for four spice and moves six forces two territories to Carthag.
    Forces on the map
  6. Dice in the foreground with the relevant face showing.
    Dice
What it is about

Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy is the short, sharp version of the 1979 classic: same Arrakis map, same factions, but five turns and none of the rules weight of the big edition. The tension comes from the calendar — the first two turns are build-up, and from turn 3 anyone can win with three strongholds.

The economy drives everything. Spice pays for shipping, revivals and market cards, and the storm can wipe out what you have stored. Battles resolve with imperfect information: secret wheels, leaders, weapons and traitors, with the chance to win without losing anything when a traitor card matches the enemy leader.

The last turns are a race against turn order. Whoever moves late sees the weaknesses everyone leaves and can walk into a stronghold unanswered; whoever moves early has to strike before their three strongholds slip away.

Source note

The rulebook covers 2 to 4 players, a two-player allied-faction mode and every faction's advantages. This guide explains the standard 3 to 4 player game; the two-player and alliance modes are summarised in the FAQ.

EN rulebook (Gale Force Nine, 2021) · Reviewed: 24 Oct 2026

Turno Cero

Fan-made summaries and tips. They do not replace the official rulebook.

Made for playing, not for reading rulebooks. · 2026